written in june of last year, relocated from the original page now that this is on a separate one:

Really fun. Easier than both the original and Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (which is not in fact a SNES port but rather a different game altogether, I seem to see that mixup pretty often), but the latter is about on par quality wise. I'd have to think harder on which I prefer, but I would easily recommend both. The double jump has not yet been implemented, so some platforming can be a little more tight than in Super G&G, but the general reason this one is easier is because you can aim up and down, making dealing with both enemies and bosses tremendously easier.

As you can probably guess, there are two loops to this game. In Ghosts ‘n Goblins, there isn't really any extra boss or level waiting for you at the end (and no good reason to do the loop anyway), but this is the first installment that walls the final boss behind the second loop. I've never been terribly fond of this at all in concept, but it does allow more time for my thoughts on the game to settle in, plus it isn't much of a big deal in actually fun games like this one and Super G&G.

This not only serves as likely the best entry point into the series, but was also probably one of the best games you could own in the early days of the Genesis, arriving only a month or two after the console's launch in North America. I wonder why this wasn't included in future Genesis compilations? Maybe it's some third party nonsense that they're all specific about for those, who knows. Would definitely be cooler to see than say, Sword of Vermilion or some shit. I heard that one is on Switch Online too and this isn't. Fucked up if true

This was among the first Genesis games I ever played- summer of 2003 when I was 7 years old and at the absolute peak of my Sonic the Hedgehog obsession. To this day, it is still my favorite entry in the series as it strikes the best balance and has some of my favorite setpieces.

Don't get me wrong- it's still a Ghosts n Goblins game and is still very challenging. However, being able to shoot up (as well as down) makes a huge difference in how the game can be approached and is a bit more forgiving because of it. It's also not "game breaking" in the way that Super Castlevania IV's multi directional whip allegedly is, as the level design and boss encounters definitely account for this nuance. Case in point- the barfing pigs at the end of stage 1 and the giant slug you take on before entering Lucifer's castle.

I also don't think people talk about the psycho cannon. It's the game's mandatory second loop weapon this time around, and it is awesome. It genuinely feels great to use in nearly every situation once you're able to obtain it. When wearing golden armor, it does not grant you any sort of magical ability (like the other weapons) but is able to cancel out projectiles which is very helpful. I'm bringing this up because, in Super Ghouls n Ghosts, the magical bracelet was awful and made the game harder if anything due to its gimped range and lack of any special traits.

Definitely give it a go- you might enjoy this game even if you didn't care for the others in the franchise. I'd consider this, Forgotten Worlds and Mega Twins to be some of the most enjoyable of Capcom's arcade-to-Genesis conversions.

If you ever wanted to play a version of Ghouls 'n Ghosts that feels like a bootleg, then good news, it's on the Sega Genesis.

A lot of my hangups here are with the controls, which feel like total junk. This isn't a knock against Arthur's stiffness clashing with the unforgiving nature of the game's platforming or anything, in fact I really like Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts and I'd say a lot of aspects of that game's design are present here, even if it lacks Super's satisfying double jump. No, it's that Ghouls 'n Ghosts consistently fails to recognize inputs, so most of the time it just feels like Arthur isn't doing what I tell him to.

The majority of my deaths were the result of inputs being eaten, which happened with such frequency that I thought something might be up with my Genesis controller. I traded out one OEM for another and was still having issues, then switched to a Retro-Bit pad (I have a lot of backup controllers, I know) and it still felt like a total crapshoot getting Arthur to behave in a predictable manner.

At that point I assumed something was up with the cart I bought and decided to try Ghouls 'n Ghosts in emulation, but no, it still plays pretty bad. It is moderately better with a firmer D-pad, so I think that's my preferred way to play the game and it's how I finished up the first run, but I have absolutely zero patience for a second, so I decided to put this down.

I've bought a lot of legit and repro carts for the Genesis and I think this is the first time I've genuinely felt swindled. The only thing stopping me from selling it is the hassle and the only thing preventing me from chucking it is that I'm a pack rat. Ghouls 'n Ghosts controls with such grace it made me think multiple Genesis controllers were broken, and beating it only provided a sense of accomplishment in spite of the game. At least Yuji Naka went on to do better things, like Sonic the Hedgehog and Balan Wonderworld.