A Capcom action-RPG starring Firebrand from Ghosts'n Goblins. Side-view RPG exploration, 2D action levels, magic to unlock. More mature and dense than a simple Capcom platformer, and the gothic mood lands surprisingly well in monochrome. A real Game Boy masterpiece unjustly forgotten, essential.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player12+
Description
Action-RPG with Firebrand the gargoyle from Ghosts'n Goblins exploring the Demon Realm to become king of the demons. Published by Capcom, released in 1990 in Europe and North America. Side-scrolling RPG exploration, action-platformer levels, Firebrand's evolving powers, and story progression.
Gargoyle's Quest review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The game alternates two visual registers without blurring them: a top-down world map drawn in small clear symbols, and side-on action phases where the winged protagonist takes up a large share of the screen. The demon world is composed of tormented rock and stylised flame, and the creature towns look like hives carved out of stone.
The writing favours minor modes and wide intervals, a grave register suited to a hero drawn from the monsters' camp and breaking with the liveliness expected on this format. The world map theme returns with every journey and becomes the game's most memorised figure, while the action phases adopt tighter rhythms.
Game Boy prequel to Demon's Crest that lays the foundations of the Firebrand playstyle and the gothic strand Capcom would carry over to Super Nintendo. The PAL run came in tighter than the US one, and Capcom Europe's cardboard box tends to show wear easily. Demand is driven by Ghosts'n Goblins followers, who see here the only handheld branch of the Red Arremer lineage, and by hunters of the scarce action RPGs on Game Boy.
An underrated gem
An unexpected spin-off of Ghosts'n Goblins, it hands the controls to Firebrand, the red gargoyle, in a singular blend of action-platforming and side-view RPG. Stuck on Game Boy while the saga shone on home consoles, it stayed in the shadows. Its gothic mood and evolving powers will delight fans of demanding adventure.
Is Gargoyle's Quest still worth playing in 2026?
A Ghosts'n Goblins spin-off built around Firebrand, Gargoyle's Quest blends side-scrolling action with RPG-flavoured exploration in a way few 1990 titles attempt. On Game Boy, the hover and wall-cling controls remain a real pleasure, and the magic spells unlocked along the way reward backtracking. Its gothic atmosphere holds up surprisingly well in monochrome, and the hybrid format still has almost no equivalent from that era. For fans of 8-bit Capcom action with a broader structure, it remains a relevant, long-underrated little experience.
