Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Daimakaimura in Japan), released in 1988, is the second game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series and was directed by the series' creator, Tokuro Fujiwara. It is included in Capcom Classics Collection, for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, along with its predecessor.
Gameplay[]
The gameplay for Ghouls 'n Ghosts is eerily similar to that of the original Ghosts 'n Goblins game. The player controls the knight Arthur, who must advance through a series of spooky levels and defeat a number of undead and demonic creatures in his quest to restore souls stolen by Lucifer, including the soul of his bride, Princess Guinevere. Along the way, Arthur can pick up a variety of weapons and armor to help him in his quest.
Improvements[]
While the core gameplay remains the same as its predecessor, there are a few extra abilities granted to Arthur, aside from the abilities to jump and fire weapons. By holding up on the joystick while firing a weapon, Arthur will throw the weapon straight into the air, which is very handy for attacking airborne enemies such as Red Arremer. Similarly, when jumping, Arthur can throw his weapon downwards by holding down on the joystick.
By jumping in certain spots, Arthur can cause a treasure chest to erupt from the ground. By firing his weapon at the chest, Arthur may find new weapons, an evil magician that can change him into an elderly man or a helpless duck, or the gold armor. The gold armor allows Arthur to charge up his weapon to release a powerful magical attack. Each weapon has its own magic attack.
Characters[]
Main[]
- Arthur
- Astaroth
- Guinevere
- St. Michael - the legendary angel appears at the end of the game (only the first time through) to tell Arthur that he needs the Goddess of Battle's Psycho Cannon. Without it, Lucifer cannot be harmed.
Enemies[]
- Red Arremer
- Green Monster
- Skeleton Murderer - These collectors of human souls can emerge from almost anywhere. Usually, they only hunt those who are dying, but in the Ghoul Realm they will attack anyone to defend the front. They are all, of course, patterned after the Grim Reaper.
- Orc Man - Although these pig-like demons are of stout stature, they can jump very high and possess tough, muscular bodies. They melt victims with their vomit before eating them.
- Skull Dragon - Although Beelzebub brought these skeletons of dragons to life, they have a will of their own. They are the resident pets and guardians of the castle of Lucifer.
- Ohme - A giant slug monster, Ohme is a large and formidable opponent. He uses intestinal attacks and has moving weak spots.
- Beelzebub - He is a large fly-like monster who can summon a swarm of insects to attack and disguise its movements. He also shoots poisonous eggs.
- Cerberus - Wreathed in flame, Cerberus is a dog that guards the gates of the Makai. He can summon a hailstorm of flames down upon Arthur's head as he quickly jumps around leaving a trail of fire behind him.
- Gassuto - Hiding within the confines of a cloud cover and only showing their single eye, they move quickly and stalk their victims, thundering with anger every once in a while.
- Shielder - A gigantic monster that detaches his head and uses it as a weapon, he charges madly at his prey until they are no more.
- Lucifer - The ruler of the Makai (after Astaroth's fall) is responsible for stealing everyone's souls, including Guinevere's. He sits on his throne, shooting laser beams from his hands as he stomps, destroying the ground beneath the player's feet.
Reception[]
In Japan, Game Machine listed Ghouls 'n Ghosts on their January 15, 1989 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the year, outperforming titles like Image Fight and Truxton.[1]
MegaTech magazine noted that although the Genesis/Mega Drive version was a good game, they felt the price of £45 was too high.[citation needed]
In 1997 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked the Genesis version as the 48th best console video game of all time, citing its close recreation of the arcade version.[2]
Trivia[]
- Lucifer, whose name was mistranslated to Rushifell, also appeared as the fifth boss in Gargoyle's Quest.
- Lucifer, Arthur and Red Arremer appeared as cards in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash.
Credits[]
Arcade version[]
Ghouls 'n Ghosts, like many other games during this era of gaming, credited its staff in its default Score Ranking Table, which is as follows:
- 1st 35000 H.K
- 2nd 30000 M.S
- 3rd 25000 S.U
- 4th 20000 CAP
- 5th 15000 COM
Gallery[]
Character artwork[]
Box art[]
Merchandise and advertisements[]
References[]
- ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 348. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 January 1989. p. 25.
- ↑ Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible.