Game:

Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1988)

Duration: 0:00

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Originally recorded: April 3, 2025
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Some people might consider this one a bit of a retread, but from what I've seen of the Master System version of Ghouls 'n Ghosts, it's a completely unique experience compared to both the arcade original and its other contemporary ports. That alone piqued my curiosity and considering the fact that my last batch of GnG streams consisted of a set of three games, it only felt right to continue the tradition. I guess I could've gone for a second attempt at the original Ghosts 'n Goblins with a different release... but this was a lot more interesting.

Since the Genesis release of Ghouls predates this one by a whole year and is significantly more accurate to the CPS-1 original, Sega was free to experiment with this second version. The result is a game that feels like it came from an alternate universe where Capcom opted to deviate from the series' arcade heritage and transformed it into a console platformer from the late '80s/early '90s instead. The equipment leveling system is unique in that regard and while I can't really say that I'd want the ability to permanently upgrade Arthur into an ultimate badass to finish the game, the novelty definitely tickled me.

That being said, I definitely made a mistake on my first attempt. I underestimated the importance of upgrading Arthur's boots. I had assumed that his standard mobility was on par with the Arcade version, but it turns out that it's actually slightly worse: the red Boots (their first upgrade) make him feel more like his arcade counterpart. As such, I just couldn't finish the first level because I opted to go for the helmet and armor instead. Of course, by the end of the game, Arthur practically felt like Mario, had five hit points and plenty of awesome magic spells -- though Shield was easily the most useful by a significant margin. I didn't even bother trying Double or Bomb. In fact, it sounds like Psycho Cannon gives you one final spell that completely replenishes your health... but I didn't bother checking it before wasting Loki.

So that's two games down in as many sessions, one to go. If you haven't realized it by now, the title for this series is actually a hint to each of the games I'm doing for them. With that in mind, I wonder who'll be able to figure out what's going to cap things off for this one. Well, aside from my usual audience -- they already know it.