Nope. This one is too hard for me. I enjoy difficult games but everyone has their limit and Ghosts 'n Goblins is mine.

The difficulty starts with the movement. The hero of the game, Arthur, has a static jump arc which makes everything, from platforming to avoiding enemies, so difficult. This isn't unusual for a game of this era but the ultimate kick in the teeth is the cruel randomness of Ghosts 'n Goblins. I think that's what sets it apart from Castlevania, Contra et al.

As early as the first few seconds of the game you'll notice the red-haired zombies seem to spawn in random locations, making even the first level impossible to brute force via memorisation. The flying demon enemies are the worst offenders though; they have such a shockingly nefarious attack pattern and feel like a gigantic, undodgeable homing missile. When you combine this unpredictability with Arthur's shockingly stiff jump it makes for an absolute headache of a game where even the simplest of enemies can become an unavoidable hazard.

Playing Ghosts 'n Goblins feels like digital torture and I'm not much of a sadomasochist, so I'll pass.

On the plus side, the music is iconic, elevating the game up a half star in my estimation.