There's this disdain I have towards stagnant granchises that leech of nostalgia. Series that were once popular that are now just used as nostalgia bait every 10 or so years. Latest Contra was one such example, and the newest Ghosts and Goblins release is no different.
Granted, I've enjoyed this game a bit more than Contra. I've never had much attachment to the series, but unlike most other hyper popular IPs of the 80s and 90s it didn't create a ton of clones, so if you want to play Ghosts and Goblins, you're pretty much left with Ghosts and Goblins and some really niche stuff like Maldita Castilla. Due to that, I'm a bit more lenient to this game. Helps that it looks gorgeous! While animations are a little stiff, the backgrounds and enemies look great!
Still, do we have to have a cemetery, a hamlet, a city stage? It feels like every classic retro IP now has New Super Mario Bros design to it where you just have to get the references. Yes, I do remember this boss. Yes, it's cool that the city from the original game is all icy. Know what'd be cooler? A new idea. I don't mind that the game controls pretty much exactly how you'd expect - a very Castlevania-esque locked jump was a surprise to me, figured it'd be the first thing they'd get rid of, but I do wish it had more to it than being, what, effectively a fourth remake?
The game features a pretty thorough difficulty selection which goes from what other games would call "story mode" to basically just being a dick. There are a few split paths that allow you to choose a level, a counter for hidden treasures, and a skill tree. I get the idea that modern players might bounce off of just dying over and over so they might be more inclined to work for something to feel a little more powerful each time, but the skill tree is pretty barebones, mainly just featuring different spells for you to use. I'd prefer some weirder options and game modifiers, personally.
If you like Ghosts and Goblins, this is more Ghosts and Goblins: an unfortunately short game, brutal if you wish it to be, and it even has a second campaign much like the originals (granted, it changes a few more things, but come on!). Certainly would be cool if we weren't stuck making the same game again and again. Sometimes I feel Mega Man only escaped this cycle because they churned out 6 of them for NES, otherwise we'd be stuck with replaying Bomb Man's stage for all eternity.
Granted, I've enjoyed this game a bit more than Contra. I've never had much attachment to the series, but unlike most other hyper popular IPs of the 80s and 90s it didn't create a ton of clones, so if you want to play Ghosts and Goblins, you're pretty much left with Ghosts and Goblins and some really niche stuff like Maldita Castilla. Due to that, I'm a bit more lenient to this game. Helps that it looks gorgeous! While animations are a little stiff, the backgrounds and enemies look great!
Still, do we have to have a cemetery, a hamlet, a city stage? It feels like every classic retro IP now has New Super Mario Bros design to it where you just have to get the references. Yes, I do remember this boss. Yes, it's cool that the city from the original game is all icy. Know what'd be cooler? A new idea. I don't mind that the game controls pretty much exactly how you'd expect - a very Castlevania-esque locked jump was a surprise to me, figured it'd be the first thing they'd get rid of, but I do wish it had more to it than being, what, effectively a fourth remake?
The game features a pretty thorough difficulty selection which goes from what other games would call "story mode" to basically just being a dick. There are a few split paths that allow you to choose a level, a counter for hidden treasures, and a skill tree. I get the idea that modern players might bounce off of just dying over and over so they might be more inclined to work for something to feel a little more powerful each time, but the skill tree is pretty barebones, mainly just featuring different spells for you to use. I'd prefer some weirder options and game modifiers, personally.
If you like Ghosts and Goblins, this is more Ghosts and Goblins: an unfortunately short game, brutal if you wish it to be, and it even has a second campaign much like the originals (granted, it changes a few more things, but come on!). Certainly would be cool if we weren't stuck making the same game again and again. Sometimes I feel Mega Man only escaped this cycle because they churned out 6 of them for NES, otherwise we'd be stuck with replaying Bomb Man's stage for all eternity.
The original clunkcore platformer rises again for what has to be its finest outing yet. It’s a storybook with a tendency towards sadism and slapstick. The dirty tricks, hidden traps, fatal falls, and impossibly difficult creatures all seem intended to provoke laughter as much as rage. Endless swarms of zombies crawl from graves and surround you, giant ogres charge and trample, red devils fly and evade every attempt to hit them and then quickly skewer you. The endless waves of creatures with silly designs and that carnivalesque song playing in the background makes this whole quest feel like a medieval monster mash. For the masochist who happens to like this style of overencumbered platforming, it can be a graveyard smash. Still, the designers have managed to make the experience more approachable in some respects. Legend difficulty feels like only some Arthurian hero could see it through. The monster population is higher than any other mode, but poor Arthur is also weaker. It only takes two hits to die on Legend and checkpoints are very sparse. The Knight difficulty still feels searingly difficulty, but has more checkpoints mixed in and generously allows you to take three hits before you expire. The Squire difficulty makes your armor better and cuts back on the number of enemies. Page difficulty makes the good knight invulnerable.
The two minutes that it takes you to get to each checkpoint is terrifying. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts was more fun to play, honestly.
Bought it at launch because I am a huge fan of the second game in this series and, from what I saw, it looked to basically be "Sonic Mania but Ghosts n Goblins".
In some ways, it is that. I liked how the top and bottom paths on the map took you through different locations from the franchise's history. I also thought the new aesthetic wasn't half bad, although I would've preferred an 8 or 16 bit look.
The problem is that this game takes the weaker elements of the classics and amplifies them to make an experience that is, quite honestly, annoying and borders on meme territory at times. Arthur always moved slow, but here, it's just God awful in relation to everything that is being thrown at you. It never felt unmanageable in the classic games as hard as they were...it just felt like utter nonsense here for the sake of it.
The red devil's AI is also the most obnoxious it has ever been- almost like Capcom saw the jokes and said "let's make him even worse". It's not cute...it's just stupid. It's the same kind of idiocy that plagued Crash 4. (Which if I can be blunt was like the biggest disappointment I've has as an adult playing video games...sorry not sorry)
On top of it, there are now collectibles and a skill tree. I'm not sure why either are here and they just felt pointlessly tacked on tbh.
If you want a good modern spin on this formula, I highly recommend Cursed Castilla. It's cheaper, has an aesthetic and score damn near 1:1 with a late arcade or genesis game, and plays a billion times better. See also the arcade version of Super Battle Princess Madelyn if you're lucky enough to live by a barcade that has it as I am- I hope that gets ported some day.
In some ways, it is that. I liked how the top and bottom paths on the map took you through different locations from the franchise's history. I also thought the new aesthetic wasn't half bad, although I would've preferred an 8 or 16 bit look.
The problem is that this game takes the weaker elements of the classics and amplifies them to make an experience that is, quite honestly, annoying and borders on meme territory at times. Arthur always moved slow, but here, it's just God awful in relation to everything that is being thrown at you. It never felt unmanageable in the classic games as hard as they were...it just felt like utter nonsense here for the sake of it.
The red devil's AI is also the most obnoxious it has ever been- almost like Capcom saw the jokes and said "let's make him even worse". It's not cute...it's just stupid. It's the same kind of idiocy that plagued Crash 4. (Which if I can be blunt was like the biggest disappointment I've has as an adult playing video games...sorry not sorry)
On top of it, there are now collectibles and a skill tree. I'm not sure why either are here and they just felt pointlessly tacked on tbh.
If you want a good modern spin on this formula, I highly recommend Cursed Castilla. It's cheaper, has an aesthetic and score damn near 1:1 with a late arcade or genesis game, and plays a billion times better. See also the arcade version of Super Battle Princess Madelyn if you're lucky enough to live by a barcade that has it as I am- I hope that gets ported some day.
Immaculately designed CBT
masochism (noun)
mas·och·ism
: pleasure in being abused or dominated : a taste for suffering
mas·och·ism
: pleasure in being abused or dominated : a taste for suffering
Not a game for a saint heart, even on the easiest mode you are gonna be stuck sometimes, also you are gonna lack content if you play on easy.
Very well made, but also fuck this game (callback to my review of Ghosts n Goblins). Didn't make it too far tbh. No way I'm beating this, I'm not that good at video games.
Essentially a retro game with retro gameplay design. Some modern elements such as a skill tree and many difficulty modifiers, but otherwise, it's super retro, for all that implies, be it good or bad. I found it enjoyable enough, but old gameplay does not age well imo.
Played on Switch, cleared the game on Knight difficulty, but did not make it through the "shadow" stages, collect all of the umbral bees, or earn the remaining achievements. I decided far too late that I should've started on a lower difficulty setting, but with that said, Ghosts 'n Goblins is simply not the game for me.
Fantastic replication of the old "Nintendo hard" game. But still being beatable, you will die A LOT. But the gracious checkpoint system, magic abilities, and ability to change difficulty mid level. You can beat it! I enjoyed my time with it despite how torturous it is. Well done to Capcom for making a faithful sequel.
It's cool, but man if it is really something on the challenge.
I beat the game, and it only cost me my sanity.
Now I gotta do it again
Now I gotta do it again
it's a decent game but the bs difficulty puts it pretty low for me. I just have no desire to go back and play this again I don't wanna put up with it.
If you thought the old games where difficult you are not ready for this game. I played it on the highest difficulty (which I thought was supposed to be the "true" difficulty of the game because it gives you just two hits like the original games)
I could only beat the first run and some single stages took me more attempts than the first two games combined. After beating the game once you unlock the shadow stages which made me give up quickly
I could only beat the first run and some single stages took me more attempts than the first two games combined. After beating the game once you unlock the shadow stages which made me give up quickly
ghosts goblin on this dic