Marker Art #30: Gargoyle’s Quest

Gargoyle’s Quest came out for the original Game Boy in 1990, and it was one of the first games I ever owned for the system (the others being Tetris, Kirby’s Dream Land, and Lock ‘n’ Chase). With a story that lasts over three hours, I found it to be one of the most challenging experiences of my childhood, and it took me awhile before I finally understood how to be successful.

The gameplay consisted of two different play styles: 1) an overhead view where the character traverses the world and its various villages akin to Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy and 2) a 2D action platformer where the character navigates traditional stages and sometimes fights a boss at the end. It also featured a very lengthy password system which meant my Game Boy case was constantly filled with little pieces of paper with various numbers and letters scribbled onto them.

Dying often meant that you’d be sent back to the nearest town where you obtained a password, so it was a long trek to get back to where you were before. I had to learn a great deal of patience. What kept me going, though, was a healthy dose of powerups that would allow your character to fly longer, shoot stronger projectiles, or gain more health. I found myself slowly pushing forward in hopes that I would get a slight edge over the game’s next obstacle. Eventually, I persevered and it ended up being one of the first games I ever beat on the system.

To honor the experience, I finished up some pixel art of Firebrand, the game’s main character. I did it in the style of the original Game Boy which had a tint of green to it. Even the original box art depicted him as green, though later versions of the game would change him to red to match how he looked in Ghosts ‘n Goblins. Did I mention that this guy was originally an enemy in Ghosts ‘n Goblins?? We need more spinoff games like this where enemies take the helm! Enjoy!

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Thanks for stopping by to check out my art! Did you ever play any of the Gargoyle’s Quest games? What do you remember about them? Leave me a reply below! Also, be sure to FOLLOW or subscribe to my blog via e-mail so you can have content delivered directly to your inbox!

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