Table of Contents
Page 1 - Intro / Ghosts 'n Goblins
Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Dai Makaimura Arcade / Genesis / Supergrafx / Sega Master System / Commodore 64 / Amstrad CPC / Amiga /
Maybe Arthur figured that saving Princess Prin-Prin was going to be easy this time (not likely). If you assumed that Capcom wasn't going to pull that same crap they did last time, well then you are in for a spirit-destroying disappointment. You still have to find an ultimate weapon to beat the final boss a second time, and once again, you have to beat the entire game twice. I hope you have a sense of humor, because otherwise that might be a bit much. Overall, it's just slightly easier than the first game, but it actually has the more difficult first level of the two, so making any real advancement at all is pretty damn hard. There are slightly more enemies on screen at any given time and they frequently get pretty big, even in the first level. It can be a bit overwhelming to have more foes and obstacles than you could possibly deal with coming at you from all sides for so much of the game, so don't hesitate to avoid enemies entirely and run like crazy instead (a good strategy for the entire series, actually).
Having been made in 1988, when platformers were by far the most popular genre of video games, platforming is more developed and factors more prominently into the gameplay of Ghouls 'n Ghosts than it did with its predecessor. Ghouls 'n Ghosts controls identically to its predecessor, except that you can attack directly upward and, while airborne, directly downward. Your arsenal has been greatly expanded via a few minor changes. Each standard weapon from the original game is still available, but the ultimate weapon that you beat the final boss with is different. There are also two original weapons - a spiked discus that hugs the dirt, and a sword that can't be thrown and is only good for attacking at close range. What really makes Ghouls 'n Ghosts' weapon system so exceptional is a gold suit of armor that Arthur can find when he is wearing his standard armor. Gold armor gives Arthur the ability to charge up his weapon for a high powered attack that's completely different from any of his standard shots, and varies depending on which weapon he currently has. Weapons and armor are more plentiful, and there are even hidden treasure chests scattered practically everywhere.
Ghouls 'n Ghosts runs on Capcom's CPS-1 arcade system, which means the game looks quite a bit nicer, and was arguably the best looking platformer at that time. In my opinion, its designs were rivaled in the genre only by Castlevania as of its release. It has the same basic creepy look as the original, but the details are what really make it better. While its predecessor's backgrounds are a bit static, Ghouls 'n Ghosts gives its backgrounds and foregrounds plenty of animations, like lightning or rain in the first level. The backgrounds themselves look fantastic and are even more light-hearted-ly morbid, with plenty of skeletons and corpses throughout the game. You can't change Arthur into a frog anymore, but there is a wizard that pops out of treasure chests that will change Arthur into a duck (if he's wearing armor) or an elderly man with a cane (if he's just in his boxers). It also has great music composed by Tamayo Kawamoto.
Ghouls 'n Ghosts originated in the arcades, but most people have only played the Genesis port. This version is identical, gameplay-wise, but has the necessary modifications made for the hardware. It has been made the slightest bit easier by giving it more continue points, several difficulty settings, and the ability to continue infinite times. You can also change directions when crouched, which actually makes the game significantly easier - in the arcade version, you had to stand up, turn around, and then crouch back down. It also has a cheat mode where you can slow down the game, play it in Japanese, make Arthur invulnerable (you will be amazed at how difficult the game is even then), or select which level to begin at. Given that the game is essentially impossible without these cheats, this is easily the best version of the game and arguably the best platformer on the console (yes, it's THAT good!). There was also a port to the Japan-only NEC Supergrafx, which plays pretty well, and looks pretty decent. But the colors are off, even compared to the Genesis version, and the music isn't too hot either. However, the Genesis version has some simplified backgrounds in certain areas, which are intact in the Supergrafx version. There's also limited continues in the Supergrafx port, compared to the infinite credits allowed in the other versions.
A severely modified port was released for Sega Master System. Certain treasure chests have doors that lead to places where you can acquire different weapons or upgrade Arthur's helmet, chestplate, or boots. Boots will make Arthur run faster and jump higher, and chestplates will allow him to take more damage. Helmets give Arthur access to completely original magic spells that are not reliant on which weapon Arthur has. These range from more powerful versions of the charged up weapons from the arcade version, to temporary invulnerability, to a spell that regenerates Arthur's armor. You can only cast these spells a limited amount of times before a MP meter is depleted, but a few of the doors will take you to places where you can replenish you MP or regenerate Arthur's armor. The sword and torch have been removed and a very powerful fireball weapon has been introduced. Other than a few enemies being eliminated, the levels play pretty much identically, except each is divided into three sections - the first and second are divided by where the continue points are, and the third is where the boss is fought. A few of the bosses have had their attack patterns changed as well. Its music is much more faithful than would be expected given the hardware, but its graphics are pretty poor. This port is by far the easiest version of the game (without cheats), and the many changes that have been made are certainly interesting. Its controls are also not as good as the arcade or Genesis versions, but it's a decent enough port.
The versions for Commodore 64, Atari ST, and Amiga have more original music by Tim Follin. The Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions are pure crap in every respect. The X68000 version, like most Capcom arcade ports, is almost perfect. Other faithful conversions have been released for Saturn and Playstation as part of the compilation "Capcom Generations Vol.2", for Playstation 2 and XBOX as part of the compilation "Capcom Classics Collection", and for Playstation Portable as part of the compilation "Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded".
MP3s Download here
Level 1
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Arcade)
Comparison Screenshots
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Chou Makaimura - SNES / Playstation / Saturn / Playstation 2 / XBOX/ Playstation Portable (1991)
Arthur either has no hesitation to pit himself against challenges of any degree of intensity or he's just way too optimistic, because Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is just as absurdly difficult as its two predecessors. In all fairness, it is the easiest game in the series, but, of course, that's strictly relative. Expect to be driven completely insane if you put any real effort toward the task of actually trying to finish the game. Enemy patterns have been made ever so slightly less impossible to deal with, so it is very slightly more "fair" than its predecessors. Capcom have actually accomplish the rather difficult feat of making Red Arremer even more difficult to deal with than in the rest of the series. He'll avoid your each and every attack, and only swoop down into range when it puts him at as little risk as possible, but he can be dealt with a bit easier if you have the bow and arrows. Having originated on a console rather than in the arcades like the previous two, there is an options mode, from which you can select a difficulty level and how many lives to begin with, and it's possible to continue after a Game Over. That pure insanity where you have to beat the entire freaking game twice and defeat the true final boss - a bastard named Sardius (or Samael, in the Japanese version) - with a difficult-to-find ultimate weapon the second time is still present, so don't expect any more breaks than you got in the prior installments.
Platforming is an even bigger part of Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts than it is of Ghouls 'n Ghosts. The controls are more like the original game, in that you can no longer fire up or down, but you also have an amazingly beneficial double jump technique that also allows you to change directions for you second jump. The weapon system has been changed and expanded slightly. Arthur still has his torch, lance, dagger, and axe, as well as a bow and arrows, a scythe, and a huge blade thing. There is still an ultimate weapon that's available during your second time through the game, but it has been changed yet again. Arthur still has access to his gold armor, but he can only find it if he is wearing green armor, which itself is available only if Arthur is wearing his default suit of armor. The gold armor will still allow you to power up any default weapon, and the green armor will give you access to a different and more powerful version of that weapon, without any charging up required. This effectively doubles the size of your arsenal and can make certain generally less effective weapons (like the torch or bow and arrows) much more effective. There are still plenty of hidden treasure chests to be found by jumping or double jumping at specific locations.
Despite the lower resolution of the SNES, the graphics here are still better than the previous titles. The game begins at the same graveyard that every installment does, but it's even better detailed than before. The zombies that rise out of the ground come up still in their coffins, then march out of them toward Arthur. In the second quarter (or so) of the first level, there'ss a section where skulls pour out of the mouths of giant statues and the ground rises and falls with visible mounds of skulls beneath it and accompanied by a delightful 16-bit noise. Rain shows up in the foreground briefly later in the game, and there's a section where Arthur has to avoid getting swept away by massive waves that take up half the screen and wipe out huge chunks of the landscape. It's a great looking game throughout, and the backgrounds and monsters are easily among the best designed in a series with plenty of exceptional examples of both. Its music, however, is even better than its awesome graphics. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts has what is to this day my favorite music in ANY platformer game ever made. Every composition perfectly compliments its light-hearted-creepiness aesthetic and works fantastically on its own as well. Honestly, this game is probably worth playing once for its presentation alone. The wizard that hides in treasure chests is back, and he'll change Arthur into an infant (no armor), a seal (standard armor), a bee (green armor), or a young woman (gold armor).
Beyond the original SNES version, it has also been re-released for Playstation and Saturn as part of the compilation "Capcom Generation Vol. 2", for Playstation 2 and XBOX as part of the compilation "Capcom Classics Collection", and for Playstation Portable as part of the compilation "Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded". This was regularly played on the greatest video game related television program ever, Nick Arcade.
MP3s Download here
Level 1
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Chou Makaimura R - Gameboy Advance (2001)
The Original mode just like the SNES game. However, most interesting the new Arrange mode, which gives you three different paths through the game, depending on what kind of armor (if any) you have equipped when you beat a stage. The "easy" route is just like the original game. The "Medium" route consists of redone versions of stages from previous games. The second stage, for instance, is taken from the second level of Ghouls 'n Ghosts. The third stage is a revamped version of the fourth stage from Ghosts 'n Goblins. The fourth stage is a remixed of the classic first level from, Ghosts 'n Goblins. Many of these levels, mostly the ones from the first game, have updated graphics and extra additions. For instance, the first Ghosts 'n Goblins statue features a huge ball of skeletons that replaces the moon i the sky. Later in the level, it disappears and smashes into the floor of stage, taking Arthur with if, if you're not careful. All of these levels have brand new bosses as well. The "Hard" route consists of more difficult versions of the Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts levels.
Unfortunately, the smaller screen size makes the game even more difficult, especially when dealing with offscreen enemies, and the music suffers a bit from the SNES version. There's some annoying slowdown too. On the plus side, there's now a save function, which can even save your spot at checkpoints midlevel, so it makes this massive undertaking a bit more palatable. Overall, it's great to see that Capcom added a lot to this version instead of just making a straight port.
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
Comparison Screenshots
Page 2 - Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Page 3 - Makaimura for Wonderswan / Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
Page 4 - Gargoyle's Quest / Gargoyle's Quest II / Demon's Crest
Page 5 - Maximo / Maximo vs The Army of Zin
Page 6 - Nazo Makaimura / Cameos
Atari ST / X68000 / Saturn / Playstation / ZX Spectrum / Playstation 2 / XBOX / Playstation Portable (1988)
American Genesis Cover
American Arcade Flyer
Computer Cover
"Ghouls 'n Ghosts" ("Dai Makaimura" in Japan) takes place three years after Ghosts 'n Goblins. While Arthur is away from the castle it gets ambushed by winged gargoyles (or whatever) who take Princess Prin-Prin hostage, yet again. You should be able to see where this is going. Even after all that trouble he went through to rescue her last time, Arthur doesn't even momentarily hesitate to come to her rescue again. He's just that nice a guy. As Arthur and Princess Prin-Prin approach each other in front of what I'm assuming are the castle's walls, a laser beam (or something) strikes Princess Prin-Prin and then vaporizes Arthur's horse (!!!). A giant monster appears above and kidnaps Princess Prin-Prin, and Arthur sets out to rescue her. His quest ends at a castle where he has to defeat a HUGE monster, the evil Loki (Lucifer in the Japanese version), seated in an equally immense throne. This particular giant monster can only be shot in its head, but there are no platforms whatsoever to reach it with. So to accomplish this you have to stand directly below his exposed anatomically incorrect crotch area and fire your weapon straight up. No, that doesn't happen, but you aren't the first to have thought of it (horribly NSFW!)
American Cover
Japanese Cover
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts ("Chou Makaimura" in Japan) is the third, and arguably best, entry in Capcom's awesome Ghosts 'n Goblins series. It begins with Arthur running past villagers who are watching a fireworks display while on his way to the castle to see Princess Prin-Prin. Arthur obviously is a patient guy. After everything he dealt with in those last two outings he still sticks around. Most (sane) people would have been gone a looooong time ago, but Arthur is loyal like that. After Arthur meets up with Princess Prin-Prin in the castle. the pair embrace. You should be able to guess what's coming. Their happiness is abruptly interrupted when a gargantuan winged monster breaks through the castle's window and kidnaps Princess Prin-Prin. What does Arthur do? Lounge around the castle, get drunk on 16-bit liquor, and let her save her own damn self? (Honestly, that's what I would do)? NO! Not Arthur! Arthur immediately goes to rescue her with complete disregard for his own safety. How could anybody not like this guy!? Honestly, why doesn't Princess Prin-Prin get guards or something? Despite how badass Arthur must be to have lasted this long, he obviously isn't very good at preventing her from getting kidnapped.
American Cover
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (GBA)
With the release of the Gameboy Advance, several companies started porting their old SNES games to portable format. Capcom, well known for milking their franchises, brought out Final Fight, Megaman and Bass, Breath of Fire, and of course, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Unlike most of their other portable versions, however, this is more than just a straight conversion. (The game is titled "Chou Makaimura R" in Japan to differentiate, the "R" meaning "Revival" or "Revision".)
