Difference Grid: Normal Difficulty

The above is based on a difficulty setting of Normal (the default) for the Arcade versions. The NES version has no difficulty option. The Level 6 Difficulty column is based on playing the game in a standard way, that is, not exploiting any bugs.

The characteristics and difficulty of the Arcade versions fluctuate quite a bit, and don't seem to progress in any logical way, though I can't say I really know their chronological release order. I would guess that the Japanese versions came out before the US or World versions, but the pattern of the changes don't support that. For instance, makaimuc had the 2 Unicorns at the start of level 6, which were then reduced to 1 in revision G, only to be introduced (and removed) again in later versions?

In my opinion, gnga (World set 2) is the easiest of the bunch, while makaimuc (Japan Revision C) is the hardest, though gnga is certainly still a hard game. makaimur and makaimug appear identical, and it is one of these revisions that the Capcom Classics Collection version seems based on. This in and of itself is unusual because the CCC version is in English, but those two revisions are Japanese. What a mess.

It's unfortunate that they chose one of those revisions, because they are some of the harder (and more unfair) versions. To better explain, let me talk about the different columns in the grid. L6 Unicorns refers to the number of Unicorns atop the first ladder at the start of level 6. Some versions, which I had assumed were early versions but now I'm not so sure, have 2 Unicorns flanking the ladder. In gng and gngt particularly, this situation is hopeless. As you reach the top of the ladder, both are activated, and since they require 10 hits each to defeat, there is basically no way to get past them with your armor intact without blind luck. Basically, you will get hit. Your best bet is to activate them, move slightly back down the ladder and hope they both end up on the right side. At this point, climb to the top and run for dear life. Now, as it turns out, if you decide to exploit the level 6 unicorn bug, its pretty easy to get by them, and considering the blatant unfairness of the setup, I have no problem recommending that course of action.

Of special note is makaimuc (Japan Revision C) because even though the 2 Unicorns are present, the rightmost Unicorn doesn't activate when you reach the top of the ladder. Instead, you have to attack it to get it going. This makes things more fair, but doesn't make much sense in the context of the rest of the game and is still not as balanced as the single Unicorn in other versions.

L6 Dragon refers to the flight pattern of the Dragon that comes after the Unicorns. L6 Skull refers to a Skull located near the top of the level that in some versions is placed very close (as in, right next) to the top of a ladder. So close that it is impossible to climb it without activating the skeleton. It also, of course, impossible to destroy before climbing the ladder. So, you're left with activating it, climbing back down and running right until the skeleton hops off the side of the screen and falls down, at which point you can kill it. It's not that difficult, but it sure feels like a waste of time. This is fixed in some revisions.

L6 Big Men/Areemers details the composition of enemies in the upper section of level 6. The US and World revisions have a single Big Man on each side of the some floors and a few Red Areemers that pop out of nowhere as you ascend, which is tough, but could be worse. In the Japanese versions, however, each Big Man is now a pair of Big Men. Coordinating the attacks on each of them can be exceedingly difficult and time consuming, especially with their brethren launching attacks from above. In addition, there are now many Red Areemers occupying any niche without Big Men, including one that pops out of thin air. Getting through this gauntlet is fairly ridiculous. Keep in mind that there is only one armor set on this level, and it shows up midway through. Honestly though, in any of the available revisions, I would say a typical player will spend at least 75% of their playtime trying to pass level 6.

Escape? refers to the level 4 Dragon/level 5 Satan escape bug, which allows you get the key to the next level by simply running away from the bosses.

NES vs. Arcade

When an arcade conversion hit the NES/Famicom, more often than not you were getting an "enhanced" version of the game, rather than a straight port. Sometimes this meant a full redesign (Rygar, Strider, Bionic Commando), while other times it was mostly just tweaks (Commando). Ghosts 'n' Goblins falls into the tweaks category. A glance at the data in the grid above suggests that the NES version should fall into the "Hard" category, but it's labeled as "Harder". Why is this? A brilliant concept called weapon immunization. Someone thought it would be a great idea to make the Unicorn immune to Crosses and the Dragon immune to Lances. How does this impact the game? It means that if you get to the level 3 or 4 bosses (Dragons) with Lances, you will die. No way out. How did the designers make up for this? Immediately preceding the Dragon on level 3, they provide a Torch. Yes, in case you have Lances, they provide you with an opportunity to pick up the worst weapon in the game, which at that point is the second worst weapon because Lances don't even qualify as a weapon anymore. Thanks guys. Similarly, at the start of level 6, they provide a Lance. But you need Crosses to pass the level, right? Yes! But the Unicorn waiting quietly right above you is immune to Crosses. Guess I'll grab that Lance. After the Unicorn is dead, your next foe is... a Dragon. But as we all know by now, Dragons are immune to your shiny new Lance. Thus, soon after the Dragon battle ensues, a Cross is dropped. Grab it and get to work.

This annoying little dance, combined with the more aggressive enemies of the NES version make level 6 quite a chore. Let's talk about that and the rest of the differences:

• Aggressiveness: Unicorns rush you and launch fireballs more frequently. The Red Areemer moves faster, dive bombs more frequently, and almost never stands still long enough for you to hit him. At the same time, the AI for these two enemies seems simpler than the Arcade. Simpler, but more frustrating.
• Music: The Arcade version has 3 main themes and 3 boss themes, plus a final battle theme. The NES version does not change the music when you encounter bosses. Levels 1,2,5 and 6 continue to play the level themes during boss encounters. Levels 3 and 4 use the Arcade boss theme as their level theme. The NES version does include the final battle theme, however.
• Armor: There are more replacement Armor locations in the NES version, and some of the locations used in the Arcade version have changed.
• Frog King: There is a statue item that looks like the standard 10,000 point King, but flashes red. This item is worth only a few hundred points and also turns Arthur into a Frog, as the Magician spell.
• Time Up/Down: In addition to the 10,000 point Yashichi, there are 2 other differently colored Yashichis that increase and decrease your remaining time, respectively.
• Weapon Drops: As mentioned, there are points in the game where particular weapons will always appear, usually to make up for the weapon immunization nonsense. In the Arcade version, weapons are only ever dropped randomly by enemies.
• Extend: Similar to replacement Armor, there are areas where extra lives, called "extends", will show up. These look like the "you are here" marker on the world map, which is sort of a stick with a mushroom on top, but which always looked to me like a stick with a yawning dragon head on top. Anyway, the only way to get extra lives in the Arcade is through score.
• Level Select: The NES version features a level select code that can be entered at the title screen.
• Floating Platforms: Level 4's floating eyeball platforms will not push you around and knock you off like their Arcade counterparts do.
• Level 6: The denizens of level 6 have their own behaviors unique to the NES version. The Dragon attacks you a floor earlier than in the Arcade version. Also, in the upper section, there are invisible Red Areemers that pop out of every empty corner.

Despite some goofy design changes and the inferior hardware, the NES version of Ghosts 'n' Goblins is actually quite engaging. The control, gameplay and atmosphere are really there. It was certainly one of the best early titles for the system and remains good to this day.

Platforms

Ghosts 'n' Goblins has appeared on many other platforms over the years. The complete list:

• 1985 - Arcade
• 1986 - Amstrad CPC 464
• 1986 - Commodore 64
• 1986 - Famicom/NES
• 1986 - Sinclair ZX Spectrum
• 1987 - DOS
• 1988 - Amiga
• 1990 - Atari ST
• 1999 - GameBoy Color
• 2004 - GameBoy Advance (as Famicom Mini: Makaimura)
• 2005 - Mobile Phone

Sequels

• 1988 - Daimakaimura/Ghouls 'n' Ghosts - Arcade
• 1991 - Chomakaimura/Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts - SFC/SNES
• 2006 - Gokumakaimura/Ultimate Ghost's 'n' Goblins - PSP

Spinoffs

• 1990 - Red Areemer/Gargoyle's Quest - GB
• 1992 - Red Areemer 2/Gargoyle's Quest 2 - Famicom/NES
• 1993 - Makaimura Gaiden - GB (GameBoy version of Red Areemer 2)
• 1994 - Demon's Blazon/Demon's Crest - SFC/SNES
• 1996 - Arthur and Astaroth's Nazomakaimura: Incredible Toons - PS/SAT
• 1999 - Makaimura for WonderSwan - WS
• 2002 - Maximo - PS2
• 2004 - Makai Eiyuuki Maximo/Maximo vs. Army of Zin - PS2
• TBD - Makaimura Online/Ghosts 'n' Goblins Online - GC/XBOX/PC
• TBD - Ghouls 'N Ghosts Match Fight - TBD

Compilations

• 1997 - Capcom Generation 2 - Makai to Kishi - PS/SAT
• 2005 - Capcom Classics Collection - PS2/XBOX
• 2006 - Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded - PSP