review with price, trailer and game experience for Arcade, NES, Amiga 500, Atari ST, PS3 and Xbox 360

The vast majority of people have a game that they choke on, but not in the sense that they may not like it, but rather that they cannot play it. And in my case, until a few days ago, one of those that always led me down the path of bitterness was Ghosts’n Goblins, from the first time I played it on Amiga 500.

Taking advantage of the fact that there are only a few weeks left for the launch of Ghosts ‘N Goblins Resurrection on Nintendo Switch, I wanted to give the 1985 arcade another chance, this time retrying from the Capcom Arcade Cabinet (not to be confused with that “hulk” called Capcom Home Arcade, in which, by the way, there’s the ghouls’n ghosts) released in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Makaimura? You mean Maka … i … DIE!

Nowadays, retro collections or emulators make it easier for us, especially if we resort to the option of going back a few seconds as in The Lion King, or load the game shortly before dying, but in the case of this Ghosts’n Goblins there are neither of those two options within the Capcom Arcade Cabinet.

I managed to get to the second phase without much effort, until I didn’t stop teasing her with those ogres that constantly haunt the stairs. There lives were falling alarmingly until I had to opt for the only real solution: activate the easy mode of this collection. Vases have now increased the probability of dropping armor (so if I’m in gayumbos, I get one more “life” again) and I do more damage with my weapons, among other benefits.

Yes, it is still a trap, but playing from an emulator loading game is also cheating. How many today are capable of playing a game as difficult as this or the Battletoads de 1991 without those facilities? At least I have been able to achieve it without getting frustrated, surprising me first-hand (it is not the same to see it in a walkthrough to play it, of course) the design of some pretty damn parts with the jump or patience with certain enemies.

Ghosts’n Goblins (known in Japan as Makaimura) is one of the hardest games ever On its own merit, but not only because of that level design with such bad slime, with flying enemies located where you have to jump over several cliffs, but also because of a control that does not allow failures. Without going any further, the jump (as soon as you jump) cannot correct its direction. Also, crouching doesn’t offer the same versatility and speed as other later games.

Ghosts’n Goblins, a classic from 1985

To this high demand on the part of the player, where a good dose of skill seasoned with another of patience was essential, it was joined by one of the cruelest moments in memory: when you reached the end and killed the demonic boss, the game told you that everything was the product of an illusion and you had to redo all phases again… And with greater difficulty, to make matters worse.

A trick that did not compensate, being basically the same route, but with enemies that varied their behavior a bit, like the ghosts with a shield that fly at the beginning, creating a different parable. Besides that the true ending was an insufficient reward compared to the enormous effort, not to mention how tiresome it was. see how the bosses were repeated so much.

Also the task changed a lot according to the chosen weapon, especially when getting the shield near the end, capable of destroying enemy shots. From the initial spear to the fire, the ax or the daggers, the matter varied, because each had a different cadence and length. Without forgetting that in this ghosts’n goblins we couldn’t shoot up, nor from the stairs.

As a curiosity, remember that one of his enemies (Firebrand) had his own series of video games, that being Demon’s Crest Super Nintendo the most shocking and remembered. As for games that have honored the adventures of Sir Arthur, we have Damn Castilla by Locomalito, its best representative, or the most recent Battle Princess Madelyn. Luckily (for many, including myself), they were much more affordable in difficulty.

Has it stood the test of time well?

Yes, except for a control that today is considered too rigid and not very versatile. But you have to put yourself in a situation, in the middle of 1985 and being a benchmark of its kind. No matter how long it takes, no one will take away his merit Ghosts’n Goblins and everyone should (try) to play it ever to recognize it.