While it may have a reputation for being one of the hardest games from the 8-bit era, the original Ghosts ‘n Goblins, especially the NES version, wasn’t too good. Yeah, there were some admirable qualities about it, and you felt completely unstoppable for conquering what the game throws at you, but it was a pretty ugly and poorly designed product at the end of the day, and only really serves to kickstart the series and lay the groundwork for what other games would do going further. The sequel Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, on the other hand, is a completely different story. That game was a wonderful way to continue the series, making sure to keep things pretty similar to what came before it, while also improving upon it in every way, such as with better graphics, better controls, more weapons, more powerups, and more options for survival. Of course, it still kept the bullshit difficulty and two-playthrough requirement, but it still managed to provide a very entertaining and incredibly satisfying experience. So, after one miss and one hit, Capcom thought it was time to make another game, one specifically for the new hot sensation sweeping the nation, the Super Nintendo. After a few years of development, they would then bring the torturous terror of GNG to this console with Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.
I had wanted to check out this game for a LONG time, not only because I was already a fan of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series, but because it was the most iconic title in the series, right alongside the original, and from what I have heard, it is considered to be the best in the entire series. I do feel somewhat bad that I put it off for so long, especially after I had covered the first two games, as well as Gargoyle’s Quest, a long time ago, so to make it for it, I finally checked it out. After playing through it, I can definitely see why people would consider this to be the best in the series, but honestly, I may prefer Ghouls ‘n Ghosts just that liiiiiiiitle bit more, as that one just felt more fun and more satisfying for me. Either way, I still though that this was a pretty good way to bring this series to consoles, and while it does have its issues, both familiar and new, it still managed to deliver in all the ways you would expect it to.
The story is the exact same as the previous two games, so there is no need to go into it further then that, the graphics are pretty much the exact same as Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, but of course, it doesn’t look as good since it had to match the SNES’s limitations, but even then, it still looks pretty damn great, the music is that same ol’ menacing, yet delightful goodness you would expect from a game from this series, and the tracks do get you pumped up, while still being nervous enough, to take out any of these ghouls and ghosts that stand in your way, the control is what you would expect from a Ghosts ‘n Goblins game, so if you didn’t like it in the previous two games, you aren’t gonna like them here either, and the gameplay is pretty similar to the original two games, which in this case, I don’t really mind as much, as it still manages to be fun and satisfying.
The game is your typical 2D platformer, where you take control of Sir Arthur, go through plenty of colorful, yet deadly levels that will get in your way as much as the enemies do, defeat plenty of ghoulish creatures of all shapes and sizes that want nothing more then to see you suffer and perish, gather plenty of points, weapons, and suits of armor to help give you that slight edge over the horrors you will face, and take on several large bosses that will… not give you that much trouble in comparison to the main enemies. That seems like a recurring theme with this series as well. But anyway, it is your basic Ghosts ‘n Goblins game, which takes everything from the original game and Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, combines them all, and manages to deliver another brutally challenging package for the SNES. There really aren’t that many new elements to be found here, but honestly, unlike other games like Splatterhouse 2, I actually don’t mind it too much here. No, I swear, it is not because of my undying love for Capcom. Not this time, anyway.
As I have mentioned previously, the brutal challenge these games provide, as well as the immense satisfaction you get from conquering them, is one of the biggest appealing aspects of this game. I hate to make this comparison, but I feel it has the same appeal that a game series like Dark Souls has, except it is more suited for retro gaming fans. There isn’t much versatility or variety to be found here like in Dark Souls, but it does still manage to provide extreme challenge time and time again that you must overcome, and when you do, nothing could ever come close to that feeling of triumph you get afterwards. And even then, the game itself still manages to be fun. Like with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, it manages to provide a pretty difficult experience, yet also gives you enough help and support to where you can take on everything the game throws at you, such as with all of the powerups you get, as well as the options you get, like difficulty options and the amount of lives you can give yourself.
Of course, there are still those problems that this series carries around with it like badges of honor. Yes, the game is absolutely brutal, so if you aren’t used to hard-as-hell games, then I urge you to stay as far from this as possible, as it will show you almost no mercy. Not to mention, like with the last two games, you have to play through the game twice to get the true ending, and while you still get this new weapon that makes going through it feel like a breeze, it can still be a bit of a slog in that sense. Unrelated to those two issues however, there are several other issues with this game, such as with the continues. In the first two games, you had infinite continues, as long as you had enough credits, so that is all good, but in this game, you only get six continues. That may seem like a lot, but trust me, any fan of this series knows you need TEN TIMES that amount in order to even get close to beating the game. Aside from that though, there is one more major issue I have with the game: the slowdown. Yes, it is to be expected, not just because it’s a Capcom game, but also because it is an early SNES title, but it gets pretty obnoxious as points, and does show up much more often than you think.
Overall, despite the usual GNG problems being present, as well as the continues and slowdown not helping things, this manages to be a pretty good way to bring the series onto home consoles, and it is definitely one of the best entries in the series. I would definitely recommend it for those who are fans of the series, or for those who want another challenge to face, because this game will certainly give you that, but for those who are more casual gamers, then you should probably avoid it like the plague. But anyways, glad I finally got that taken care of. So, when’s the next mainline title gonna come out?.......... 2006? Well great, guess we gotta deal with all the weird stuff before we get there.
Game #353
I had wanted to check out this game for a LONG time, not only because I was already a fan of the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series, but because it was the most iconic title in the series, right alongside the original, and from what I have heard, it is considered to be the best in the entire series. I do feel somewhat bad that I put it off for so long, especially after I had covered the first two games, as well as Gargoyle’s Quest, a long time ago, so to make it for it, I finally checked it out. After playing through it, I can definitely see why people would consider this to be the best in the series, but honestly, I may prefer Ghouls ‘n Ghosts just that liiiiiiiitle bit more, as that one just felt more fun and more satisfying for me. Either way, I still though that this was a pretty good way to bring this series to consoles, and while it does have its issues, both familiar and new, it still managed to deliver in all the ways you would expect it to.
The story is the exact same as the previous two games, so there is no need to go into it further then that, the graphics are pretty much the exact same as Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, but of course, it doesn’t look as good since it had to match the SNES’s limitations, but even then, it still looks pretty damn great, the music is that same ol’ menacing, yet delightful goodness you would expect from a game from this series, and the tracks do get you pumped up, while still being nervous enough, to take out any of these ghouls and ghosts that stand in your way, the control is what you would expect from a Ghosts ‘n Goblins game, so if you didn’t like it in the previous two games, you aren’t gonna like them here either, and the gameplay is pretty similar to the original two games, which in this case, I don’t really mind as much, as it still manages to be fun and satisfying.
The game is your typical 2D platformer, where you take control of Sir Arthur, go through plenty of colorful, yet deadly levels that will get in your way as much as the enemies do, defeat plenty of ghoulish creatures of all shapes and sizes that want nothing more then to see you suffer and perish, gather plenty of points, weapons, and suits of armor to help give you that slight edge over the horrors you will face, and take on several large bosses that will… not give you that much trouble in comparison to the main enemies. That seems like a recurring theme with this series as well. But anyway, it is your basic Ghosts ‘n Goblins game, which takes everything from the original game and Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, combines them all, and manages to deliver another brutally challenging package for the SNES. There really aren’t that many new elements to be found here, but honestly, unlike other games like Splatterhouse 2, I actually don’t mind it too much here. No, I swear, it is not because of my undying love for Capcom. Not this time, anyway.
As I have mentioned previously, the brutal challenge these games provide, as well as the immense satisfaction you get from conquering them, is one of the biggest appealing aspects of this game. I hate to make this comparison, but I feel it has the same appeal that a game series like Dark Souls has, except it is more suited for retro gaming fans. There isn’t much versatility or variety to be found here like in Dark Souls, but it does still manage to provide extreme challenge time and time again that you must overcome, and when you do, nothing could ever come close to that feeling of triumph you get afterwards. And even then, the game itself still manages to be fun. Like with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, it manages to provide a pretty difficult experience, yet also gives you enough help and support to where you can take on everything the game throws at you, such as with all of the powerups you get, as well as the options you get, like difficulty options and the amount of lives you can give yourself.
Of course, there are still those problems that this series carries around with it like badges of honor. Yes, the game is absolutely brutal, so if you aren’t used to hard-as-hell games, then I urge you to stay as far from this as possible, as it will show you almost no mercy. Not to mention, like with the last two games, you have to play through the game twice to get the true ending, and while you still get this new weapon that makes going through it feel like a breeze, it can still be a bit of a slog in that sense. Unrelated to those two issues however, there are several other issues with this game, such as with the continues. In the first two games, you had infinite continues, as long as you had enough credits, so that is all good, but in this game, you only get six continues. That may seem like a lot, but trust me, any fan of this series knows you need TEN TIMES that amount in order to even get close to beating the game. Aside from that though, there is one more major issue I have with the game: the slowdown. Yes, it is to be expected, not just because it’s a Capcom game, but also because it is an early SNES title, but it gets pretty obnoxious as points, and does show up much more often than you think.
Overall, despite the usual GNG problems being present, as well as the continues and slowdown not helping things, this manages to be a pretty good way to bring the series onto home consoles, and it is definitely one of the best entries in the series. I would definitely recommend it for those who are fans of the series, or for those who want another challenge to face, because this game will certainly give you that, but for those who are more casual gamers, then you should probably avoid it like the plague. But anyways, glad I finally got that taken care of. So, when’s the next mainline title gonna come out?.......... 2006? Well great, guess we gotta deal with all the weird stuff before we get there.
Game #353