I suspect the reason everyone mentions Scott Pilgrim is because this game simply isn't that memorable outside of the bizarre place it now occupies in pop culture. In fact, developer Vic Tokai probably owes Bryan Lee O'Malley a debt for keeping this game from suffering its second death.
Mechanically speaking, there's nothing to write home about. It's a game so painfully so-so that it's a wonder any of it stuck with me. You can take on levels almost in any order you wish, with 40 total routes available. Sure, this may not be as impressive as Shadow the Hedgehog's 326 possible routes, but it's almost a bit unfair to compare Clash at Demonhead to one of the most beloved games of all time. Nevertheless, it's a good point of reference for how far games have come. Billy similarly uses guns as a primary means of attacking enemies, though the gunplay in this game never really registers with the sort of oomph you want. You can, however, upgrade your gun over the course of the game, and its non-linear nature does provide plenty of secrets and hidden areas if you can stand scouring the world for them.
Really, it's this games sense of humor that left the biggest impression on me. You play as Billy "Big Bang" Blitz, which is one of the all time great video game character names. The cast of characters are wacky as hell and their designs really shine in dialog portraits,. Though in-world sprites are a bit restricted and lack some of that personality, just enough of it shines through that the game is never lacking in its own unique charm.
While I may find Demonhead to be mechanically mediocre, I do wish it found a second life outside of a wink and a nod in a manga. It's a game deserving of a second pass, preferably on more powerful hardware that could've allowed Vic Tokai to explore the aesthetic and humor of Demonhead with more vibrancy, and (one can hope) refine gameplay and make it equally as resonate with the player. Unfortunately, that will never come to pass, and as it stands today the fact that more Scott Pilgrim art shows up in a google image search for Clash at Demonhead really tells you all you need to know about how good the game is.
Mechanically speaking, there's nothing to write home about. It's a game so painfully so-so that it's a wonder any of it stuck with me. You can take on levels almost in any order you wish, with 40 total routes available. Sure, this may not be as impressive as Shadow the Hedgehog's 326 possible routes, but it's almost a bit unfair to compare Clash at Demonhead to one of the most beloved games of all time. Nevertheless, it's a good point of reference for how far games have come. Billy similarly uses guns as a primary means of attacking enemies, though the gunplay in this game never really registers with the sort of oomph you want. You can, however, upgrade your gun over the course of the game, and its non-linear nature does provide plenty of secrets and hidden areas if you can stand scouring the world for them.
Really, it's this games sense of humor that left the biggest impression on me. You play as Billy "Big Bang" Blitz, which is one of the all time great video game character names. The cast of characters are wacky as hell and their designs really shine in dialog portraits,. Though in-world sprites are a bit restricted and lack some of that personality, just enough of it shines through that the game is never lacking in its own unique charm.
While I may find Demonhead to be mechanically mediocre, I do wish it found a second life outside of a wink and a nod in a manga. It's a game deserving of a second pass, preferably on more powerful hardware that could've allowed Vic Tokai to explore the aesthetic and humor of Demonhead with more vibrancy, and (one can hope) refine gameplay and make it equally as resonate with the player. Unfortunately, that will never come to pass, and as it stands today the fact that more Scott Pilgrim art shows up in a google image search for Clash at Demonhead really tells you all you need to know about how good the game is.