The Defenders of The Night return
Mixed among the frankly suffocating wave of headlines rolling out of Disney this weekend was the curious, but not unwelcome news that The House of Mouse is to release a remaster of its 16-bit release Gargoyles, an action-platformer based upon the cult animated series of the same name.
Released in 1995 for the Sega Genesis, (the SNES version was canceled), Gargoyles was part of Disney’s major push into 16-bit gaming, which would see it adapt franchises such as Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and even Pinocchio (which nobody remembers) for home consoles. Gargoyles was one of the few 16-bit games that licensed a Disney TV show rather than a classic movie, albeit one with a very passionate fanbase.
Gargoyles, which first aired in the fall of 1994, told the story of an ancient Scottish clan, cursed to live as stone creatures for all eternity until they are accidentally awoken after their castle is transported to modern-day New York. Now, under the shadows of the night, the Gargoyles protect the people of the city from crime, lawlessness, and corrupt capitalist David Xanatos. The show, much like Batman: The Animated Series, was praised for its melodramatic flair, darker tone, and character relations.
Details pertaining to the Gargoyles remaster are incredibly thin on the ground, but the title is expected to launch on PC and “modern consoles” at some point in the future. It was not made clear how far along the project is at this moment in time, so it looks like Gargoyles fans will simply have to return to their perch and wait for the coming of the moon.
