Clash at Demonhead (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
560A playthrough of Vic Tokai's 1990 action-adventure game for the NES, Clash at Demonhead.
Since the game has two endings, I included the alternate one (shown when you can't figure out the combination quickly enough to disarm the bomb at the end) at 1:30:29.
Long before it became the name of the pro-vegan rock band in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Clash at Demonhead was an obscure little NES gem that was better known for its outlandish name than anything related to its gameplay. It's a platforming action-adventure that takes place in the modern day with gameplay that feels similar to games like Rygar and The Battle of Olympus, despite its emphasis on gunplay and its comparative lack of RPG elements.
You play as Bang, a government agent that has been assigned the task of rescuing a kidnapped scientist as he tries to save the world from nuclear annihilation. To disarm the "doomsday bomb," Bang has to track down the six medallions that are held by the evil governors of the land.
Each of the game's forty-two areas, or "routes," are are all connected by a map-style hubworld, and though the game has a fairly linear set of events that need to be followed in order to see the end, there are few arbitrary restrictions placed on where you can and can't go right from the beginning. It actively encourages (and often requires) thorough exploration of any new areas you come across.
Certain routes house NPCs that you need to visit to get useful information from, including an old hermit that grants you the ability to use special powers (like trading force points for life-refills or shrinking to a tiny dot in order to get through small passages), and your "friend" Tom, a shifty sort that seems to always seems to be up to something sinister when you speak with him.
The translation isn't great, but the characters all entertain thanks to their personalities, and I really enjoyed the conversation scenes. Everyone speaks in awkward, stilted English, and some of the insults that the villains toss about are bound to get a smile or two out of you.
In addition to its off-kilter writing, Clash's graphics do a good job of selling the experience. The characters all have several close-up expressions shown during conversations - many of them so exaggerated that you can't help but laugh - and the sprites and backgrounds are simple without appearing cheap or unfinished. The flat, bright stretches of color, the heavy black outlines, and the fun character designs make the game look and feel like it was directly pulled from an 80s era anime or manga.
While Clash at Demonhead's gameplay never quite feels on par with the rest of the package thanks to its awkward jumping physics and occasionally cheap enemy patterns, the mechanics are easy to grasp and the enemies are rarely difficult. The real challenge here lies in learning how to navigate this world - it's a game that requires you to actively take notes. You'll find yourself hopelessly lost in no time if you aren't drawing carefully labelled reference maps as you play.
Clash at Demonhead is game that I really enjoy playing. I've always been into it for its quirky tone and its looks, and the freeform nature of the gameplay always provided enough reason for me to look past its faults.
*This is a brand new recording to replace my original upload. That one just wasn't up to the level of quality that I try to maintain across my library of playthroughs, so I redid it from scratch. My playing is way less sloppy and the video quality is substantially better this time, so I really hope you enjoy this one! :) This game is so much fun.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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