Ghouls N' Ghosts (Master System) Enhancement or botched port? You decide. 

I loved this version. It's the first GnG game I ever made it through because of how approachable it was. This was a really deep dive into the game differences. Very nice work!

Most fascinating video Sir! Compile were definitely one of Sega's better third party devs for the SMS, if we were particilally unlucky, we had to endure Tiertex converting them instead :D Because of Nintendo's exclusivity publishing rules, Sega did have to make their ports slightly different to the original game. Which usually meant something weird, like sticking a shop mechanic into the game.

Everything's got pros and cons, but this is a phenomenal game on the Master System

This was my first ever game and I loved the rpg style elements this version has. I was a little bit sad when I discovered the Mega Drive and SNES versions didn't have things like the merchant doorway, a points based magic system & separate armour sets pieces that effect your stats. This seemed to be more in-depth to me as a kid and therefore far more immersive. I wasn't bothered much about the reduced graphics and music because it was still really good. There was some major lag in some sections but it never bothered me, in the end you would learn where it happens and use it to your advantage. Love seeing this version get some attention. Great game and great video!

I had this version back as a kid (probably still have both the cart and system) and spent hours upon hours playing it. While I prefer the genesis version, this one ranks highly on the 8bit ports given how closely it stayed in terms of level design to the original. The music's also well done for what the hardware can do. The slower pace and less enemies on screen absolutely were results of the hardware limitations (it runs into slowdown already, trying to make things as busy as the original in terms of enemy numbers would have made things far worse), but the system's throwing around relatively large sprite work here and I think it's running similar code to what they did for the strider port. Very on point about it being more accessible though, and one other big change here is you can change direction mid-air ala Mario. It makes the difficult platforming in certain stages much more forgiving.

You are now one of my favorite RU-vidrs just for saying "GHEE-o-teen" and not "GILL-o-teen," alone. You did a great analysis of the Master System port of G&G, too.

Yay my Sunday just got better!

Great video. You have good tech for capturing the best image. I've seen the same games not look as good in other videos.

Excellent video man! Your knowledge/research is always delightfully impressive. I like the visuals in this at times like the part where you're traveling down through the air via green platforms and there are these serpent-like objects in the left wall. Gorgeous art. Not convinced I'd ever tackle this but I always appreciate seeing what you zero in on for your projects!

Such a nice relaxing video. Im enjoying it over my dinner after work, thanks

I'm getting more SMS games, and didn't have this on my list until watching your review because of how hard the other versions are. The updates sound great and are exactly what I'd want in a home port. Never got past stage 2 in the more faithful Genesis version...

I played this game in the house of my cousings once. Giving that I had played only Ghost & Goblins in arcade, not the sequel, this felt like an upgrade. I do like the graphics, for the time they were amazing, and also love the fact that it does have cheats,s omething I miss in modern-day games, because sometimes you just want to finish the game to know it, not spend dozens of hours learning each pattern. Bad is that the Master System pause is in the console itself, so I ended up not using magic.

The Saturn got a bunch of arcade ports which feature Saturn/Arrange or Original Modes. What they did to differentiate the Master System version would have been a welcome addition to the Genesis release, giving it higher replayability. Want the pure arcade action? Choose Arcade Mode, want a special mode, with extras? Choose Arrange/Genesis Mode. It's cool the 8-bit is different enough, though. As a side note, I like to overclock the SMS CPU to get rid of the slowdown, the game becomes smooth all around.

Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

I absolutely love this version! I play master system a lot it’s a great console

Great video! By the way, because how the mecanics the Master system version works, you can exploit it and the second run is not even necessary to finish the game

Its so crazy how the port was done AFTER the Genesis one

I remember playing ghost in goblins in the arcade. Why was that a hard game and then on the nesI. Enjoy playing it I would love it. But then I remember playing the arcade of Ghouls and ghost! I totally fell in love. I would love playing The Game so much. And then I finally got my sega genesis and I mastered the shyt outta it!!! To this day I can pick up the control and play it and beat it two times fantastic game.

Best Ghouls 'n ghosts ever...

I didnt know its entirely different from Arcade. Might need to check it out if i got an emu that can do master system. Ive been super into the series lately

A friend of mine lent me this game and I played it on my game gear via master gear converter. I was not very good at arcade games and I found it very enjoyable because of the changes. However, I finished it quite quickly, so I ended up with a feeling of having enjoyed it, but knowing that, I had bought it, I would have felt somewhat dissppointed because how easy it was... Life is pure contadiction :D :D

I dig the Master System version. It’s actually different, not just a weak port. Off topic side note, Chiki Chiki Boys is rad.

Looks like the version for me. :)

I had this when I was a kid, great game.

Very cool

as some one who absolutely blows at the other version I wanna try this version, might be a good way to practice!

It's light years better than NES Ghost N' Goblins. They should have brought it to GameGear that did catch on with installed base in US. I might have bought it for my GameGear. If this had been an NES game it's probably considered some all time 8 bit classic at least in the US.

I love this game always remember playing it when I was 7 and completing it (once) probably wouldn't be able to now 🤣

I had this on my sms, great game

This looks graphically better then the NES version.

You say it was late in the life but I never felt that way at the time. In fact it felt pretty early in the life cycle over here in Europe. Globally this thing kept on rockin for a long time yet

It's my favorite version.

Botched? No way! This is one of the best MS games and you can easily see how well it was treated with the unique leveling up system. Yes it got slow down and is a little bit easy but it definitely got a place in my MS top 10.

Best version of the game.

It’s also not fing impossible.

Es una buena versión del juego, pero la Master System podría haber hecho un juego mucho mejor, no aprovecha al máximo la consola.

It's necessary to point out that G&G was made in 1990 and is not a "late release" for the Master System. In fact, it's not even halfway through the console's lifespan! Sega continued to support, and make games for, the Master System until 1995. Indeed, the majority of titles on the system were made after this game was released. Understanding this seems to be a real problem for American retro-gamers, who don't seem to be able to free themselves from their obsession with the US market. There's a great big non-American world out there and it contains a lot of very cool stuff America missed out on, not least the Master System. You guys were stuck with the NES, the rest of the world had a superior 8 bit experience, courtesy of Sega. Just

Disaster !!!!!

A complete crap! I've never seen in my life a game with one enemy at the screen slowing down...

Botched port, horrible sound and music, sloppy sluggish control, way harder than the Genesis version. The ending sucked, no replay of the game levels.