At some point during Gamefan’s run, it put out strategy guides, including one for the second game in Capcom’s Darkstalkers series, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge. This particular guide kept true to Gamefan’s standards and included a whole lot of official artwork for the game. Recently, I discovered the guide in a box of books I hadn’t seen in years, and I decided that I should scan the art and post it online. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can appreciate it. My only regret is that the guide came out before the third game, Jedah’s Damnation, so what I’m posting here won’t include Lilith, Q-Bee or B.B. Hood — each a well-crafted and respectable character in her own right.
Hope this brings back some fond memories of joystick-waggling for a few people. (Click any image to access larger versions of it.)
Main vampire Demitri in his transformed, demonic state.
Here Demitri is again, with one of his conquests.
British werefolf Jon Talbain. Neat fact about ol’ wolfy, via Wikipedia: His Japanese name is Gallon. In Japanese, the name would be pronounced like the word garou, “hungry wolf.” The word may sound familiar to anyone who played the latest and possibly last incarnation of SNK’s Fatal Fury series, Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Had I known at the time, this little linguistic nugget would have made the “It’s a Secret to Everybody” post.
Victor von Gerdenheim, the game’s take on Frankenstein’s monster even though he was erroneously referred to as just a Frankenstein. Really, shouldn’t we just use golem and cover our bases?
Undead Aussie rocker Lord Raptor, known in Japan as Zabel.
An even more sexed-up Morrigan Aensland, the batty succubus who became the series’ mascot. I love that a bat is functioning as her shirt clasp.
Freaky mummy man Anakaris.
Werecat Felicia, who’s probably the only naked female fighting game character that I’d still refer to as “cute” and not “sexy.” Maybe it’s her proximity to Morrigan?
Bishamon, the samurai possessed by cursed armor, accompanied by the ghost of his wife, Orin.
Protean merman Rikuo, who gets to be the game’s Dhalsim.
Vampire-hunting dhampir Donovan Baine, accompanied by the strange psychic girl Anita.
Donovan and Anita again.
Donovan alongside the various elementals that aid him in battle. Note that the ice elemental is labeled Brizzard in stead of Blizzard.
Anita surrounded by toys inspired by the “reduced” forms various characters suffer when struck by Anakaris’s pharaoh’s curse breath.
The fighters themselves with their little mascot forms.
Comic relief character Sasquatch.
Mayan mechano-man Huitzil.
Hsien-Ko, the Chinese hopping ghost with a heart of gold and a sleeve full of cutting implements.
Hsien-Ko and her twin sister, Mei-Ling, who splits their current form time share-style.
And finally evil galactic overlord Pyron.
And below, some composite illustrations:
Even the Darkstalkers fear the consequences of getting caught reading Anita’s diary. Is that Akuma lurking in the background?
The three ladies, before the other three ladies showed up.
And, finally, Morrigan and Demitri by moonlight.
Again, I hope this stirred up some long-forgotten gaming memories for a few readers. Hey Capcom, how about a new Darkstalkers already?
Capcom, previously:
- Does Q from Street Fighter III appear in one of the Street Fighter II backgrounds?
- Weird world geography in Red Earth
- Thoughts about transsexuals in Final Fight
- Mega Man name etymologies
- Street Fighter and Final Fight name etymologies
- The legacy of W.A. Stokins
- Pajama Hero
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