Line #4 YMMV/GargoylesQuest


1	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: All three games, but especially Demon's Crest, which was composed by Toshihiko Horiyama (who composed for multiple Mega Man games and would later go on to compose for VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney. It perfectly captures the moody and gothic atmosphere the game is going for, and is one of the most well-regarded parts of the game overall. [[https://youtu.be/KeLks4QlP6c?list=PL89B635DF21CEF816 Colosseum of Ruin]], [[https://youtu.be/VN5u60S3l6I?list=PL89B635DF21CEF816 Palace of Decadence]], and [[https://youtu.be/Fnf5eucOw10?list=PL89B635DF21CEF816 The Crests are Hidden Forever]] are some standouts.
2	* BestLevelEver: Breager's Castle in the first game. You've got max hit points, all the breath weapons and just got infinite flight. You're ready for anything. And then you enter a huge sprawling maze of a castle with [[http://youtu.be/0ADcGnpMSE4/this awesome music playing]] that puts every last skill you've got to the test! Needless to say, it's the perfect final level.
3	* CatharsisFactor: After the hellish final battle with Phalanx in ''Demon's Crest'', it's immensely satisfying to finally defeat him and watch his face freeze in shock as his body falls to pieces before completely disintegrating.
4	* CultClassic: The entire series, but ''Demon's Crest'' in particular. It sold quite poorly when it came out, to the point where it generated '''negative sales''' at one point (thanks to more people returning it than buying it), but has amassed a cult following for its dark and moody atmosphere, detailed sprite-work, great music, compelling gameplay, and is generally very well-regarded. In fact, despite its initial commercial failure, it has gone on to influence other games in the genre, including Capcom's own ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' and, most notably, Creator/WayForwardTechnologies's ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' series. When Nintendo released their SNES Nintendo Switch Online app for the Nintendo Switch, this game was included in the first batch alongside SNES greats like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'', which possibly implies something about its reputation as a classic.
5	* DemonicSpiders: The plant/dragon...thing. Not only can it fly through walls, it never stops chasing you and takes an ass-ton of hits to kill. If you're jammed up in a tight space with no room to maneuver, your only option is to RUN!
6	* GoodBadBugs: In ''Demon's Crest'', the wolf-monster Grewon can periodically turn invincible after you hit it. However, its AI glitches out if you immediately take to the air after hitting it, causing it to just stand still until its invincibility wears off. Hitting it, flying for a second, and then hitting it again make the boss much simpler to deal with.
7	* HarsherInHindsight: In ''II'', a location you visit is the Valley of ''Gaza''.
8	* InferredHolocaust: The bad ending of ''Demon's Crest'' has the Demon Realm descend into anarchy as a result of Firebrand killing Phalanx and then not taking his place as king. Thing is, ''he does the same thing in the other endings'', but the fate of the Demon Realm isn't shown in those.
9	* NightmareFuel: Again, the plant/dragon... Thing you encounter in the Desert of Destitution in the first game. As if their unsettling appearance wasn't enough, THEY NEVER STOP CHASING YOU! They can even fly through walls!
10	* PopularWithFurries:
11	** Chances are, if you’re in [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom a certain fandom]], you probably know of Firebrand (or in the original Japanese versions, Red Arremer) from all the fanart of him, both NotSafeForWork (in the case of canon characters such as him, Rule34) and not. [[CultClassic Surprising, given the obscurity of his series]].
12	** Arma, while not as popular as Firebrand within the fandom, still has a presence within it, often being paired with the aforementioned character. Especially due to all of the moments they have with each other.
13	* SequelDifficultySpike: While the combat in ''Gargoyle's Quest II'' is much the same (in fact, it's a little easier due to starting with more health and faster projectiles) the platforming has gotten much more difficult with longer stages, more stage hazards and some really dickish enemy placement. In addition, continuing with a password no longer saves your money and lives.
14	* ThatOneBoss:
15	** Four-Eyes from the first game. What makes him so difficult is that you fight him before getting any health upgrade, meaning you've only got 2 measly hit points against this guy, who is split into four parts that can tank a surprisingly large amount of damage. And you better not have taken any damage before getting there or else you're a OneHitPointWonder. To cap it off, you battle him over 2 pits of spikes that is very easy to fall into, thanks to the moving platform you have to fight on.
16	** Grewon in the third game, a wolf that deals mean contact damage. He's far more agile than you are, easily dominating the lower half of the screen. Air Gargoyle is the only reliable form for avoiding him, but is no good for fighting back. The most "efficient" way to win is to rapidly swap between Air and a stronger form for attacking, but it's a clunky process ''and'' he can periodically turn invincible to drag the fight out further. You encounter him a second time in Phalanx's Tower, but now you have the Crest of Time to make short work of him.
17	* VindicatedByHistory: ''Demon's Crest'' was a massive flop when it came out and was generally overlooked for many years. However, with it becoming more widely available through re-release on Wii U and Switch, bigger games like the ''Shantae'' series taking influence from it, and Firebrand being a playable character in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', it's gradually become more popular and now generally regarded as one of the best games on the Super Nintendo.
18	* {{Woolseyism}}: ''Demon's Crest''. Creator/{{Capcom}} often had [[{{Engrish}} questionable]] [[BlindIdiotTranslation translations]] for a few more console generations, yet the game's localization outdid the original script in many ways. The Japanese plot haphazardly threw in a lot of campy excesses like a 1000 year [[TimeSkip time skip]], [[GameplayStorySegregation ridiculous]] [[PowerLevel power levels]], the villain making [[TooDumbToLive contrived mistakes]], canon-derailing [[InferredHolocaust implications]], etc. By reducing the scale and leaving out those plot threads, the English version created a far more somber, sensible story that better matched the game's tone and atmosphere. This likely helped the game secure its overseas fanbase.

Context YMMV / GargoylesQuest