History YMMV / DevilMayCry1

* ItWasHisSled: Nelo Angelo is Vergil, due to [[BreakoutVillain the character's popularity]] and [[ChekhovsGunman importance in later games]].

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: When it first came out, reviews lauded ''Devil May Cry 1'' for its fast action and deep gameplay, and it has the right to be, since it basically [[TropeCodifier set all the foundations]] of the modern StylishAction[=/=]BeatEmUp genre, three years before ''VideoGame/GodOfWarI'' and ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''. Almost two decades later, not everything about ''[=DMC1=]'' has exactly aged well, to the point that veteran fans even recommend newcomers to start with ''[=DMC3=]'' or ''[=DMC5=]'' instead since they offer more options to start from, and the combat mechanics in those games are more diverse. Once you've tried the other ''DMC'' games, it's also easier to notice the EarlyInstallmentWeirdness of this game (Many of which are gameplay-related mechanics made [[AntiFrustrationFeatures more user-friendly]] in the next installments).

** Although later games repeatedly mention and establish that Dante and Vergil are twins, ''[=DMC1=]'' never actually used the words "twin" or "twins" when it brings up Dante's relationship with Vergil, contrary to popular belief. Instead, Vergil is just referred to as Dante's "brother" in this game. ''[=DMC3=]'' is the first game that describes Vergil as Dante's "twin" via some dialogue lines and Vergil's Boss File.

* EpilepticTrees: Some fans believe that the zweihander Nelo Angelo wields is actually a corrupted version of the Yamato; in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3:SE]]'', Corrupted Vergil's [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] has him become Nelo Angelo, with the Yamato replaced by Nelo Angelo's sword. Similarly, they believe that Nelo Angelo's death factors into the Yamato's broken appearance in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'', and point out ''Deadly Fortune'' as another source to support it; the light novel mentions that a broken Yamato and fragments of Nelo Angelo's armor ended up in Fortuna. However, it's still a question if the Yamato and Nelo Angelo's sword are the same or not because some factors made it more confusing; the Yamato isn't originally described as Vergil's memento (In ''[=DMC1=]'', only Sparda is mentioned as its wielder, and it's only until ''[=DMC3=]'' where we learn that it was passed to Vergil), the canonicity of the novel has been [[BrokenBase debated for a long time]], and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 5]]'' reveals that the Proto Angelos' greatswords are very similar to that of Nelo Angelo's.

* DifficultySpike: The game is pretty simple for the first two stages... and then Phantom shows up at the end of the third stage and mauls you. If you can get past him, there's the Shadow waiting for you in the next level, which can be a tricky fight for a non-boss encounter.

* FridgeBrilliance:
** Nightmare's [[ThatOneAttack swallow attack]] [[ItOnlyWorksOnce working only once]] against Dante might have a meaning beyond gameplay; the dimension is stated to be a result of Dante's underlying mental trauma from all his demon-hunting. The bosses that appear are also KilledOffForReal by the time the fight happens, so Dante is facing his demons in the form of his most recent traumas (a.k.a. the most recent bosses). The attack only works once for that fight because Dante is ''overcoming'' that particular trauma.
** Whether this allusion was an intentional ShoutOut to Myth/ClassicalMythology or not is unknown, but the [[DemonicSpiders Nobodies]] are among the most difficult and/or annoying enemies to deal with, and they are notorious for their exploding eyeballs. What's the alias Odysseus goes by in the Literature/TheOdyssey when he and his crew are up against the Cyclops and stab it in the eye? "Nohbdy", which is coincidentally pronounced like, and has the same meaning as "Nobody" in English, albeit the game's Nobodies differ in personality because they are brutish rather than clever.
** During the first phase of the boss fight in Mission 22, Dante cannot use Holy Waters under the InUniverse explanation that those don't work against Mundus. But strangely enough, they can be used in his second phase within that same mission. From a gameplay perspective, the inability to use Holy Waters in the first phase can be justified because Mundus is too far away. On the other hand, the ability to use Holy Waters in the second phase can be justified because Mundus is now within range, and was already weakened at that point.
* FridgeHorror:
** At some point, Mallet Island was filled with humans keeping the place up and running. By the time Dante arrives, any traces of human activity are gone, not even bloodstains or bodies are left behind except for maybe one or two outside of the castle at best. Naturally, the demons very likely killed everyone on the island, but what happened then? Given how demons in fiction tend to act, there's a possibility that the other [[ImAHumanitarian humans were eaten]].
** In the open courtyard near the Colosseum, you can hear sounds of crickets and several animalistic growls and noises. Particularly, there's also a noise that sounds close to that of a monkey, which sounds eerily like evil laughter. And since the island doesn't show any signs of life except for Dante and the demons, are those truly animals you're hearing?

* NauseaFuel: The [[UnexpectedGameplayChange underwater sections are played in first-person view]], but the camera's "fish lens"-like visual effect can make the player dizzy from motion sickness for a while, especially if they quickly move the camera around. It doesn't help that these underwater sections have a brown-and-blue color palette where you're gonna be looking at rusted objects and walls, or at one point, a close-up view of a drowned skeleton.

* SpecialEffectFailure: For some reason, the HD Remaster is filled with these, containing so many graphical, transparency, and audio errors that there's [[https://youtu.be/pMhem6M5gWc a video]] compiling everything that was lost from the [=PS2=] original.

* EpilepticTrees: Some fans believe that the zweihander Nelo Angelo wields is actually a corrupted version of the Yamato; in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening 3:SE]]'', Corrupted Vergil's [[SuperMode Devil Trigger]] has him become Nelo Angelo, with the Yamato replaced by Nelo's sword. Similarly, they believe that Nelo's death factors into the Yamato's broken appearance in ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]''.

** Whether this was an intentional ShoutOut to Myth/ClassicalMythology or not is unknown, but the [[DemonicSpiders Nobodies]] are among the most difficult and/or annoying enemies to deal with. What's the alias Odysseus goes by in the Literature/TheOdyssey when he and his crew are up against the Cyclops and stab it in the eye? "Nohbdy", which is coincidentally pronounced like, and has the same meaning as "Nobody" in English, albeit the game's Nobodies differ because they are brutish rather than clever.

** Phantom is mostly remembered as "the giant magma spider from ''Devil May Cry 1''", though that description is just partially correct. While it's true that Phantom is a [[GiantSpider giant arachnid with a spider-shaped body]] that has multiple eyes and limbs, many forget that [[MixAndMatchCritter he also has]] claw-pincers, and a [[BewareMyStingerTail scorpion-like tail with a stinger]].

* FridgeHorror: At some point, Mallet Island was filled with humans keeping the place up and running. By the time Dante arrives, any traces of human activity are gone, not even bloodstains or bodies are left behind except for maybe one or two outside of the castle at best. Naturally, the demons very likely killed everyone on the island, but what happened then? Given how demons in fiction tend to act, there's a possibility that the other [[ImAHumanitarian humans were eaten]].

* NauseaFuel: The [[UnexpectedGameplayChange underwater sections are played in first-person view]], but the camera's "fish lens"-like visual effect can make the player dizzy for a while, especially if they move the camera around quickly.
* ParanoiaFuel: Sin Scissors are great in making you paranoid. Their ability to phase through walls would make you want to move around an open space, and their creepy laughter will still persist in the background for a significant time even if they're already dead. The latter makes you feel wary and urges you to check the environment if there's still a Sin Scissor around even if there's actually nothing to fear anymore.

* ThatOneLevel: Mission 17 contains a tight hallway that's filled with Marionettes, a LightAndMirrorsPuzzle that can be difficult to control on the PC port, a tricky platforming section immediately after said puzzle that's [[CameraScrew made more difficult by the static camera angles]], and a boss fight against [[ThatOneBoss the third phase of Nelo Angelo]] in the end.

** In some fan forums and lore discussions, Trish is thought to be a clone of Eva, or is Eva herself revived as a demon. These aren't true because Trish is a demon and Mundus specifically created her to resemble Eva in order to trick Dante in going to Mallet Island. The games never described Trish as a "clone", are there aren't evidences to support the claim that Eva is BackFromTheDead. A contributing factor to this misconception comes from the SignificantDoubleCasting of the two characters.

* CommonKnowledge: Phantom is mostly remembered as "the giant magma spider from ''Devil May Cry 1''", though that description is just partially correct. While it's true that Phantom is a [[GiantSpider giant arachnid with a spider-shaped body]] that has multiple eyes and limbs, many forget that [[MixAndMatchCritter he also has]] claw-pincers, and a [[BewareMyStingerTail scorpion-like tail with a stinger]].

* CommonKnowledge: Phantom is mostly remembered as "the giant magma spider from ''Devil May Cry 1''", though that description is just partially correct. While it's true that Phantom is a [[GiantSpider giant arachnid with a spider-shaped body]] that has multiple eyes and limbs, many forget that [[MixAndMatchCritter he also has]] claw-pincers, and a scorpion-like tail with a stinger.

* CommonKnowledge: Phantom is mostly remembered as "the giant magma spider from ''Devil May Cry 1'', though that description is just partially correct. While it's true that Phantom is a giant arachnid with a spider-shaped body that has multiple eyes and limbs, many forget that he has a scorpion-like tail and stinger as well.