Devil May Cry (デビル メイ クライ, Debiru Mei Kurai) is a 3D hack and slash action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It was directed by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. The game's director is a fan of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure,[1] and has put several references to the series in his games, notably using Joseph Joestar as the basis for the main protagonist of the game, Dante.[2][3]
Summary
Devil May Cry (2001)
Devil May Cry was released in Japan on August 23, 2001. The game centers around Dante, a demon hunter who meets a woman resembling his mother named Trish, who takes him on a journey to defeat the demon lord Mundus, who is responsible for the deaths of Dante's family. Devil May Cry was conceived as a sequel to the Resident Evil series, originally titled "Resident Evil 4" during early development. However, the game's title was changed when series creator Shinji Mikami felt it strayed too far from the series roots. The game's director, Hideki Kamiya, is notably a big fan of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series,[1] specifically the first and second parts, with Joseph Joestar as his favorite character.[4] In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, Kamiya revealed that Dante's personality was influenced by Joseph Joestar,[2][3] with Kamiya originally envisioning him as a British guy named "Tony Redgrave" during early development.[5][6] Dante was also inspired by the titular protagonist of Buichi Terasawa's manga series Cobra, as both characters provoke their enemies with a witty attitude, even in the face of immense danger.[2][7] Dante's companion, Trish, also shares similarities with Joseph's mother, Lisa Lisa, in both appearance and abilities; although Kamiya has denied that the characters are connected.[8] In Japanese, Trish is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka, who also voices Lisa Lisa in the TV anime. Dante is also voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa, who has played Diavolo in All-Star Battle and Eyes of Heaven and Yoshikage Kira in the Diamond is Unbreakable anime.
In Devil May Cry, in the cutscene in Mission 2 where Dante acquires his main sword, Alastor, it flies off the wall and impales him through the chest, pinning him to the ground. However, Dante awakens, pulling himself upward and off the blade as he retrieves it. According to director Hideki Kamiya and producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, the cutscene was inspired by the scene where Kars stands up after using Stone Mask at the end of Part 2.[5][9] They commented, "I saw this as a chance to give Dante's main weapon, Alastor, a big impression. That's how I came up with this scene. The imagery of him getting up with the sword still stuck in him is like the climax of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Part 2), where the main villain Kars rises up."[5] The scene where Dante defeats Phantom at the start of Mission 8 also shares similarities with Dio's defeat at the Joestar Mansion in Part 1, with him falling and being pierced by a large statue located at the entrance of the mansion.[10]
The Sin Scissors are a group of ghostly enemies resembling Grim Reapers that are first encountered in the library in Mission 2. They come in different variations, including Sin Scythes, Death Scissors, and Death Scythes. According to Hideki Kamiya and Hiroyuki Kobayashi, these enemies were the first to be created after the game's title change, and were initially called "Death Thirteen" by all the staff during development, in reference to the Stand Death Thirteen from Stardust Crusaders.[5][9] Another group of enemies, the Nobodies, first encountered in Mission 19, or Mission 17 on harder difficulties, are mutated warriors cursed with immortality that have wandered the underworld for hundreds of years, seeking blood. If Dante leaves them alive for too long, they'll put on a mysterious mask that causes them to increase their body size and strength until broken. According to Hideki Kamiya, this ability was directly inspired by the Stone Mask in Part 1.[5][9][11] They commented, "I was thinking about what I could do to make [the Nobodies] stand out from the rest, so I gave them an item that functions like the the Stone Mask from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure — which unleashes superpowers when worn."[5] In the third game, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, an item called the Stone Mask can also be found on the wall at the start of Mission 10, after defeating Nevan.[12]
In the 12th secret mission found in Mission 21, the "Bangle of Time" item can be found, which has the power to freeze nearby enemies by stopping time, however, some enemies are not affected by it and using it depletes the Devil Trigger gauge. This item was inspired by the ability of The World[13] and also appears as the "Bracelet of Time" in the Bayonetta series, which was also directed by Kamiya. In the third game, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Dante fights a demonic horse named Geryon in Mission 12 with the similar ability to manipulate time and teleport around. Once Dante defeats the horse he gains the Quicksilver Style, which functions almost identically to the Bangle of Time, with the only difference being that it "slows down" time instead of entirely stopping it.[14]
Devil May Cry X: The Last Judgement
In the 2016 pachinko game for Devil May Cry 4, named Devil May Cry X: The Last Judgement, Dante's victory animation while using Gilgamesh is a direct reference to Jotaro Kujo and Star Platinum in the anime opening STAND PROUD.[15]
Video
Gallery
Interview with Hideki Kamiya in Electronic Gaming Monthly
The Stone Mask in Devil May Cry 3
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Iwata asks: The Wonderful 101 Development Staff
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 149 (December 2001)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia on Twitter: "Hideki Kamiya was strongly influenced by Cobra and Joseph Joestar's personalities when creating the main character of Devil May Cry, Dante."
- ↑ Hideki Kamiya on Twitter: "Joseph. That's y I named one of S.T.A.R.S. "Joseph". RT @K0L0NEL: What is your favorite character in ジョジョの奇妙な冒険? Dio?" (Archived)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Devil May Cry Graphic Edition (December 20, 2001)
- ↑ Hideki Kamiya Interview
- ↑ CVG 2001 Interview
- ↑ Hideki Kamiya on Twitter: "ないです… RT @morganstedmanms: トリッシュはジョジョのリサリサを思い出させる。何か関連はありますか？" (Archived)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Devil May Cry Graphic File (December 25, 2006)
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmJzmO0JeMM
- ↑ Hideki Kamiya on Twitter: "Me ;) RT @AndrewGellately finished playing DMC recently, & it's still great! Who's idea it was to put the JoJo-like stone masks on the Nobody" (Archived)
- ↑ In Devil May Cry 3, you can find another Stone Mask on the wall at the start of Mission 10 after defeating Nevan
- ↑ Hideki Kamiya on Twitter: Right. RT @gareth_hawke: is the bangle of time inspired by Za warudo? (Archived)
- ↑ Devil May Cry 3 Quicksilver Practice
- ↑ Dante's victory animation using Gilgamesh in the Devil May Cry 4 pachinko machine is also a reference to Jotaro in Stand Proud
