Capcom’s Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts still stands the test of time as a spooky 16-bit adventure
Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts is an interesting game for a lot of reasons. It was one of the first third-party games to come out in North America when the SNES was initially released in 1991 and even now it’s regarded as one of the most brutally difficult games of its era. Pretty much the first thing hardcore gamers think about when they hear the title is pain, but at least it’s a good kind of pain. Like the Super Nintendo analogue to high quality S&M, I suppose.
You can’t talk about this game without talking about its forebears. It’s a distant sequel to the original 1985 arcade game Ghosts ‘N Goblins, which had its own direct sequels released in subsequent coin-op games and on Sega’s Genesis home console. Stylistically and technically speaking, there’s not much of a difference between this game and the 1985 arcade game. It’s the same basic premise, the same basic gameplay mechanics and even the same story, more or less. But it’s a beautifully refined do-over of the ‘85 title. Don’t think of it as a remake as much as you do something like Evil Dead 2, where it’s really more of a creative re-adaptation of its own source material.
Mechanically not much has changed but there’s actually a world of improvements in Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. The weapons have better range, a few upgrades make the infamously tough game a little easier to trudge through and you even have the ability to charge up attacks and wipe out close to everything on the screen in one fell sweep. It’s actually a far more forgiving game than its predecessors, although that doesn’t exactly mean it’s a sidescrolling cakewalk. Indeed, it is a HARD game no matter how you approach it, even if its reputation might be too severe.
It’s a classical platforming-action game that requires you to memorize and time everything to perfection. Old school games like these are like reading sheet music — there’s a very precise, highly technical input on your end and if you deviate from the notes at all you’re hosed. Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts forces you to get into its rhythm and stay there, even if it means dying 100 times until you figure out the pattern and tempo. It’s not easy, but it is doable with enough practice and enough rote memorization. Which, I know, is kind of a lost thing in modern games.
The story is pretty generic (oh no, the princess has been stolen by some kind of winged demon and only Knight Arthur can rescue her!) but that is so beside the point. The real appeal of the game, of course, is its stellar gameplay and all these years later it still feels fun and intuitive. I mean, the double jump alone is one of the most satisfying tactile sensations in gaming — I could break the laws of physics escaping zombies and ghosts all day long.
There are a lot of environmental gimmicks going on, which is hardly a surprise since this game wanted to take full advantage of the Super Nintendo’s hardware capabilities. There’s this thing called “Mode 7” that allowed developers to do fade in and fade out effects that were technologically impossible on the 8-bit Nintendo console and they trot that little effect out constantly in this game. It gets a little annoying at times, but you can’t fault people for being excited over their shiny new toys. Besides, it never really detracts from the core gameplay, and that’s the important thing to consider.
Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts is theoretically a short game. Feasibly, you could beat the entire game in about an hour — and that’s with two play-throughs of the game, because you only get to fight the “real” final boss and see the canonical ending after you’ve found a not-so-secret power-up that’s only available on the second loop of the game. But we all know better. This is a game that constantly challenges you and pushes you to the brink. There’s barely half a dozen levels but it’s an accomplishment getting through any and all of them. The very first stage — which launches enough ghouls to stock a George Romero movie at you in a graveyard with constantly quaking terrain — is already a litmus test separating the hardcore from the neophytes. The last few levels are so absurdly difficult (thanks to requiring so much pinpoint timing and memorization) that I guess most players will never get past them. Which kind of brings us to the great irony of the game; as hard as it is, its final few boss fights are almost subversively easy to get through. The “secret” boss, in particular, can be killed by simply standing next to one of his knees, jumping once and getting a quick hit in when you’re elevated enough to reach his noggin.
But like they say, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. And Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts is one hell of a journey. Some of the enemy sprites still look impressively detailed and the level design is downright fantastic. It always keeps you on your toes and never lets you take a breather — especially when you have to outrun the occasional avalanche or flood. Forget the hydras and giant serpents, it’s that shield-stealing S.O.B. who hides in what you think are normal treasure chests that pisses me off the most. Yes, even more than the infamous gargoyle who’ll literally chase you across an entire stage until you send a pitchfork through its gizzards.
Not every element of the game holds up, and that’s to be expected of a game that came out in 1991. But what works here works very well and it’s got so much ambiance and atmosphere that it’s pretty much a seasonal must-play for any horror loving retro gamer. Don’t let the much ballyhooed difficulty curve scare you off too much; this game just screams “Halloween,” and if you’ve got access to a Super Nintendo it’s more than worth your time to play it.
