Hello and welcome to the next instalment of Lost Gems, covering games that are no longer available. In this entry of the feature, I will be discussing Spawn in the Demon’s Hand, an arcade action game from capcom for the SEGA Dreamcast. Based on the ultraviolent comic book series from Todd McFarlane, with the action taking place across the arcade boss rush and score battles, featuring characters from across the series.
Disclaimer: while the game discussed here is no longer officially sold, there are ways to obtain the game. This can either be through the second hand market, or through unofficial digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to any roms or rips of the game being discussed.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be providing details of the general game experience, alongside my own personal thoughts on the title.
About the game
Spawn in the Demon’s Hand, developed by Capcom is an arcade action game based on the iconic comic series. This 3D action title uses elements of the comic book series, mixing locations that are inspired by the source, with more fantastical spaces. The game was originally released in arcades, using the Naomi hardware, with the core arcade experience ported to console. However, there are additional play modes that have been added to this game.
On the main menu, there are four options for players to select from. These are Arcade, Tournament, Gallery and Options. The main option that most players will spend their time with is Arcade, which provides an experience that is as close to the arcade as possible. when selecting Arcade mode, the player will be given the option to select a number of players, up to the number of controllers attached. This will affect the options available.
When playing the game alone, the player can access the main 3 game modes, Boss Attack, Battle Royal and Team Battle. The real star of this release is Boss Attack, which is a stage based boss rush, pitting the player against powerful foes. This can be played in two ways, Solo or with a partner. In single play mode, the player will only be able to play 7 stages, but if the player has a partner, either CPU or human, the whole game will be playable.
Before any mode can start, the player will be able to select their character from a starting roster of 12, with many more to be unlocked. The characters are split into a few different categories, with some using guns, others bladed weapons and even supernatural powers. It is recommended to try out the different characters to see which one feels right. In split screen, players are unable to select some of the characters due to their size.
The majority of characters will have unique weapon sets, with the title character Spawn having an assault rifle and grenades. Then there are characters like Redeemer and brimstone, who have powerful melee attacks, as well as magical power attacks. Additional weapons can be found in the stages, either from chests and boxes, or from enemies that are defeated. Picked up weapons will be lost if the player dies.
In the different boss rush stages, the player will be given a target and a time limit to beat them. These boss opponents include the Mafia, a demonic Clown, terrifying cyborgs and a wide array of hellish foes to fight. The different stages of boss attack will be split into two types, sectioned and arenas. In the sectioned stages, the player will need to defeat enemies that spawn in, with the boss appearing after a set time and enemies defeated.
During arena battle stages, the giant boss will appear immediately, with their subordinates at the same time. These differences keep the action of boss attack flowing well, with the different stages adding to the depth of the action. As mentioned earlier, there is a time limit that will run down during boss attack stages, with time penalties for each player death. If this time limit expires, the stage will be lost and the player will need to try again.
At the end of a run of Boss Attack, a new character will be unlocked to be used in subsequent attempts. Each of the playable characters will unlock a new one, with special ones that are unlocked when special conditions are met. All of the playable characters that can be unlocked appear in the games Boss Attack mode, giving players an idea of what can be unlocked. These characters can be in the Free-for-All and Battle Royal modes.
Speaking of the Team Battle and Battle Royal, the player will be pitted against the selected characters. During the PVP stages in both of them, the objective is to score as many points as possible. These points are awarded for killing the opponents, but will be deducted if the players accidentally kill themselves. When the time limit for the battle expires, the player or team with the highest score will win the battle.
Now after the Arcade mode, there is Tournament, where the player will battle through a series of opponents. There is a Battle Royal and Team Battle mode. In each of the battles, the player will be given a target score that they have to meet, alongside a time limit. If an opponent passes the target, the player must surpass them before the timer runs out. During a stage in Tournament mode, the same rules as the battles in Arcade mode apply.
The Tournament mode is single player only, which is unfortunate. However, both the Team Battle and Boss Attack are multiplayer, letting players work together is split-screen action. The last mode to discuss is Gallery, where artwork and game assets can be viewed. These are unlocked by completing various conditions that the game does not tell the player, further adding to the many secrets that this game holds for players to discover.
Personal Thoughts
I first experienced Spawn as a character from the 1997 film, not knowing it was a comic book series. Then I played the Dreamcast game and fell in love with the characters, the world and all of the crazy ultraviolent chaos that comes with it. I have many a memory of playing this game with friends as a kid, going through the Boss Attack mode and unlocking the new characters. The rush and excitement of fighting all the bosses was awesome.
Then we have the PVP modes, which were just as chaotic as the Boss mode. It was one of those things that would never get boring, as I would keep playing with the different characters, trying new combinations in team battle. It is one of those titles that manages to stay fresh in all modes, with an almost endless number of character combinations in the different modes. Then there are the secrets and rewards, which further add to the replay value.
There is a great satisfaction that comes from playing this game, with the fast paced action, the way you can decimate enemies and the over the top violence. There is also the option for adjustable violence and damage settings, with the potential to make every attack leave behind a fountain of blood. This makes the game perfect for those who want to enjoy carnage, especially with the Giant characters which turn foes into bloody chunks.
From a visual perspective, the game still holds up today. It may look dated to some with the chunky polygons, but the overall look of the game and design is timeless. If anything the game looks just as good now as it did back in the 2000s. Then we get the soundtrack filled with heavy rock tracks, which give further bring the world of spawn to life. All of the music fits the gory action, with the heavy metal feel perfectly fitting the carnage on screen.
This is another title that deserves to be re-released, either the original Arcade release of the home version. There are emulation options out there to bring this game to modern platforms, with the revival of classic games from Capcom that were released on the Naomi hardware. The game came out 25 years ago and is still as fun now as it was then. The game can be expensive to pick up, with the Japanese version being very pricey, but if you like arcade action it may be for you.
If you enjoyed this feature, please check out the other content I have put on the site. There will be more Lost Gems in the future, alongside additional instalments in the Gaming Oddities feature, which will be a semi regular release. There will also be more features coming very soon in a later slot.
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