Gargoyle's Quest

"Firebrand ..... what a cool name."

These days the number of games that retain their lasting appeal is getting shorter and shorter as the case becomes that what people want is Overrated Fantasy (did I say Overrated? I meant Final. My mistake) and more enhanced graphics and sound. This little gargoyle on a mission can still whip next-gen butt, and he's the perfect remedy for the on-the-go blues. His name is Firebrand, and the world first met him in 1990 on the monochrome miracle, the Game Boy.

In the first Gargoyle's Quest game, you play as the gargoyle I mentioned earlier (Firebrand), and your mission is to save the Ghoul Realm from eternal oblivion at the hands of evil King Breager. As you go along, you'll be able to increase the abilities of your wings and claws and boost your life with new and powerful pieces of armor. You'll play from both side-scrolling and overhead perspectives, fighting undead vampires and horrific beasts that walk on their hands and conversing with people in towns in exchange for mystic items, extra lives, and resurrection spells (the always random passwords that are configured to leave every aspect of the game to that point intact, down to the number of vials and lives you have - nice). Your quest, though short, will not be a boring one.

Control for Firebrand is simple. You press A to make him jump; pressing it while he's in the air will make him fly until the power of his wings is expended, and your wing power is always refilled to its highest level when you touch the ground again. B makes you shoot whatever magic you possess at the time. You will find shots that stick to thorned walls so you can safely climb them, that break through the hardest and slickest of materials, and that obliterate most monsters in one shot. Pretty much the only other buttons used are Left and Right and Start. Most of your time is spent in sideview action fighting off hordes of Breager's minions, but in this game's case, that's not necessarily a bad thing since it's fun and not too challenging at the same time. Control is good and responsive. Firebrand can jump and fly when you tell him to and can stop on a dime. It's everything you would expect from a mythical creature with master aviary skills.

The music is eerily haunting in the lifeless towns and in the sideview levels. To hear orchestrations of the title theme and possibly some of the game's other tunes would be simply divine. It's odd how even music made of bleeps and bloops can send chills down the spine when the bleeps and bloops are done just right. Sound, while almost up to the sublime level of the music, leaves a bit to be desired. Most disintegrations sound like babyish pleas for help that are extinguished by the sound of a balloon losing air. The music overshadows most of the sound effects (which can be considered barely existent) with its stirring orchestral tones and nice slurs instead of the detachedness of most classic game songs. Days after you play this, you'll still be looking over your shoulder for things that aren't there.

While the plot may seem kind of threadbare and just another incarnation of previously treaded material, Capcom turned Gargoyle's Quest into a game for the ages. It's great to have with you on the road or in the air. The only thing that keeps it from the highest of high marks in my book is its short quest when compared with other Game Boy epics such as Link's Awakening, and the shyness and somewhat lacking quality of the sound effects. Other than that, I'd be a criminal to say all of this and then not recommend tracking down a copy of Gargoyle's Quest. It'll be a good gaming experience for you and chicken soup for your Game Boy's soul. Run out and locate it as soon as possible and marvel at what Capcom hath made.

Score: 9

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/02, Updated 06/06/02