You know the part. If you’ve played the original 2001 Devil May Cry, you’ve definitely felt that sudden, jarring shift where the game stops being a masterclass in gothic hack-and-slash and briefly decides it wants to be Star Fox. The Devil May Cry airplane section is one of those bizarre moments in gaming history that feels like it belongs in a different game entirely. Honestly, it’s a relic of an era when developers were still throwing every possible mechanic at the wall just to see what would stick.
Hideki Kamiya and the Team Little Devils crew weren't exactly known for restraint. They were busy inventing a whole new genre—the Character Action game—out of the ashes of what was originally supposed to be Resident Evil 4. But when Dante hops into that biplane at the end of the game to escape Mallet Island, it’s not just a transition; it’s a complete genre pivot. It’s clunky. It’s weird. And yet, if you’re trying to understand the DNA of this franchise, you kinda have to reckon with it.
Why the Devil May Cry Airplane Section Exists at All
Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, Capcom had this habit of sticking "escape sequences" at the end of their games. It was a trope. You see it in almost every Resident Evil. You finish the big boss, the self-destruct sequence starts, and you run for your life. Usually, it’s a sprint to a train or a helicopter. For Devil May Cry, Kamiya decided to go bigger. He wanted Dante to fly a plane out of a collapsing underworld.
It's basically a rail shooter.
The mechanics change instantly. Suddenly, you aren't worrying about Stinger cancels or High Times. You’re just holding down a fire button and dodging projectiles in a 3D space that feels surprisingly cramped. Looking back, it’s clear this was an attempt to add variety, but the execution is where things get messy. The camera remains fixed in a way that makes depth perception a nightmare. You’ll think you’re clear of a fireball, only to realize you’ve flown right into its hitbox because the perspective lied to you.
The Mechanics of the Flight
Control-wise, it's pretty simple, though that doesn't make it easy. Dante’s plane shoots standard projectiles, and you have a limited ability to maneuver around the screen. Most players find themselves just circling the edges of the frame. It’s the safest bet.
If you’re playing on Dante Must Die (DMD) difficulty, this section isn’t just a weird diversion; it’s a legitimate run-ender. The damage scaling in the Devil May Cry airplane section on higher difficulties is brutal. One or two hits and you’re seeing the "Game Over" screen, which is especially frustrating because it happens right after the massive, multi-stage fight with Mundus. Imagine beating the literal king of the underworld just to get shot down by a stray energy bolt while flying a wooden plane. It’s maddening.
The Mundus Fight Connection
We can’t really talk about the plane without talking about the first phase of the Mundus fight. People often confuse the two or lump them together because they both involve flying. In the first phase of the final boss encounter, Dante grows wings and engages in a high-speed aerial battle through space.
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That part is actually kind of cool.
It feels epic. It’s got that heavy metal, operatic vibe that defines the series. But the actual Devil May Cry airplane section happens after the fight is technically over. It’s the literal escape. You’ve already "won," yet the game demands one last mastery of a mechanic you haven't used for the previous ten hours.
- Phase 1: Dante becomes a winged demon (Space Harrier style).
- Final Phase: Dante and Trish in a physical plane (The actual airplane section).
There’s a huge difference in the "feel" between these two. The demon flight feels like a power trip. The airplane flight feels like a struggle against the controls.
Why It Feels So Out of Place
The reason it feels so "off" is likely due to the game’s development cycle. Devil May Cry was famously rebuilt from the ground up. When the project shifted from Resident Evil to its own thing, the team had to fill out the runtime. Adding a vehicle segment was a classic way to pad out a game’s climax in the 32/64-bit era.
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Also, Trish is there. This is her big moment to help Dante escape. For a character who spent most of the game as a mysterious antagonist/damsel, the airplane escape is meant to solidify their partnership. Does it work? Sorta. It gives us the iconic—and admittedly cheesy—"I should have been the one to fill your dark soul with light" line shortly after.
Strategies for Surviving the Escape
If you're revisiting the HD Collection or playing on the original PS2 hardware, don't let this part catch you off guard. It’s short, but it’s lethal if you’re careless.
- Don't overthink the movement. Most of the incoming fire follows a predictable pattern. If you stay toward the corners and move in a clockwise motion, you can avoid about 80% of the obstacles without really trying.
- Mash, don't hold. While you can hold the fire button, rhythmic tapping sometimes helps you stay focused on your positioning.
- Watch the cave walls. The "enemy" isn't just the projectiles; it's the environment. The tunnel narrows significantly toward the end.
- Save your health. Hopefully, you didn't burn all your items on Mundus. Having a Vital Star left over is a massive safety net here.
It’s worth noting that in later games, Capcom almost entirely abandoned this kind of gameplay. Devil May Cry 2 had some miserable boss fights that involved hovering, but they never went back to the full-on "airplane shooter" vibe. By the time Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening rolled around, the focus was purely on the combat system—Switching styles, weapon switching, and frame-perfect dodges. The "airplane" era was dead.
The Legacy of Mallet Island’s Last Flight
Is the Devil May Cry airplane section "good" game design? Probably not. It breaks the flow. It uses a control scheme that isn't polished. It relies on a perspective that makes the gameplay feel unfair.
But it’s also undeniably DMC.
It’s that weird, experimental spirit that makes the first game so special. It’s a game that didn’t know its own limits yet. When you see Dante and Trish fly out of the exploding island, there’s a sense of relief that isn’t just about the story—it’s about finally being done with that specific mechanic.
Later entries in the series, like DMC5, pay homage to the original in many ways, but they wisely steered clear of forcing players back into a cockpit. We have the "Cavaliere" motorcycle now, which is a much better way to integrate vehicles into a character action game. You aren't playing a different game; you’re just using a different, heavier sword that happens to have wheels.
How to Handle the Frustration
If you're currently stuck or just annoyed by this part, take a breath. It lasts less than five minutes. The real challenge is the psychological toll of having to redo the Mundus fight if you fail. That's the real kicker. On the Nintendo Switch version, the "Free Style" mode makes the rest of the game a breeze, but even that can't save you from the quirks of the plane.
Honestly, just embrace the camp. The dialogue is peak early-2000s voice acting. The stakes are hilariously high. The physics are non-existent. It’s a snapshot of a time when Capcom was the king of "weird but awesome" experiments.
Next Steps for the DMC Completionist:
- Check your rankings: If you’re going for an S-Rank on the final mission, remember that time spent in the airplane section counts toward your total. You need to be fast, not just safe.
- Practice the Mundus 1 "Space Harrier" movement: If you can master the winged flight, you’ll enter the airplane section with more health and more confidence.
- Watch a speedrun: If you want to see how the pros handle it, look up a "DMC1 DMD No Damage" run. They make the airplane section look like a joke by using very specific "safe zones" on the screen.
- Move on to DMC3: Once you’ve cleared the plane and watched the credits roll, do yourself a favor and jump straight to the third game. It’s where the series truly finds its permanent identity, leaving the experimental flight mechanics in the past where they belong.