Ever pop a grey cartridge into your Nintendo and wonder what adventure awaited? For many retro gamers, Demon Sword on the NES was one of those games. It might not be the first title that springs to mind when you think of 8-bit legends, but this action-platformer holds a curious place in the console's library, partly thanks to some misleading advertising and a rather significant change from its Japanese counterpart.
Let's slice through the mystery and revisit this often-overlooked title.
What is Demon Sword?
Released by Taito in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Demon Sword puts you in the boots of Victar, a warrior tasked with a crucial mission. The evil Dark Fiend has shattered the legendary Demon Sword, scattering its pieces across the land. Naturally, your quest is to collect these fragments, reforge the blade, and confront the big bad.
It's a classic fantasy setup, but the execution is where Demon Sword gets interesting – and, for some, a little confusing.
Gameplay: Shuriken, Sword, and Spells
At its core, Demon Sword is an action-platformer. You'll traverse various side-scrolling and vertical levels, battling creatures and navigating tricky jumps. Victar's primary offense comes in two forms:
- Unlimited Shuriken: Your default projectile weapon. Handy for keeping enemies at bay, though not incredibly powerful initially.
- The Demon Sword (Dagger): Starting as a small dagger, this melee weapon grows in power and reach as you collect sword fragments. Getting up close and personal is often necessary for tougher foes.
Beyond basic attacks, Victar can find and use various power-ups and spells. These can boost your attack power, grant temporary invincibility, or restore your health, adding a layer of strategy to the combat.
The Legend of Kage Connection
If you've played Taito's earlier arcade and NES title, The Legend of Kage, some aspects of Demon Sword might feel familiar. Both games feature a protagonist with unlimited projectiles and a close-range weapon, fast-paced movement, and a focus on vertical progression in some areas. While Demon Sword attempts more complexity with its power-ups and health bar (a significant upgrade over Kage's one-hit deaths!), the core movement and combat can feel like an evolution – or perhaps a variation – on the Kage formula.
The Conan Confusion
Remember browsing game magazines or video store shelves back in the day? Sometimes, the box art or advertising could be... optimistic. Demon Sword suffered from this, with promotional materials suggesting a gritty, Conan-the-Barbarian-style adventure. This led many players to rent or buy the game expecting something akin to Conan or Ironsword, only to find a game much closer to The Legend of Kage. It's a classic example of retro game marketing misdirection!
Levels, Difficulty, and Bosses
Demon Sword presents a decent challenge. It starts quite tough, forcing you to rely heavily on avoiding enemies and chipping away with shuriken until your sword powers up. The difficulty curve smooths out somewhat, but boss battles remain formidable, often requiring patience and pattern recognition.
One common criticism is the level design. Stages can feel quite long and occasionally repetitive, especially in vertical sections where navigation isn't always intuitive. Optional boss encounters are scattered throughout, but defeating them often feels like more effort than the reward is worth.
The Significant Cut Content Controversy
Here's where the story of Demon Sword gets really interesting. The NES version is actually a modified port of a Japanese Famicom game called Fudou Myououden. And when we say modified, we mean significantly.
Reports and comparisons reveal that nearly half the levels from Fudou Myououden were cut from the international Demon Sword release. Several magic spells and items were also removed. This wasn't due to censorship or gameplay balance, but likely a cost-saving measure to fit the game onto a smaller, cheaper cartridge size for the Western market.
This cut content dramatically impacts the game. While Fudou Myououden felt like a complete, albeit challenging, journey, Demon Sword on the NES feels like it ends prematurely, just as Victar is hitting his stride.
NES Improvements: Not All Bad
It wasn't all cuts, however. The NES version did introduce some player-friendly features missing from Fudou Myououden:
- A Life Bar: Crucially, you don't die in one hit like in the Japanese version or Legend of Kage. Your life bar even increases over time.
- Health Restoration: Items can be found to replenish your health.
- Permanent Attack Upgrades: Collecting certain items permanently boosts your attack power, making Victar stronger over the course of the game.
These additions certainly make the NES Demon Sword more accessible and forgiving than its Japanese counterpart, somewhat mitigating the sting of the missing levels and spells.
Is Demon Sword Worth Playing Today?
Demon Sword isn't a flawless masterpiece, and knowing about the cut content can make the NES version feel like a "lite" experience. However, it still offers solid 8-bit action-platforming. If you enjoy games like The Legend of Kage or are simply curious about lesser-known NES titles with interesting development histories, it's worth checking out.
You can often find physical copies online or explore emulation options to experience Victar's quest and see the differences for yourself.
FAQ
Q: Is Demon Sword on the NES the same as the Japanese game Fudou Myououden? A: No, the NES version of Demon Sword had nearly half the levels and several spells cut compared to the Japanese Famicom game Fudou Myououden, likely due to cartridge size limitations.
Q: Is Demon Sword a difficult game? A: Demon Sword starts quite challenging, especially before you power up your weapons. Boss fights can also be difficult and require patience, but the addition of a life bar in the NES version makes it less punishing than some other games of the era.
Q: What kind of game is Demon Sword? A: Demon Sword is an action-platformer for the NES where you play as Victar, collecting pieces of a legendary sword to defeat a demon, battling enemies with shuriken and a growing melee weapon.
Q: Why was Demon Sword sometimes confused with Conan? A: Misleading advertising and box art for Demon Sword in the West suggested a more Conan-the-Barbarian style game than the actual gameplay delivered, leading to confusion among players.
