"A very mixed game where the sum is much greater than the parts"

Gargoyle's Quest isn't really one of the first games you come to think about when the Game Boy is brought up. I never heard much about it back in the day, and nowadays it's just entirely forgotten. That's something I find rather odd, since the game is really a great mix of several elements, and while not all are perfectly executed, the sum makes for a much greater game than the parts could've ever been on their own.


Graphics

The game consists of two vastly different parts (there's more about how they play out on in the gameplay section) - the overhead "RPG" perspective and the side-scrolling platformer perspective.

The RPG view looks pretty much like other Game Boy RPG's you've seen, like the original Pokemon or the Final Fantasy games released for the console. Heck, even the Zelda games are similar. The thing with those games I mentioned is that they are much more detailed than this. While those overhead segments surely works to get you where you're going, they won't feel very fresh. A lot of repeating sprites (there's only 4-5 "people" sprites in the entire game), and the backgrounds aren't very interesting. On the good side, it's pretty hard to get lost, and while it doesn't look that good it is good to give the game extra play time.

The platformer view is a lot better when it comes to graphics. While I can't say that it's colorful (it IS an old Game Boy game after all), I think that it's very detailed. It seems like the sprites are much better done here and much more though-out. Most of the enemies are really weird, but in a game where the story is as strange as this that isn't really a problem. The same sprites aren't as overused here as they are in the overhead view; of course the same sprite are used for the same kind of enemy, you won't find a lot of re-coloring (ok, it's the Game Boy) or very similar sprites used for different enemies. Especially the bosses are impressive, since they're large sprites and actually very freaky looking.


Sound effects and music

While the sound chip on the Game Boy isn't made for making great music, there are some good tunes on this little cartridge. The game features a number of different music for different occasions (unlike many games which just repeat one tune over and over), and it always fits the theme and won't get boring in your first playthrough at least.

The sound effects are good too, with the only one that might irritate you after a while is the one used when text is showing (talking to a character). The problem with showing text is not only the sound effect, but also that it feels very slow compared to other games.


Story

While the story of the game is pretty basic, probably more of RPG-basic than platforming-basic, I just felt the need to make a category for this because the world is so interesting. The basic story revolves around the player character, a gargoyle known as Firebrand, who gets revived to save the world, called "The Realm". So it is your classic save-the-world type of RPG story, there are some twists and turns but nothing I'd call very imaginative. There are, however, other elements of the game used to greatly improve the story and making the world feel more real.

This game substitutes a lot of classic gaming elements into something else to make it feel more "true" to the world. Instead of money, we've got vials (ok, a lot of game uses different currencies - from gill to coins), but more than that an extra life is called "Talisman of the Cyclone", and the passwords are referred to as "Resurrection Spells". That is a great thought by the creators, since it really allows for the player to feel much more involved in the game and the world it plays out in than by constantly throwing an out-of-place term like "extra life" or "1up" in the players face.


Controls

The controls differ a lot if it's the RPG style gameplay or the platforming gameplay. In the RPG style, you'll only be using the steering cross and A. A is the main "interaction" button, which brings up a menu with the choices to Talk, Use, Level and Check. The talk command is used when standing in front of another character, and it makes you speak with them. Use is used when you've got a story item and need to give it to or use it on another character, and if you got the correct item it activates automatically when the command is selected (so there's no trial-and-error with items in any menu). Level is used for checking the level of your skills, and also to see the items you've collected. Check can be used when standing on top of an item, and it makes you pick it up. Overall, this system feels rather clunky. I'd prefer a more standard RPG system, where A is used for both talking and picking up stuff, and the level command could be assigned to the Start button (it looks pretty much like a pause menu). Use could've been scrapped entirely, since you could as well get the same reaction from talking if you just got the correct item in your inventory. Since this isn't the main part of the game, I can understand that it's not what was focused on during development, and I can also bear with it since it can't really mess up your playthrough.

A thing which can mess up your playthrough, though, are bad platform controls. Thankfully, this game features great platforming controls. If you've ever played a Super Mario or Donkey Kong game on the NES or Game Boy, you know how much good controls can do for a game, and this game is actually up at the same level. The controls are easy to get into. The steering cross (left and right) controls your character, and you can attack with the B button and jump with A. The start button pauses the game and brings up the item screen. There are some things added to make the game a bit more advanced - first of all you get more types of attacks as you progress through the game. You start out with the fire breath, but get more advanced projectiles as the game goes on. Also, when you've jumped or for another reason is in the air, you can press A to use your wings. From the start, you can only hover for a very limited time, but that also gets expanded as you progress through the game. This, along with another feature I haven't mentioned yet - the ability to cling to walls - may make it sound like they're total game breakers and the game get very easy with them, but still the levels and traps manage to be dangerous even with those great powers. It also makes for some interesting platforming, since you're not used to be able to use walls as a means to get through a level. This also means that you'll be going a lot vertically and not just from left to right like many other platform games.


Gameplay

I think I've already mentioned some gameplay features in the controls part of the review, but there should still be some things I haven't mentioned. Let's split it up into RPG/platforming again...

The RPG part is pretty much like a world map. It is not very open, but is more of a transport section between point A and point B. Still, it's a great addition that it IS there, as it adds to story, setting and time needed to play through the game. On this world map, you walk around and get to either 2D platforming levels, or villages where you still walk around in the overhead perspective. In those villages, there are usually a number of characters and houses. You can often get some story tips, or even direct objectives, from the characters, and in the houses you'll find a place to buy Talismans and a place where you can get a Resurrection Spell.

When it comes to the platforming levels, there are a bit of variety. If you get into one on the world map when just crossing a bridge, it's only a level where you need to get from left to right (or right to left, depending on which way you're going). Also, on the world map you can come across random encounters, or run into an enemy which activates when talked to. This take you to a small platform stage where you have to defeat all the enemies. But it's when you enter a tower or similar building these levels get really interesting - it's often more of a maze, filled with enemies and traps. Also, each new level feels fresh and introduces some new danger you has to avoid. These levels also usually ends with a boss, and those boss fights are really fun. While it's not needed to figure out any real weaknesses, you just have to find an opening for your attack to hit him, and his not to hit you. Overall, those boss fights are a big highlight of the game.

You've also got your powers; flight, life, jumping. And those will be upgraded during your adventure, either by finding certain items, but some by just talking to a certain character in the villages or the world map. This also adds to the RPG feeling of the game, since you sometimes need to backtrack a bit. Never much enough to make it feel irritating, though. Those powers will also be expanded with new attacks as the game goes on, most of which has some special ability, like the first upgrade which gives you the ability to destroy a certain kind of stone blocks. These attacks can, of course, also be used on enemies, and the ones you get later in the game are stronger than your initial little flame.

While the game has no save feature, it has got the password system with resurrection spells. This is one of the most impressive password systems I've ever seen! By using a combination of only eight letters and numbers, you can get to where you were, with the upgrades you had, and even TALISMANS and VIALS are saved. Most platform games won't save lives even if it's got a battery save, and I've never seen a password based game do it before. I don't know much about how it works technically, but since you get a different password even if you speak to the character two times in a row, it seems like it's a result of what the letters/numbers add up to instead of one specific spot being assigned to something special. What I like about this is that it saves _everything_, and since it's only 8 characters long, they're easy to write down and the risk of making a mistake is small. Still, there are both 5's and S's present, but it's pretty easy to see the difference with the font the game is using. So, in these times when battery saving games are deleting save files both here and there, this works just as well and will keep going, and going, and going...


TOTAL

So, time for the final verdict. The game is good, no doubt about it. The platforming part where you have great control are put against the somewhat clunky RPG part. If this game was only an RPG, it would get a low score for sure, since it's way too short and too uninvolving to be a full RPG. If it were only a platform game, it's harder to tell, but I think it'd feel very short, and the story would have big problems being told. So, the sum is much greater than the parts, the RPG parts help with the story, and the platform levels are where the "fun" of the game is.

So that, combined with a very special password system that saves it all, great bosses, an interesting world and great abilities/upgrades for your main character, I give this game an 8 out of 10.

The things that lower the score is that the game is a bit short and haven't got much replay value, and the fact that the RPG parts are, as I've mentioned, a bit clunky. But still, it's a great game with a good difficulty level (it's a bit to chew, but never feels impossible), and should be a must-have for all gamers who like classical GB games.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/11

Game Release: Gargoyle's Quest (EU, 1991)