What’s the story?: Ghouls’ N Ghosts is the sequel to the 1986 arcade (and NES) hit Ghosts’N Goblins. Since its release in 1988, it has been ported to about 15 home systems. By far, the most popular version in America was this one, released for the Sega Genesis in 1989.

Early in the GnG series, you play as Sir Arthur, a knight whose small size is overshadowed by his incredible courage. Willing to battle the undead in boxer briefs for a lady friend, you must lead the knight on a quest through five horror-filled platforming stages, climaxing with a final battle against the Prince of Darkness.

If you haven’t lost your silver armor (which only takes a single hit), you’ll be able to search treasure chests for Gold Armor. This new Gold Armor gives you the ability to charge whatever weapon you might be carrying and unleash a unique special attack. The only downer is that while even in the Gold suit, one hit will still put you in your undies.

There are now six weapons you can acquire as opposed to the five (one of which is hidden) in the original. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The Sword, Big Axe, Dagger, and Fire Water are now joined by the fairly worthless Super Sword – which cannot be thrown, and the Discus -which can glide across any surface. The Discus happens to be my personal favorite, but every weapon will get its moment to shine. Knowing when and where to discard one for another is tricky.

A number of awesome looking enemies and stages keeps Ghouls’ N Ghosts feeling fresh all the time. Although dark, every stage is unique. The Floating Island, Baron Rankle’s Tower, and the Horrible Faced Mountain all look fantastic. As do the large amount of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins that bring every stage to life. An eerie and memorable soundtrack is the topper to this early horror masterpiece.

The Genesis made a valiant effort to match the visuals found at the arcade, but comes up a little short. Roll over to see the differences between the two.

 What’s not to like: The biggest annoyance in Ghouls’ N Ghosts is jumping. It seems that Arthur can only jump a specific distance and in a specific direction, all of the time. This makes some leaps much harder then they should be. Unlimited continues help ease the pain, but it’s still annoying. The game’s Professional Mode is known for its difficulty. In this mode, enemies appear in all the wrong places at all the wrong times. Expect to be in the buff quite a bit. I must say I enjoyed GnG on PRO more then Practice this time around.

Score
Overall
Ghouls’ N Ghosts is the perfect arcade platformer. Its fast paced gameplay, intriguing map, and mood setting graphics and soundtrack make for a frighteningly fun experience. While the Genesis couldn’t hold a torch to the detailed visuals found at the arcade, the experience at home is arguably improved by the system’s controller, and the addition of unlimited continues. GnG is available on the Wii VC for $8.00, and the original cartridge isn’t much more. Although it’s not the defining installment of this 2D series, this early Genesis release was a must play then, and you can bet your heart patterned pair of boxers that it still is.
User Score: (3 votes, average: 7.33 out of 10)  Loading ...