Clash at Demonhead
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| Clash at Demonhead | |
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| Developer(s) | Vic Tokai |
| Publisher(s) | Vic Tokai |
| Release date(s) | JPN January 27, 1989 NA December 31, 1990 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Famicom, NES |
| Media | 2-megabit cartridge |
Clash at Demonhead is the American title of Dengeki Big Bang! (電撃ビックバン), a 1989 video game by Japanese developer Vic Tokai. A fairly obscure NES release, Demonhead has acquired a small cult following of gamers who have come to appreciate its comical visuals, offbeat story and open-ended gameplay.
Demonhead broadly satirizes the style and conventions of anime, particularly that of the 1970s. Although many games of Japanese origin featured anime-inspired visuals, Demonhead was groundbreaking in its stylized visuals and for the fact that only the cover art was "westernized" for America. As such, it stands as one of the few NES releases to retain a strong, idiosyncratic Japanese feel in the U.S.
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[edit] Gameplay
Like many NES games, Clash at Demonhead is a 2D platformer. Players control the hero, Billy "Big Bang" Blitz, who is capable of running, jumping and shooting through more than 40 levels. In an unusual twist, the game is almost entirely non-linear -- the game map also doubles as a stage select screen. Players move around the game world by traveling through the game's levels, which serve as routes between key junction points on the map. All but a few routes can be traversed in two more directions. Completing the game requires a substantial amount of backtracking through previously-explored stages. This has led many gamers to regard Demonhead as an early example of the Metroidvania genre.
While Bang is initially armed with only a simple handgun, it's possible to purchase various upgrades from shops using money collected from defeated enemies. All purchased weapons and gear are limited in use; only health-bar upgrades (earned by collecting plot-specific items) are permanent. Upon rescuing a hermit, Bang gains access to "Force" powers which allow him to perform special feats, including teleportation to previously-visited map junctions.
While completing the game's story requires a certain number of conditions to be met, only a few of these objectives must be completed in a set sequence. Players are offered very little in the way of guidance through Demonhead's 40+ stages; some directions are provided by various NPCs, but for the most part gamers are left to their own devices to track down the governors and stop the Doomsday Bomb.
[edit] Storyline
Billy "Big Bang" Blitz is a sergeant in a tactical ops group called S.A.B.R.E. (Special Assault Brigade for Real Emergencies). He and his fellow operative Mary are recalled from leave to deal with an emergency situation: Professor Plum, creator of a Doomsday Bomb capable of destroying the world, has been abducted by an army of ne'er-do-wells.
Bang soon encounters Tom Guycot, the mastermind behind the professor's abduction. He also learns from his dying friend Joe that the Doomsday Bomb is controlled by six medallions which have been distributed among Guycot's minions, the governors of Demonhead. Traveling through the game's various routes, Bang faces down the governors and acquires their medallions.
During the course of his adventure, Bang repeatedly experiences strange mental discomfort; later, he discovers this was a failed attempt at mind control by a demon trapped beneath the mountain at Demonhead's north end. Having failed in its brainwashing efforts, the demon instead focuses on Bang's ally Michael and fools Bang into releasing it. Freed, the demon escapes to the peak of Route 39, stopping first at Tom Guycot's mansion to kill the governor and steal his medallion.
Bang learns from the Hermit that the demon can only be destroyed with the Sword of Apollo. Upon defeating the demon and recovering Guycot's medallion, Bang goes to rescue Professor Plum. Unfortunately, he learns that the Doomsday Bomb has been completed and that the entire scheme was initiated by aliens. The aliens, who created humanity 1,000 years ago, had grown disappointed with mankind's destructive tendencies and decided to hasten the end by activating the bomb. Defusing the bomb with the six medallions, Bang hitches a ride home with the Hermit to reunite with Mary and receive congratulations from his commander.
[edit] Characters
- Billy "Big Bang" Blitz: The hero of the game, styled after anime action heroes of the 1970s. As an operative of a special task force, it falls to Bang to put a stop to the Doomsday Bomb plot.
- Tom Guycot: The leader of Demonhead's villains, Guycot appears to be a caped skeleton. He is defeated (and presumably slain) by the Demon in his mansion along Route 33.
- The Hermit: A wise old man who has been captured by Rowdy, one of Guycot's minions. He provides Bang with Force powers and reveals the secret of defeating the Demon.
- The Demon: An evil creature trapped beneath Demonhead. After failing to brainwash Bang, the Demon instead dominates Michael's mind and dupes Bang into releasing it. Is invulnerable to all weapons besides the Sword of Apollo.
- Mary: Bang's fellow operative and presumed love interest.
- The Governors: Warriors working under Guycot's employ and guard the medallions that control the Doomsday Bomb.
- Max, a tiny green creature who grows in size as he is attacked.
- Mush, a giant mushroom capable of throwing its cap and performing bodyslams.
- Bopper, who rides an aircar and must be defeated twice.
- Gazh, who appears to be a motorized rhinoceros.
- Shark, who is hidden in an underwater route.
- Rowdy, who holds the hermit captive.
- Pandar, an optional boss which challenges Bang by pretending to abduct Mary.
- Joe: Bang's ally, defeated and left for dead by Max. By returning to the route where Joe is located, his health will further deteriorate until he is nothing more than a skeleton.
- Michael: Another ally of Bang, Michael is short and rotund and rather resembles Hervé Villechaize. Although initially friendly, he later becomes an unwitting pawn of the Demon.
- Alien Commander: The unnamed alien commander who masterminded the entire Doomsday Bomb plot. Bang encounters him shortly before the end of the game.
[edit] Regional variations
In the North American localization, a sequence of the intro was removed and human enemies were replaced with robotic counterparts to conform with Nintendo of America rules and regulations at the time. Additionally, the display of text messages were removed as well which would normally appear after the "Doomsday bomb" ignited.
