eShop Review: Gargoyle's Quest - One Hell of a Classic Game

Say what you will about Capcom, but the quality of its Game Boy endeavors is undeniable. Capcom's Gargoyle's Quest, a highly-revered Game Boy title, is now available as a Virtual Console download on the Nintendo eShop for $3.99.

Gargoyle's Quest has you take control of Firebrand, a gargoyle tasked with saving the Ghoul Realm from the evil King Breager, the "King of Destruction" who has returned to power years after suffering defeat. While the awfully generic plot does little in terms of engaging the player, it does a wonderful job of setting the mood for an amazing adventure.

Fans of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series will notice that Firebrand is actually an enemy from Capcom's popular platformer. Gargoyle's Quest offers a unique opportunity to play as Satan's offspring, which makes for, at the least, a very interesting experience.

For a Game Boy Game, Gargoyle's Quest has quite impressive visuals.  There's something charming about the 8-bit graphics and extremely dated music that makes this game quite enjoyable to play after twenty-one years.  And while there is occasional slow-down, things usually return to normal speed within seconds and have no real impact on gameplay.

Gargoyle's Quest is unlike most other side-scrolling platformers, incorporating several elements of role-playing games. When Firebrand isn't engaging in tricky platforming and side-scrolling random battles, he'll traverse the Ghoul Realm in a top-down perspective. The ratio between side-scrolling levels and top-down exploring is perfect, and you won't get bored of either quickly.

Like any respectable RPG, there are several items throughout Gargoyle's Quest that will enhance Firebrand's abilities and aid him in his adventure. Items will easily become your best friends as the difficulty of Gargoyle's Quest is quite high. Thankfully, there are plenty of unique features - like the ability to hover, cling to walls, and fire projectiles - that make every frustrating level a bit more enjoyable.

If you're like me, you'll find yourself creating Restore Points often to avoid restarting a particularly difficult section.  While Gargoyle's Quest can be difficult, you'll never suffer a cheap death, and the game's difficulty is part of what makes it so good.

Gargoyle's Quest is a beautiful blend of exciting platforming action and well-implemented RPG elements.  At $3.99, Gargoyle's Quest is a must-have title that earns four stars out of four.

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