Gargoyle's Quest II/Makaimura Gaiden: The Demon Darkness (GB, 1993)
Graphics-8.5 Sound-7.5 Control-7.5 Challenge-7 Story-6.5
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Two more levels than in the NES version (a cave in the northern part of Sittem Desert and another cave in the desert where Dagon dwells, both optional) and two new weapons/abilities gained in them (homing fire - replaces the default weapon, astral projection technique - can be used to briefly scout out the area)
Platform Adventure/ARPG-lite gameplay (similar to the prequel and Zelda II, towns w/ NPCs and some traders, gain new movement abilities and stat upgrades - usually gained by beating a level here, hidden items)
No random encounters on the WM
Better boss fights overall than in the prequel
Great art direction overall, Some large and detailed sprites (generally smaller than in the prequel though)
Can speed up dialogue on a per text box basis
Some interesting level gimmicks (upwards gust of wind segment, ice walls that you slide down slowly, light source enemies - later used in Super Metroid) and abilities (tornado shot lets you create temporary platforms in mid-air, buster shot lets you break certain walls - GQ1, claw lets you create wall tiles on some spike walls - GQ1)
Good bosses overall
Can replay beaten levels (vials and hearts (restore 1 hp) respawn but not lives, bosses also respawn,)
Sometimes blurs the line between town and hostile area (surprise attack at the king's palace)
One shortcut (back from the poltergeist candle level)
Some control improvements over GQ1 (can fall straight down while clinging to a wall or jump just slightly upwards, faster falling speed)
Somewhat faster movement in the levels than on NES? (might just be the game being more zoomed in though)
Somewhat less slowdown than on NES?
Satisfying feedback from the ultimate shot
See the NES game
+/-
Password save (fairly short), Mid-level checkpoints, Lives system (can buy more with vials found in levels and on the WM)
Mostly linear structure (can choose between two levels in the desert areas, can choose between three levels after reaching the king's palace, branching paths through some levels)
Some backtracking with key/quest items to progress but none with gained abilities
Can exit levels where you entered them
Low initial rate of fire (one shot at a time though you don't have to wait for half a second after it leaves the screen or until it hits a wall/enemy here unlike on NES, same for the homing shot sadly),
Can only buy lives (can trade two items for the essence of soulstream (one full heal per life) at one point)
Forgiving hit detection near platform edges
No enemies in the second level (bridge/lava river)
Some enemy encounters on the world map respawn infinitely (can grind for vials)
Some short levels
Can't walk while shooting (can fly or jump)
Astral projection could've been used for some puzzles (see Alundra or Darksiders 2)
Off-screen enemy respawning (enemies never drop anything)
Block breaking is a bit underused (used well in the second to final boss fight though)
Two mazes
-
Some control/interface issues (if you move and shoot at exactly the same time then the shot doesn't register, slower top down view movement here, can't look up/down (leads to cheap hits unless you take it really slow, problem is a bit worse here than on NES and also affects WM exploration a bit) - the astral projection ability helps here though you do get it pretty late)
Some dead space and dead ends including some empty buildings (some levels also feel a bit empty of items - perhaps making the player find the ability upgrades in some levels instead of from beating them would've been better)
No jump sfx when jumping off a wall and no shot sfx right after jumping
Unforgiving hit detection in some ways (standing near spikes, larger sprites, first boss' flame projectile?),
Some trial & error (point of no return after the mirror maze - can miss getting the essence of soulstream though you can just use a password to get it if you do, some leaps of faith, first jump on the path to sittem desert was made harder, some enemy spawning points, some shots from off screen, some boss patterns)
A few more enemy encounters in the top down view areas wouldn't have hurt
Some music is a bit overly simplistic sounding (2 hard-panned channels only)
Some backtracking (back to Barr in Gibea from the desert and back to lethe castle from looskeep; an item to teleport back to visited towns would've been good here)
Non-interactive surroundings in towns
No maps (not really needed besides a few parts of the overworld and in the one teleporter maze)
Some NPCs say the same thing and dialogue is a bit lacking in personality overall
No cutscenes besides the in-game boss montage during the ending
Notes:
-Fan translation is from 2013, NES original from 1992
Level Design-7.5 Frustration-7.5 Fun-7.5 Originality-6.5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Two more levels than in the NES version (a cave in the northern part of Sittem Desert and another cave in the desert where Dagon dwells, both optional) and two new weapons/abilities gained in them (homing fire - replaces the default weapon, astral projection technique - can be used to briefly scout out the area)
Platform Adventure/ARPG-lite gameplay (similar to the prequel and Zelda II, towns w/ NPCs and some traders, gain new movement abilities and stat upgrades - usually gained by beating a level here, hidden items)
No random encounters on the WM
Better boss fights overall than in the prequel
Great art direction overall, Some large and detailed sprites (generally smaller than in the prequel though)
Can speed up dialogue on a per text box basis
Some interesting level gimmicks (upwards gust of wind segment, ice walls that you slide down slowly, light source enemies - later used in Super Metroid) and abilities (tornado shot lets you create temporary platforms in mid-air, buster shot lets you break certain walls - GQ1, claw lets you create wall tiles on some spike walls - GQ1)
Good bosses overall
Can replay beaten levels (vials and hearts (restore 1 hp) respawn but not lives, bosses also respawn,)
Sometimes blurs the line between town and hostile area (surprise attack at the king's palace)
One shortcut (back from the poltergeist candle level)
Some control improvements over GQ1 (can fall straight down while clinging to a wall or jump just slightly upwards, faster falling speed)
Somewhat faster movement in the levels than on NES? (might just be the game being more zoomed in though)
Somewhat less slowdown than on NES?
Satisfying feedback from the ultimate shot
See the NES game
+/-
Password save (fairly short), Mid-level checkpoints, Lives system (can buy more with vials found in levels and on the WM)
Mostly linear structure (can choose between two levels in the desert areas, can choose between three levels after reaching the king's palace, branching paths through some levels)
Some backtracking with key/quest items to progress but none with gained abilities
Can exit levels where you entered them
Low initial rate of fire (one shot at a time though you don't have to wait for half a second after it leaves the screen or until it hits a wall/enemy here unlike on NES, same for the homing shot sadly),
Can only buy lives (can trade two items for the essence of soulstream (one full heal per life) at one point)
Forgiving hit detection near platform edges
No enemies in the second level (bridge/lava river)
Some enemy encounters on the world map respawn infinitely (can grind for vials)
Some short levels
Can't walk while shooting (can fly or jump)
Astral projection could've been used for some puzzles (see Alundra or Darksiders 2)
Off-screen enemy respawning (enemies never drop anything)
Block breaking is a bit underused (used well in the second to final boss fight though)
Two mazes
-
Some control/interface issues (if you move and shoot at exactly the same time then the shot doesn't register, slower top down view movement here, can't look up/down (leads to cheap hits unless you take it really slow, problem is a bit worse here than on NES and also affects WM exploration a bit) - the astral projection ability helps here though you do get it pretty late)
Some dead space and dead ends including some empty buildings (some levels also feel a bit empty of items - perhaps making the player find the ability upgrades in some levels instead of from beating them would've been better)
No jump sfx when jumping off a wall and no shot sfx right after jumping
Unforgiving hit detection in some ways (standing near spikes, larger sprites, first boss' flame projectile?),
Some trial & error (point of no return after the mirror maze - can miss getting the essence of soulstream though you can just use a password to get it if you do, some leaps of faith, first jump on the path to sittem desert was made harder, some enemy spawning points, some shots from off screen, some boss patterns)
A few more enemy encounters in the top down view areas wouldn't have hurt
Some music is a bit overly simplistic sounding (2 hard-panned channels only)
Some backtracking (back to Barr in Gibea from the desert and back to lethe castle from looskeep; an item to teleport back to visited towns would've been good here)
Non-interactive surroundings in towns
No maps (not really needed besides a few parts of the overworld and in the one teleporter maze)
Some NPCs say the same thing and dialogue is a bit lacking in personality overall
No cutscenes besides the in-game boss montage during the ending
Notes:
-Fan translation is from 2013, NES original from 1992