Clash at Demonhead

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Clash at Demonhead

Developer(s)	Vic Tokai
Publisher(s)	Vic Tokai
Platform(s)	NES
Release date	^JPN January 27, 1989 ^NA December 31, 1990
Genre(s)	Action-adventure, Platformer
Mode(s)	Single player
Media	2-megabit cartridge
Input methods	NES Controller

Clash at Demonhead is the American title of Dengeki Big Bang! (電撃ビックバン), a 1989 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Japanese developer Vic Tokai. Demonhead acquired a small cult following of gamers who 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.

1 Gameplay
2 Items
3 Hermit's 5 Forces
4 Storyline
5 Characters
6 Regional variations
7 Trivia
8 External links

[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 or more directions. Completing the game requires a substantial amount of backtracking through previously-traversed stages to explore new pathways which might have been inaccessible when the player first discovered them.

While Bang is initially armed with only a simple handgun, it's possible to purchase various upgrades from a shop 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] Items

Clash at Demonhead contained many items for Bang to use and pick up. Note that some change not only Bang's appearance, but also the appearance of his bullets, a few enemies and explosions, and even the angel Bang emits when he dies.

Heart: Restores one bar of Power each.
Dollar Sign: Increases funds by $950 each.
Apple: Increases Force by 10.
Gold: Can be traded for money on route 22.
Letters: Various messages to provide information.
Pig bomb: Dropped by the Flying Raccoon, provides no benefits.
Barrier: Shields Bang from all damage.
Rollingstar: A weapon that boomerangs back to Bang.
Powerball: A weapon that rolls across the ground and can be shot upwards.
Thundershot: The most powerful weapon, has enough recoil to throw Bang backwards.
Shop Call: Brings forth a shop from which Bang may buy equipment.
Power Boots: Increases Bang's speed and jumping ability.
Jet Pak: Provides Bang the ability to fly for a limited amount of time.
Aqua Lung: Increases Speed underwater and grants the ability to be underwater without loss of power.
Supersuit: Absorbs light enemy fire and provides protection from lava.
Microrecorder: Provides password for restart.
Ultrafood: Restores one bar of Power upon use.
Dynapunch: Increases Force by around 20.
Magic Stone: Reveals secrets of the past; area specific.
The Sword of Apollo: Used to fight the Demon; area specific.

[edit] Hermit's 5 Forces

Upon meeting the Hermit, he well bestow upon you new abilities. Initially, he only provides you with one, but will provide you with more as you acquire more Force.

Micro Power: Use 50 Force to become the size of a bullet. Acquired upon meeting the hermit.
Teleport: Use 60 Force to go to any route junction you have been to before. Acquired upon getting 200 Force.
Levitation: Use 80 Force to fly without mechanical aid. Acquired upon getting 300 Force.
Energizer: Use 100 Force to restore Power completely. Acquired upon getting 400 Force.
Karate Power: Use 120 Force to become invincible while using Karate to fight enemies. Acquired upon getting 500 Force.

[edit] Storyline

Billy "Big Bang" Blitz is a sergeant in a 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.

Along the way Bang 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. An alternate ending however, occurs should the player fail to disarm the bomb, which results in not a game over, but the end of the world.

[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.

Flying Raccoon: Appears completely at random (although he is most likely to appear after defeating a boss) to deliver a just as random item ranging from gold to pig bombs. He drops money if shot repeatedly.

Tom Guycot: The leader of Demonhead's governors, 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

The North American localization contained numerous but usually small changes.

A sequence of the intro that briefed Bang about his upcoming mission was removed in the US version. The briefing regarded such details as Professor Plum's building of a bomb and an MIA recon named Joe.
The Title screen in the Japanese version shows Bang looking at Demonhead with dramatic music. In addition, a sound effect would play and a UFO would streak across the sky when an option was selected. All of this was removed in the US version and replaced with a bland solid blue screen with a flashing title and no sound whatsoever, possibly to streamline gameplay.
The shop keeper in the Japanese version has no nose, a thin mustache and goes cross-eyed when he talks. His US counterpart has a nose, a full mustache, and smiles when he talks.
Sally, the daughter of the shop keeper, smirks and looked at her father, while her US counterpart smiles and looked at the player.
Yen become dollars and Guts become Force in the US version.
Icons instead of text were used next to suit meters: HYP for Power Boots, JET for Jet Pak, AIR for Aqua Lung and SUT for Super Suit.
If the "Doomsday bomb" was ignited in the Japanese version a text message was displayed over a solid red background. This was removed in the US version.
The password system in the US version is much lighter than its Japanese counterpart. The US version uses 32 different characters with a password length of 30, while the Japanese version uses 65 characters with a password length of 32. As a result, the Japanese system holds more information such as current funds, force and gold, whereas the US system has to reset its values back to when the game is first started.
The end credits are removed in the US version.
The UFO that streaked across the sky in the intro also streaks in the end screen. This is removed in the US version.

[edit] Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

In Nintendo Power, an illustration of Gazh is featured. On this illustration, he is flipping his middle finger. This was noticed by the Angry Video Game Nerd.
Even though the cover art in the U.S. was designed to look life-like, the illustrations in Nintendo Power, ironically, were stylized like an American children's cartoon. Whereas the human characters appear as realistic adults on the box art, they appear as small children in Nintendo Power.