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DEVIL'S CRUSH (PCE)
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a.k.a. Dragon's Fury; Devil Crash MD.
Publisher: NEC. Developer: Compile. Released: October 1990 (US); July 1990 (JP). Genre: Pinball. Other versions: SMD. Posted 18th April 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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The sequel to the game-changing biological pinball experience Alien Crush, Devil’s Crush would see Compile conjuring another stunning piece of software, the 1990 release now iconic of its PC Engine platform. Shifting theme from science-fiction to dark fantasy, this slice of pinball wizardry is dominated by magicians, wyverns, shamans, knights and sentinels, as DC builds on its sterling predecessor to produce one of the finest and most striking pinball games available for the 16-bits.
Whilst its more occult-leaning visual elements were sanitised for the North American localisation (swapping out hexagrams for stars), Devil’s Crush remains a masterclass in edgy presentation and alluring design. It’s an entirely different proposition from other representatives of the genre. Whilst a majority of pinball games of the time settled for an approximation of the real-world pursuit, Devil’s Crush produces something altogether more atmospheric, otherwordly and unique. The active, living table aspect returns and operates similarly to Alien Crush, with players using the pinball to take down foes. Furthermore, fans will be pleased to note the elaborate three-tiered layout is back and even better than before.
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Eyes on the prize: don't get distracted by all the activity, keep the pinball where you can see it
Devil Crush builds significantly on its predecessor’s superb foundations. It retains the strong core gameplay, whilst also marking an ambitious expansion in many areas, most notably the raft of bonus tables. These one-pinball encounters feature a nightmarish mixture of ghoulish monsters, four-headed dragons, armies of minions and giant armoured soldiers needing to be bested in tricky sequences to net the big points. The main table is always alive with activity, with loads of enemies active at any one time. As a consequence, there’s a real sense of energy to proceedings and rarely a dull moment.
Supreme graphics help make for an incredibly arresting experience. The first time you play, it’s hard to take your eyes off it. The sum of Devil’s Crush’s visual parts makes for an exquisite, fascinating experience. The top section of the table features wizards circulating in an ominous ritual as if hurridly working an enchantment. The middle tier is guarded by a colourful variety of knights and features the unforgettable, Gorgon-esque head at the centre, depicting a beautiful woman the visage of whom, with the repeated activation of nearby switches, gradually chips away to reveal the scary, mocking grin of a lizard. It’s super-evocative, the stuff of nightmares.
Supreme graphics help make for an incredibly arresting experience. The first time you play, it’s hard to take your eyes off it. The sum of Devil’s Crush’s visual parts makes for an exquisite, fascinating experience. The top section of the table features wizards circulating in an ominous ritual as if hurridly working an enchantment. The middle tier is guarded by a colourful variety of knights and features the unforgettable, Gorgon-esque head at the centre, depicting a beautiful woman the visage of whom, with the repeated activation of nearby switches, gradually chips away to reveal the scary, mocking grin of a lizard. It’s super-evocative, the stuff of nightmares.
FOCAL POINT: DRAGON'S FURY
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Dragon's Fury (1992, Mega Drive)
Devil’s Crush would venture onto the Mega Drive, under the name Devil Crash MD in Japan and Dragon’s Fury in the West. Whilst this version was warmly received by SEGA magazines such as MegaTech and Mean Machines in 1992, direct comparisons nevertheless reveal Technosoft’s port to be inferior. The Mega Drive versions suffer from noticeably less impressive visuals, with muted colours and less clarity to the table’s features. The aspect ratio also appears slightly squashed, due to the introduction of a vertical scoring overlay that narrows the field of play. Though the music is reasonable, the sound effects sound weedy and naff. On the plus side, it plays fast and smoothly, features a really cool title screen and some new ‘n’ improved bonus tables that are more elaborate. Given the choice of the two, however, the PC Engine version wins, hands-down.
The bottom section of the table is to be avoided where possible, not least because it’s the only instance where the player is at risk of losing lives. It’s also unnerving for the sheer amount of action that takes place: repeated hits see bumpers hatch, scattering all manner of critters across the face of the table. Dragon eggs can be destroyed to open up a special table, the player can fire the pinball into the gaping maw of a skull to cash a big points bonus and, most importantly, by threading a narrow channel in the centre, the player gains a blocker, a little life-saver that protects the pinball should it slip between the flippers. This area is fraught with danger and perhaps unsurprisingly, the cause of the lion’s share of the game’s frustrations, as balls take weird bounces or drain down the sides. Sometimes, you’ll get a sense your pinball is doomed, but even with a few seconds of foresight, the disappointingly weak nudge function appears unable to meaningfully alter the trajectory of the pinball.
Whilst the physics aren’t particularly realistic, it plays lightning-quick and with rapid controls, a key factor that allows Devil’s Crush to capitalise on its extravagantly designed table layout. There are so many novel touches and plenty of ways to go about scoring. The presentation as a whole is exceptional, with everything from the menus to the music, the graphics and the sound effects combining for a very singular experience.
Whilst the physics aren’t particularly realistic, it plays lightning-quick and with rapid controls, a key factor that allows Devil’s Crush to capitalise on its extravagantly designed table layout. There are so many novel touches and plenty of ways to go about scoring. The presentation as a whole is exceptional, with everything from the menus to the music, the graphics and the sound effects combining for a very singular experience.
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Each aspect plays a part in embellishing this gritty fantasy setting with its unnerving atmosphere, something pinball games had never embraced (or let’s be honest, even attempted) prior. It helps that the visuals look outstanding, with Compile once again outdoing themselves with a raft of cool animations, stylish embellishments. The PC Engine may have been known for its bright colour palette, but the developer completely captures the menacing vibe.
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Bonus stages are normally quite tough, and you've got to take your chances with just the one pinball for each
Picking between Devil’s Crush and Alien Crush is a close-run thing, the two were in a class of their own during the period. Inevitably, two different yet wholly successful aesthetics from the same developer means fans will likely come down on different sides of the fence, separated by little more than thematic preference. For my money, they share many key strengths, but with a more ambitious layout, a significantly expanded set of bonus tables and a few more showstopping moments, Devil’s Crush gets the nod as the PC Engine’s definitive pinball game.
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VERDICT
"Devil’s Crush remains a masterclass in edgy presentation and alluring design. It’s an entirely different proposition from other representatives of the genre... an ambitious layout, a significantly expanded set of bonus tables and more showstopping moments mean Devil’s Crush gets the nod as the PC Engine’s definitive pinball game." OVERALL: 9/10 |
OTHER PINBALL GAMES WITH COMBAT REVIEWED
Alien Crush (1989, PC Engine)
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Demon's Tilt (2019, PS4)
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