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Originally recorded: April 10, 2025
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Well, considering how much time I spent on actually wrapping this game up, I definitely made the right decision splitting this playthrough into two sessions. Granted, there were definitely times where I didn't think I'd be able to make it through... but in the end, I managed to get the game's "Good Ending" -- and by extension, the "True Ending".

So, apparently, according to some reports I've seen online, you don't actually have to get ALL of the items in order to get the good ending. Apparently, getting every single Life Extension isn't necessary... though it seems like the Urns and Vellums are non-negotiable. It really doesn't help that one of the Life Extensions is hidden behind the hardest level of that annoying ass mini-game. But fortunately, with a little practice, I managed to get it eventually. Ironically, I'd say that was really the only hurdle I ran into before the four-stage (!!!) boss fight with Phalanx at the end of the main campaign.

Speaking of which, according to what I saw while confirming that I had gotten the good ending -- and what KI told me after I finished streaming -- the ultimate clue regarding which ending you're going to get actually revolves around how long the Phalanx boss fight goes. The good ending requires you to fight all four forms, the "neutral ending" seems to tapers off after the second and the "bad ending" only pits you against his first form.

I was especially surprised that your reward for getting the best ending was a password... which is how you reach the secret true final boss. What was really cool is that when I reset the console, it actually remembered said password. I would've preferred a proper save mechanic -- especially since the passwords don't remember the contents of your urns, Vellums or how much GP you've collected -- but not having to stress about getting it right was at least a nice touch.

That being said, that was the point of the game where I decided to start using a save state to avoid constantly needing to farm for cash and refill my urns. Considering how I used that same trick to bypass having to gamble on getting the Crossbow back in SGnG once I'd essentially guaranteed that I had functionally infinite continues last year with KI's blessing, I don't consider that much of an issue. Besides, I only needed two tries to beat the Death Dragon anyway. Honestly, it's a little baffling that Phalanx gave me way more trouble... considering how the true final boss had all the hallmarks of an unfair fight.

Welp, that's another three games in the greater Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise down. I'm debating on where to go next. There's one particular game I'd like to play first... but I also have to wonder if I should try tackling the Maximo games someday. As for the game that started it all, I'm still trying to figure out which version to play. Supposedly, the Japanese release available in the Capcom Arcade Stadium is way more balanced than the Western release. But a lot of people seem to swear by the NES version as the "definitive way" to play the game. And the GBC version seems to avoid the issues that that version has, but that comes at the price of major screen crunch. In the end, that's an issue I'll have to figure out later.