Devil's Crush
Second occult-themed pinball game in the Crush Pinball series.
Devil's Crush, a pinball video game from Compile, hit the TurboGrafx-16 in 1990 as the second title in the Crush Pinball series, following Alien Crush. Its occult theme is heavy on skulls, skeletons, and demons. Later entries in the series include Jaki Crush and Alien Crush Returns. Technosoft ported the game to the Mega Drive and Genesis as Dragon's Fury, or Devil Crash MD in Japan. Censorship affected both the North American TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis versions: pentagrams became generic stars, and coffins marked with crucifixes in a bonus stage were swapped for vases. A later release on the Wii's Virtual Console restored the original title in Europe, but replaced pentagrams with an eight-sided star. The game also appeared on the Wii U eShop in 2017.
The playfield is a free-scrolling pinball table three screens tall, with three pairs of flippers. Players can nudge the table to steer the ball, but overusing the tilt button triggers a "tilt," disabling the flippers and costing a ball. Targets are plentiful, and hidden bonus rooms exist. In the Genesis version, completing the table's objectives triggers a boss battle against a final enemy and its minions on a much smaller table. This version lacks a battery backup for saving high scores.
Critics have generally praised Devil's Crush. Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life highlighted its audiovisual style, calling the graphics stunning and the music—especially the main theme—catchy without becoming grating. Frank Provo of GameSpot gave a positive review despite noting the pinball physics felt off: the ball seemed too light and occasionally ricocheted at odd angles, but he argued that the intricate table, flashy visuals, and surreal setting made these quirks easy to overlook. The TurboGrafx version topped the Computer & Video Games charts. In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it 50th on its "100 Best Games of All Time," calling it the best video pinball game ever because it didn't try to mimic real pinball.
- Developer
- Compile
- Platform
- TurboGrafx-16
- Release Year
- 1990
- Series
- Crush Pinball
- Genre
- Pinball video game
- Port Developer
- Technosoft (Mega Drive/Genesis)
Lore & Background
Devil's Crush was developed by Compile for the TurboGrafx-16 and released in 1990. It is the second game in the Crush Pinball series, following Alien Crush, and was later succeeded by Jaki Crush and Alien Crush Returns. The game's playfield consists of a free scrolling pinball table three screens high, with three pairs of flippers. Players can nudge or bump the table to influence the ball's path, but excessive tilting causes the flippers to stop working and results in a lost ball. The table includes many targets and hidden bonus rooms.
The game was ported to the Mega Drive/Genesis as Dragon's Fury (Devil Crash MD in Japan) by developer Technosoft. Both the North American TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis versions were censored: all pentagrams were changed to generic stars, and coffins with crucifixes in one bonus stage were changed to vases. Devil's Crush was later released on the Wii's Virtual Console, with the European release reverting to its original title, though pentagram symbols were replaced with an 8-sided star. It also saw release on the Wii U eShop in 2017.
In the Genesis version, after completing the table's objectives, there is a battle against a final boss and his minions on a much smaller table.
Reader's Guide
Devil's Crush has been critically applauded, with reviewers praising its audiovisual presentation. Damien McFerran of Nintendo Life noted the stunning graphics and noteworthy music, while Frank Provo of GameSpot gave an overall positive review despite complaints about the pinball physics, describing the ball as feeling lighter than it should and occasionally ricocheting at unbelievable angles. The TurboGrafx version reached the top of the Computer & Video Games charts. In 1997, Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the TurboGrafx-16 version number 50 on its list of the '100 Best Games of All Time,' calling it 'the best video pinball game of all time—mainly because it didn't try to be anything like real pinball.' The game's legacy includes its influence on later pinball video games and its continued availability through digital re-releases, though censorship of occult symbols varied by region and platform.
Did You Know?
- The game was ported to the Mega Drive/Genesis as Dragon's Fury (Devil Crash MD in Japan) by developer Technosoft.
- Both North American TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis versions were censored: pentagrams changed to generic stars, and coffins with crucifixes changed to vases.
- The Wii Virtual Console European release replaced pentagrams with an 8-sided star.
- The Genesis version includes a battle against a final boss and his minions on a much smaller table after achieving the highest score.
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