| Introduction
Ghouls 'n Ghosts is one of those titles from the
so-called "Golden Age" of video games that
many of our more mature readers will no doubt recall
wasting lots of money on at the arcades. It also made something of a showing
on the early home consoles; one of my friends remembers
purchasing the NES version on a Saturday afternoon,
only to find that it was Sunday morning before he took
his first break after playing it - which goes to sow
how addictive it was. Capcom's classic was well
received on the GBC, so there's no reason
to think that the GBA version won't be even better.
GamePlay
Capcom's latest version of its arcade classic follows
the usual story, which appears to be a regular occurrence
in Videogaming Land: it seems that the resident undead
honcho has kidnapped Princess Guinevere, so it's up
to Arthur (he's the hero) to rescue her and save the
day. What sounds like a simple story is far from a simple
game, as Ghouls 'n' Ghosts had even the most skilled
of gamers head-butting the wall after yet another defeat
in this creepy land inhabited entirely by various zombies
and friends.
The actual gameplay takes place over a number of
different terrain, and you start off with a simple suit
of armor. Get hit once and the armor will fall off,
revealing an almost naked Arthur wearing only boxer
shorts. Get hit again and it's all over. You will have
the opportunity to collect more armor, some of which
is more powerful, and better weapons, but the constant
barrage of nasties all heading your way will often force
you into choosing between upgrades for a couple more
seconds of life.
One major change in this version is the introduction
of the rather wonderful Arrange Mode, which will help
cut down the average gamer's frustration because it
allows you to tackle the various sections in your chosen
order. There are different modes of difficulty, but
to be honest, if you manage to complete the game on
the 'easy' setting, you've done exceptionally well.
Obviously this is only a single player affair, but
completing this game could take up so much time that
there's a good chance you'd have no friends left to
play with anyway. Another great addition is the battery
save that aids you slightly in your quest, although
you'll still require more skill, fast reactions and,
most important, endurance than you've ever dedicated
to a single game. One final important hint, which did
help us a little, is to collect as much gold as possible.
More booty equals more ‘continues'.
Controls
As the control system is taken from an arcade machine,
it really couldn't be simpler. One button to shoot and
the other to jump, and pressing twice on the jump button
means you jump higher. Responsiveness though is more
important than simplicity, and as such Super Ghouls
'n' Ghosts is an absolute joy to play. The sprite detection
is among the best I've encountered; this is a real plus
because with a game this challenging, the last things
you want are shoddy collisions that make things even
more frustrating than they already are.
Graphics
Unlike some other developers re-releasing arcade
classics, Capcom have wisely given the whole title a
full overhaul, so the finished result is visually stunning.
There is a fine line to be treaded involving graphics
when dealing with arcade classics, but the graphics
throughout have been updated with care, managing to
keep the original look and feel of Ghouls 'n' Ghosts.
Everything's here just as you remember it although the
front end looks much better, thanks to the GBA's superior
graphical output. Fans really couldn't ask for any more
than this and those happy arcade memories will come
flooding back, albeit with Advance enhancement.
Sound & Music
Fans of the series will be delighted to know that
the handheld version contains all the original sound
effects and music from the home console versions. Obviously
it's been cleaned up and finely tuned for this latest
outing, making it all sound absolutely wonderful and
enhances the overall gameplay perfectly.
Final Comments
Even after all these years, Ghouls 'n' Ghosts is
still an incredibly challenging and frustrating game,
but the addition of an 'Arrange Mode' makes it accessible
to even more players. You'll still get killed every
five seconds, but amazingly you'll come back for more
and more. You'll notice some visual enhancements, and
the whole experience really does look stunning even
on the GBA's tiny screen. For those who've encountered
Ghouls 'n' Ghosts before, it really is like meeting
an old friend, but anyone new to the series will be
introduced to some of the most frenetic and heart-pounding
gaming ever to hit a handheld.
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