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Platform: NES
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 2 Players
Release Date: 1986
Genre: Action/Side-Scroller
Saving Option: No Saving Option
Let's take a look at one of Capcom's first games to grace the NES, as well as the western world. A look at the first "survival horror" game. A game that caused many to give up and make dust out of controllers and take cracks out of walls and pieces out of TV screens. One of the hardest of all time and one of the classics... Ghosts 'n' Goblins!
Storyline: We are shown the brave knight Arthur in a graveyard perhaps proposing to the Princess of Hus, Prin Prin. Now, Arthur is in his drawers for some reason, but regardless, a red gargoyle comes out of nowhere and kidnaps Prin Prin. Arthur chucks on his armor suit and takes off after the demon through the murky swamps and haunted villages (and whatnot) on his way to a wizard's castle. For some reason, people don't like the hero rescuing maiden storyline. It doesn't bother me. It's fresh and the whole 'underwear thing' makes it even more fresh, so I'm with it!
Graphics: Being one of the first Capcom games, the graphics are grainy and really show their age, which isn't really a huge problem. They're very small and not very detailed but it still drops a "running for your life from danger" theme, kind of like something from a Resident Evil game. The eeriness continues throughout the whole game when you got this moss and gravestones and dead trees all over the place. It kind of makes you wish that there were more games like this.
Sound: The music is high pitched and does get a little annoying as you play through the game (considering that they play the same theme song over and over). I think it was worth it though to truly capture the horror that Arthur goes through (and you playing). It makes sense to have the same dramatizing music play through the entire game. As far as sound effects go, they can be annoying or great, it depends if you let the insanity get to you! A lot of the sound effect, like zombies coming from the ground and you hitting them, are "chirp" sounds. Another sound are the floating knights that make metal-clanking sounds, which sounds spooky.
Gameplay: The key factor of the game's success, in my view, and even with some faults the game was still great. Arthur must travel through stage to stage until he reaches the final stage and each stage takes at least 4 or 5 minutes to complete even without dying! Sometimes the zombies or any other enemy will drops items. One is money/statues which is completely worthless to you except if you wanted to get a high score or somethin', another are harder to find 1-ups or extra armor suits, and the next is either of 4 weapons:Lance: The weapon you start out with is slower to throw but is strong.
Fire Water: The worst weapon in the game, you throw this item over the heads of close enemies and it flares on the ground. A God-damned sparkler if you ask me!
Dagger: Quicker tossed than the lance although a little weaker. Doesn't matter because the speed of killing an enemy is the key of beating the game anyway.
Axe: It's a little clunky; a steel version of the Fire Water. You can only toss two at a time and it continues through enemies. This weapon is weak and is only found at the end of the game and is rare to find. Thank God!
Cross: You need this to beat the game and you find it near the end of the game. There are two good things about the cross: it can destroy enemy bullets and it's also a good rapid-fire weapon. Unfortunately, the cross has a very limited range and is ineffective against the Unicorn/Cyclops boss.
Now, I've never mentioned this earlier and people probably know about this anyway because this is what Ghost 'n' Goblins is notoriously known for. Arthur can only take two hits in his world of surrounding and over-powering enemies... two. Not only that, they knock you back and knock your armor right off of Arthur, which exposes his red underwear! Take another hit and you are reduced to a pile of bones! Talk about shock after shock!Back to the stages, after the long stage is up, Arthur is set to take on monstrous villains which do indeed strike fear into players' eyes. After surviving such a long stage, probably in your underwear, and after dying dozens of times, seeing a 10-foot white gorilla is always promising to see. Did I mention that there are unlimited continues? Yep. Capcom does have human employees after all or at least then they did. Around the end of the game you must find a cross in order to continue to fight the last boss. If not, you are treated to a delightful, poorly translated message that informs you that the cross is the only weapon you should have at this point. Without it, you'll be whisked back to the beginning of level 5 at the castle entrance. Yuck! Funny thing is, you could beat the boss as soon as you get the cross (2nd time around you'd better find it!) but you'll receive an unintentionally hilarious comment regarding that fact that this "room" is a trap and illusion devised by the wizard. What's not so funny is that you're going to have to play through the whole game from the beginning a second time to get the true ending where you save the girl and peace returns! But remember... there are unlimited continues, however, so at least you've got that on your side.
Control: Perhaps the weak point of the game and what's going to get you pissed most of the time. B throws a projectile, A jumps and start pauses. Arthur suffers a little bit from Belmont-itis: the disability of controlling himself after he jumps! This can really get you killed if you look before you leap off of cliffs, gravestones, or even away from enemies into unexpected zombies popping out of the ground or demons coming from the blind part of the screen. The weapon-throwing is responsive which saves the control of the game and is perhaps the only thing that makes you succeed in the game.
Fun Factor: A fun game for those looking for something challenging, time consuming, something to play in the NES preferably midnight. Two people can play this as well, which adds a lot of furry to this already blood-boiling experience!
Frustration: If you enjoy dying every 5 seconds and getting shattered to bones, then this is the game for you. The cross weapon idea will get any short-tempered dude really pissed and the second quest where the guys move quicker adds more icing to the cake. Not to mention the forever playing theme music, the screeching of demons, you killing them, and the viewing of the entire map of the stages you have to play in every time you die!
..BOTTOM LINE: A great piece of NES history and a great early effort by the boys at Capcom. The game was ported from the arcade and would later spawn a sequel, "Ghouls 'n' Ghosts" for the Sega Genesis and the SNES version, "Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts" which would later see a release on the Game Boy Advance. A wicked game, which despite the immense difficulty and other distractions, plays out to be a nice game to test out whether or not you're one of the best NES gamers.-Jason Hogan
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