Devil's Crush Review - Screenshot 1 of 2

After the wonderfully wacky Alien Crush you would have thought developers Compile would have struggled to create an even more unhinged pinball simulation - but you’d be wrong!

Devil’s Crush improves on its spiritual predecessor in almost every way possible. Firstly, the ball physics – arguably the most important aspect of any pinball game are 100% perfect. The ball behaves just as you would expect it to in the real world, which is ironic when you consider the table you’re playing on is anything but realistic!

As was the case in Alien Crush, there is only one playing area in this game, but this time it’s a whopping three screens in height. The alien theme of the first game is now all but gone, but what has replaced it is even more visually appealing. The design of the table is fantastically twisted with evil monks, deranged skeletons and a rather scary woman who has a habit of turning into a dragon when hit repeatedly all attempt to take your ball out of action.

Devil's Crush Review - Screenshot 2 of 2

Although there's only one main table there are several sections that can be accessed by flipping the ball into certain portals. These mini-tables are single screen challenges and are as bizarre and strange as every other aspect of the game.

The graphics are really stunning, the designers were obviously smoking something strong when they created this game. The music is also noteworthy, with a brilliant main theme that never gets annoying or repetitive.

Pinball games are the ultimate in score-attack entertainment and Devil Crash remains one of the finest examples of the genre ever published. Pick this up without delay!

Conclusion

On a side note, Devil's Crush was also ported to the Sega Megadrive/Genesis, and to be perfectly honest there’s not a huge difference between the two versions. A sequel was created under the name Dragon’s Revenge (the original Devil's Crush was renamed 'Dragon’s Fury' in some regions, you see), but the original developers didn’t have any input and it’s a bit of a stinker. A 'proper' follow up appeared on the Super Famicom as Jaki Crush, which replaced the gothic style with more traditional Japanese demons, but even this is also something of a letdown after its superlative prequel.