
	Platform TurboGrafx 16 Genre Pinball Publisher NEC Developer Naxat Released 1990
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Devil's Crush

WARNING: This review contains numerous sophomoric wordplays on hitting things with pinballs but stated in such a way that only the most inebriated of frat boys would venture a chuckle. If you dislike terrible and childish innuendo, please remove your hand from your pants and play Super Mario Sunshine.

Pinball has been one of the reliable video game standards since home consoles were first introduced. Some variation of pinball has appeared on practically every system and with a myriad of themes and approaches. Whether Bill Budge's Pinball Construction Set for the Apple IIe or Adventure Pinball: Forgotten Island for the PC, developers have been able to take a basic idea and present it in a variety of unique ways.

However, these games also have some difficult hurdles to overcome if they want to present even the most basic representation of real world pinball. There has always been a problem conveying accurate ball physics, collision, an interesting theme with enough table tricks that keeps the players attention, and the largest hurdle of all: displaying the table in a way that contributes to the overall experience rather than detracts from it.

Even with all the pinball games that have been released for all the systems over the years, there was one that at the time of its release was considered the best pinball video game ever, and is still considered one of the high water marks of the genre. That game is Devil's Crush for the Turbo-Grafx 16.

Developed by NAXAT and released in 1990, Devil's Crush is the sequel to the very capable Alien Crush pinball game released earlier for the same system. While they are both pinball games, Devil's Crush builds significantly on the successes of its predecessor. It takes an almost universally appealing theme and presents and incorporates it in a way that fits perfectly into a pinball game. There are numerous

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design details, both major and minor, strewn all over the three levels of the main board as well as in the hidden mini-games.

Ultimately, the goal of Devil's Crush is to defeat the initially asleep, then later awake and in all her lizardly glory, queen whose face looks up from the main table just above the second set of flippers. Yet the full glory of the table and all it offers renders the main goal secondary, as getting there is the real appeal of the game.

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As the game starts, you are instantly presented with the wonders of the game; an animated skull to the upper right who's eye follows your ball wherever it goes and occasionally swallows it, not to mention laughs demonically when it goes down the sink. To the upper left, a dragon mother guarding her eggs who can shoot fireballs at your silvery sphere. In the center, a small castle that continuously has monsters marching out just ripe for ball crushing (in the strictest pinball terms, that is). Of course, it, like everything, can grab your ball as well.

If you can knock your ball into the second screen up, you meet the sleeping queen who, upon enough ball-beating and head-lodging, shows her true kimodo-esque self. This screen also has teleports and ever-marching minions of the queen who are just asking for a ball-beating.

The third screen at the top of the main table has an 8-pointed star surrounded by Roman numerals that seems to attract evil, hooded, wandering monks. With skulls being a main theme of this game, the top of this table has a large main skull with 2 small skulls on either side of it that are sitting ducks for the player to smack in the face with their balls. Bumping the monks also provides sadistic satisfaction as they implode in a most satisfying way, only to be replaced by their brethren who are none the wiser.

The game also has a selection of hidden mini-tables that provide simpler challenges that can cause your score to skyrocket. Hitting dragon heads, smacking little men while they are on top of unlit spaces of the board trying to light them all, defeating knights simply by hitting them, all the mini-games are entertaining but pale in comparison to the orderly chaos and sensory overload of the main table.

The graphics of this game are extremely well done. They are colorful, detailed, and well animated, while effortlessly conveying the dark and moody theme of the title. Hooded monks, skulls, dragons, even the board itself is made up to look like the cobblestones of a medieval town. The movements of the monsters, the lights of the table, the subtle animations that adorn every aspect of this game draw you in and keep you glued to the game just to keep discovering what other little touches the designers included. As far as pinball games are concerned, this is one of the best looking of all time and that is still true today.

The sound is equally as impressive. For a TG-16 title, the sound truly sets the mood for the game. The Streets of Rage series notwithstanding, 16-bit machines weren't known for their orchestral capabilities. However, the music in this title is moody, atmospheric, and nicely compliments the sounds of squished monsters, laughing skulls, and screams of the queen. It's one of those rare soundtracks in which both the music and effects are an integral part of the experience.

Finally, the gameplay is spot on. Ball physics are reactionary and realistic, the table scrolls only when the ball is launched into another level of the table or into one of the mini-games, even the tilt has a noticeable effect on the tables and can be overused resulting in a play tilt.

This is one of the flagship titles of the TG-16. It was a high profile game and with good reason. If you're simply a flipper mashing maniac who hopes for the best, or a calculated, planning pinball guru, you will find that this game offers everything that most other pinball games try so hard to provide but simply don't - A strong theme, superb graphics, and an engrossing overall experience.

- Darren

(May 21, 2004)


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