Software:Gargoyle's Quest

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Short description: 1990 video game
Gargoyle's Quest
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Producer(s)Tokuro Fujiwara
Designer(s)Kenshi Naruse
Composer(s)Harumi Fujita
Yoko Shimomura
SeriesGhosts 'n Goblins
Platform(s)Game Boy
Release
  • JP: May 2, 1990
  • NA: July 1990
  • EU: 1991
Genre(s)Action-adventure, platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Gargoyle's Quest[lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure platform game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy and released in 1990.[1] It is a spin-off of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, featuring the series antagonist character Firebrand as the main playable character.[2] Gargoyle's Quest was followed by the NES prequel Gargoyle's Quest II in 1992 and the Super NES sequel Demon's Crest in 1994.

Gargoyle's Quest was released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2011.[2] It was released for the Nintendo Switch Online service in February 2023.[3]

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

The game consists of two gameplay styles. One half has the player traverse an overhead view, either on the world map or in towns. This is broken up by the other type of content: individual, action-platforming levels that sometimes feature a boss at the end. While traversing in the sections with an overhead view, the player is able to talk with residential ghouls and, if outside a town, is susceptible to random battle encounters. The player then must defeat the enemies in order to return to the overhead-view map. While on the overhead map, the player occasionally comes across ghouls who want to fight Firebrand for various reasons.[4]

Firebrand can walk, jump (progressively higher with time), cling to walls using his claws, hover for a period (progressively longer with time), and fire offensive projectiles.[5] The player starts with a weak projectile, but progressively gains new projectiles which grant more power and special abilities. Firebrand starts with two hit points, but gains more throughout the game based on items or blessings obtained; various enemies and objects drain different amounts of his health, represented by the hit points.

Throughout the game, the player gains various items including passive ones that increase Firebrand's abilities outright. Eventually, Firebrand acquires an item that allows the player to hover without ever needing to rest on the ground. A healing vial can be used to restore health. Additionally, the offensive projectiles that are learned over time each have unique traits or specialized uses. The Blockbuster, for example, is more powerful than its predecessor and can destroy special walls blocking the player's path. Another projectile temporarily covers sharp vertical surfaces allowing Firebrand to reach higher locations.[6] These abilities guarantee a use for such projectiles even after more powerful projectiles are obtained, and provide a depth of valid options for attacking foes. Projectiles can be selected from a drop-down, pause menu at any time, same as healing vials.[2]

Plot

According to the fictional game lore, Firebrand is a gargoyle predestined to carry on the namesake and identity of the Red Blaze – the powerful force that fought back the Destroyers long before this game takes place. As his destiny foretold, Firebrand saves the Ghoul Realm from brutal conquest by traversing the Ghoul Realm, building his powers, and preparing to fight against the Destroyers' king, Breager, so as to ensure the protection of the Ghoul Realm once more.[7]

Development

Gargoyle's Quest was developed as a spin-off to the Ghosts 'n Goblins series to feature an enemy demon character from the series called Firebrand (known as Red Arremer in Japan). The character was popular with players, so Capcom decided it would be interesting and unique to make a game where players could control a demon and learn his wide moveset. The team decided to develop for the Game Boy, so as not to overshadow the Ghosts 'n Goblins series in arcades and on home consoles.[8]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStar[9]
Famitsu25/40[1]
Nintendo Life9/10[4]
Total!76%[10]

From contemporary reviews, GamePro magazine predicted Gargoyle's Quest to be a system seller for the Game Boy, and called it an instant hit, as well as "original." They ended their review praising the game for its diversity of play and locales, and for its "detailed graphics and great music".[6] Contemporary critics found the 360-degree scrolling camera to be novel and impressive for a Game Boy game.[6][12] The Japanese gaming publication Famitsu gave the game a 25 out of 40 score.[1]

From retrospective reviews, Nintendo Life editor Kaes Delgrego, who gave a higher score, stated the game to be "[B]eautiful in its simplicity, satisfying in its depth [...], Gargoyle's Quest is almost a painful reminder of how good games used to be, and is a solid indication of [how much potential] the Game Boy had". He also found the music and art do an impressive job at vividly conveying the drab, macabre world, especially given that the game came out close to the start of the Game Boy's lifespan.[4] Brett Alan Weiss of Allgame gave the game four out of five stars, concluding that "Nice graphics and sounds, solid controls, and several new abilities (including flying and climbing) round out this ghoulishly entertaining, though undeniably challenging experience."[9] Nintendo Power commented on the Game Boy game reviewing the NES version of Gargoyle's Quest II in 1992, with the review stating that "the first Gargoyle's Quest as one of the most original and challenging games" the reviewer had seen for the Game Boy.[13] Game Informer's Ben Reeves called it the 18th best Game Boy game, noting that "The side-scrolling action levels posed a nice challenge, but the game’s mild RPG elements really helped set this game apart."[14] In 2019, PC Magazine included Gargoyle's Quest in their "The 10 Best Game Boy Games".[15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Fully titled Gargoyle's Quest: Ghosts 'n Goblins on the game's title screen. Known in Japan as Red Arremer: Makaimura Gaiden (レッドアリーマー 魔界村外伝, Reddo Arīmā Makaimura Gaiden, lit. Red Arremer: Demon World Village Side-Story)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "レッドアリーマー 魔界村外伝 [ゲームボーイ / ファミ通.com"]. https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?a=page_h_title&title_id=13787. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Giant Bomb: Gargoyle's Quest game wiki". https://www.giantbomb.com/gargoyles-quest/3030-13688/. 
  3. ↑ Plant, Logan (2023-02-08). "Nintendo Switch Online Adding Game Boy and Game Boy Advance Games" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-switch-online-game-boy-games. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Review: Gargoyle's Quest (3DS eShop / GB)" (in en-GB). Nintendo Life. 2011-08-26. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2011/08/gargoyles_quest_3dsvc. 
  5. ↑ "Gargoyle's Quest for Game Boy (1990) - MobyGames". http://www.mobygames.com/game/gargoyles-quest. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Aslan, Chariie (August 1990). "Game Boy ProView Gargoyle's Quest". GamePro 13: 66–67. 
  7. ↑ "GARGOYLE'S QUEST". http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/dRXU1o5YJWUoKrRlr0crbC8eQAtCXdl1. 
  8. ↑ "デモンズブレイゾン 魔界村 紋章編". Famicom Tsuushin. November 1994.  (Translation)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Weiss, Brett Alan. "Gargoyle's Quest". AllGame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=1056&tab=review. Retrieved March 28, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Dyer, Andy (March 1992). "Gargoyle's Quest". Total! (3): 52. 
  11. ↑ "Game Boy Club: Gargoyle's Quest" (in French). Player One (7): 51. March 1991. 
  12. ↑ Harris, Steve (May 1990). "Hand-Held Preview". Electronic Gaming Monthly 10: 91. 
  13. ↑ George; Rob (August 1992). "Now Playing". Nintendo Power: 102. 
  14. ↑ Reeves, Ben (2011-06-24). "The 25 Best Game Boy Games Of All Time". Game Informer. http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/06/24/the-25-best-game-boy-games-of-all-time.aspx. Retrieved 2020-03-29. 
  15. ↑ Edwards, Benj (October 17, 2019). "The 10 Best Game Boy Games" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-10-best-game-boy-games. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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