Retro(game)spectives - Ghosts 'N Goblins

Retro(game)spective

Every day Ben “Ben Pack” Pack or one of his brave compatriots will play a retro game, and break it down for you. That’s right, every day. To complain about us eventually missing a day or suggest your own, go ahead and comment below the article, or email us at retrogamefunclub@gmail.com

9/18/2010

The Game: Ghosts ‘N Goblins



Release Year: 1985

Skewes: ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, IBM PC compatibles, Commodore 16, Sharp X68000, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, iOS.

So what’s it like: Ghosts ‘N Goblins, primarily played on the NES, is one of the soul-crushingly hardest games I’ve ever played. You play as Arthur, a knight who must rescue his Princess from Satan. Yes (at least in some of the ports) you are literally trying to kill Satan.

Nobody steals my girlfriend AND sees me in

You do this by traversing over 8 levels, fighting demons, zombies or any other undead creatures you find in your path. As well as standard enemies there are bosses who will do everything in their demonic might to stop you.

Eat steel, zombie scum

You can only be hit once, reducing you to your boxers, and once again to kill you. There are different items you can use to kill enemies. The platforming is challenging, as you cannot change your jump orientation mid-jump. That and flying enemies cause many a problem. As if all of this wasn’t hard enough, when you finally beat the game you are greeted with this message.

I'll go ahead as dauntlessly as I can.

You have to replay the whole game. Every level. Then you have to beat the last boss with a special shield that if you die, you lose the shield. It is soul crushing the first time it happens to you. And even on multiple flythrough, it never gets better.

Should you go back: No. Unless you hate yourself. If you do really want to go back see below.

Should this game be remade: Yes,, but it already has. Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts for the SNES remade this game with a graphical overhaul and as well as a few minor changes that makes the game a lot more playable.