this battle the fourth ending plays, in which Firebrand casts away the Crests out of pride for his own power, then leaves to seek another worthy opponent to fight. Gameplay The gameplay is a mix of standard platforming, with mild RPG elements. The stages are divided into six main areas and can be played multiple times. The game also has metroidvania elements, where the player has to revisit a level with new Crests to access areas, items, and bosses that could not be accessed before. There is also a world map players use to navigate. Firebrand's main abilities are his fire breath, claws for clinging onto walls, and wings to hover in the air (though he cannot gain height early in the game). As he collects Crests, Firebrand can transform and gain new powers that are specialized for combat and exploration: Ground Gargoyle, Aerial Gargoyle, Tidal Gargoyle, Legendary Gargoyle, and Ultimate Gargoyle. Other items to collect include extra hit points, flasks and spell vellums for using consumable magic items, and talismans that can improve Firebrand's abilities. Release Demon's Crest was released in Japan on October 21, 1994. It was followed by a release in North America in November 1994. In 2014, Demon's Crest was re-released on Nintendo's Virtual Console. In 2016, it was released for the 3DS Virtual Console. It is available for the Nintendo Switch with the console's online subscription service. Reception GamePro praised the macabre graphics and complexity of the gameplay, particularly the use of the acquired abilities, but criticized the repetitive music and lack of variety in enemy attacks. They summarized that "Demon's Crest brings depth and artistry to the action/adventure genre, making it one of the season's top SNES games". Electronic Gaming Monthly scored it 33 out of 40, with their four reviewers applauding the game's beautiful graphics and complex gameplay. Japanese video game magazine Famitsu gave it a score of 28 out of 40. Next Generation gave it a score of 3 out of 5, noting that the game is very short, and that most secret items are not needed to complete the game. Joypad gave it a 79% score. Nintendo Power praised the game, noting "excellent graphics, play control and game balance and sound". In 2018, Complex listed Demon's Crest 59th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time". They commented that Demon's Crest is like Castlevania, but with the abilities to