The Casual GnG Game: Ghouls 'n Ghosts for Sega Master System | hungrygoriya 

Thanks! I'm sure getting through it was an awesome feeling. I've tried the Genesis version and can't very far... and the NES game... ugh. The ogre house is my prison.

I think a lot of people missed this one completely, don't feel bad! If it makes you feel any better, I had no idea that a lot of those systems really existed until I was much older. II had an NES growing up, as well as a Game Boy and a Genesis, and a Vic 20 for a while too. I'm just finding these games in my adulthood and loving it! I'm glad to share that with everyone :)

Hey my pleasure! I hope it encourages people to give the series a try.

Same, never knew it existed.

Thank you! I didn't know it existed either until I was looking for easier GnG games to try out. I think it mostly flies under the radar for many!

@@Harie0 I'm happy I was able to put it on your radar. It's pretty unique from the others in a great way.

That's very kind of you! I still have lots of great games left to play, thankfully :)

I hope you have the opportunity to try this version. It sounds like you're a mega fan based on how many titles you've managed to put to bed from this series over the years. Have you tried Resurrection? I've watched a few people play it on the hardest mode and it looks absolutely brutal. Since this video, the only other GnG I've managed to finish is the NES port, and good lord... it's one of the hardest games I've beaten. There's something about that whole experience that feels tough to me. I'm not sure if it's the character movement or what, but it took me a very long time to finally get through it. I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds that game punishing!

Hahaha yeah, this game's very short on tolerable music so I had to branch out a bit, and what better than Ironsword! I hope it blew a little air on your Ironsword coals to keep that fire going... I hope you'll play it someday. Given your proficiency with the other games in the series, this one'll probably feel like a cake walk.

If I can do it, so can you! Good luck, and thanks for your kind words!

I'm still stuck in the NES game... I made it toward the end of level 5, went to continue, but accidentally started over :( Next time!

Hey thanks so much!

Hey thanks! I really appreciated an approachable GnG game and I'm glad you finished it too. I wish more people would give it a shot!

It was a really fun game for me as well. I still need to try the Genesis version, but I did manage to finally get through the NES game. That was so tough. I still appreciate this game's approachable style so much!

If you like the Genesis version, this'll be a walk in the park for you. Good luck!

I hope you'll try it someday. It's such a relief and more approachable than other game sin the series!

Thanks very much!

I really want to play it again, but I'm deep into Lord of the Sword and enjoying that one! And I noticed how you were slipping all over the place when you were playing... I'm glad you figured out what the trouble was! And awesome work on making it through the game! Seeing you stream it after I played through was a great help in forming some of my thoughts for this review.

@@hungrygoriya Seeing someone else work thorugh it is always cool. I played through it again Friday and didn't grind upgrades until the second loop. A nice bump in the challenge and a sense of accomplishment.

I, for one, am grateful! There's no way I'd be able to make it through Super GnG without the extras this port allowed for. I've since gotten the Sega Genesis version and I can't hang onto my armour to save my life! Literally!

Hello down there! And thank you kindly!

I hope you have fun with it. I appreciate having a game in the series that I can actually get through!

I just watched Friday Night Arcade's video the other day! It's a small world :D The permanent upgrades really do set this game apart in terms of balance being able to approach it a little more casually. I hope you do try it sometime and finally feel better about the main series! I know I do. I only own Gargoyle's Quest of the spinoff bunch. I'd love to find Demon's Crest or Gargoyle's Quest II sometime (that one's for NES, right?) and give those a try. I also heard wonderful things about Battle Princess Madelyn and love the creation story behind that game too... I've been meaning to look into it more, but there's so much else to play right now! Maximo vs. the Army of Zin is new to my mind. I'll check that out too!

@@hungrygoriya Yup! GQ2 is the NES sequel to the GB original. So weird that they handled it that way instead of putting them both on the same platform :P Thanks for the encouragement! GnG is definitely one of those classic series I just haven't gotten much enjoyment from historically. Super GnG was even one of the first games my sister and I had for the SNES, so we played the heck out of it until our library built up, and it still never won me over. I've always wanted to give a different entry a go, so the SMS version really is looking like the best option _now,_ thanks to your review :)

I really, really need to play through it! I bought it a few weeks ago and my jaw just about hit the floor when I saw how great it looked.

@@hungrygoriya I was actually surprised when it popped up, I remember it looking way rougher. Such a banger of a title.

@@Caspicum Lots of the Disney games look fantastic! I have Land and Castle of Illusion hanging around too. Castle of Illusion looks phenomenal!

I think you'll have some luck with this one. I've been stuck in the blue level with all the red devils in the NES GnG game for my entire life and can finish this one, so I think you'll be good!

@@hungrygoriya That blue level is prob the toughest. I had the same problem for most of my life. After 1,00,001 tries you see a pattern and it become 5% easier lol

Yeah, it definitely wasn't an easy feat. I popped this game in after finishing up Golvellius thinking it might be something I played for a few minutes, but it turned into a full on playthrough and I was up until 3 a.m. trying to put this one away! And thanks! Would you believe I had no idea there was magic for most of the game? I finally figured out that the shield spell was for invincibility after being stuck on that ladder for at least 30 minutes! It was a serious thing for me to make it up there with that spell :D Thanks for the compliment!

@@hungrygoriya Not noticing features until later can be such a pain. Musya was like that, just not knowing what anything does!

@@PragmatikReviews Haha yeah, in this case that's what I got for playing it without reading the manual first. It's a cardinal sin for me!

I wish I'd known this system in my youth. Did you play this one a lot as a kid or did you find it later in life?

@@hungrygoriya The system was given to me by a counselor (I think) at my elementary school, and a friend of my older brother's started bringing over his copy of Ghouls 'n Ghost. Spent a lot of time watching others play, never could get too far myself but it was always fun trying. The first level music of this game, and the first level music of Commando NES, will probably be played at my funeral.

@@Downoninit Aren't those the best kinds of memories? I remember watching people around me playing through things like Final Fantasy and Tiny Toon Adventures on NES back in the day and am really fond of both of those games for that exact reason. I'm glad this video brought you back to a nice time in your past :)

It definitely looks alright. Just that one level I mentioned looked kinda blah.

GnG is such a tough series. Since this video I've finally managed to beat the NES game, but it was really hard to get through. I can't imagine what the C64 version has in store...

Thanks! The stream of this was a lot of fun. It was a long night because I had just finished up Golvellius and popped this one in for what I thought would be a few minutes, but it turned into a huge endeavour to finish it. And it's funny... while combing through my video for clips, a huge chunk of it was that ladder part before I realized I had the shield spell, hahaha

It's great because it's true enough to the arcade original in all the right ways, but different enough to be something totally unique among the many versions out there. I really enjoyed this one.

Yeah, unfortunately it's pretty expensive. The PAL version is a little cheaper if you can find it, but it's not a huge margin of difference.

Thanks :) I suppose it's a benefit of having fallen in love with a system that not a lot of people in North America have very much experience with. And thank you for the congratulations... it has been a very long time coming! I remember buying Ghosts 'n Goblins from eBay many years ago with high hopes, only to have them crushed. If I'm completely honest, while this game isn't easy, it's definitely one I think anyone can pick up and play. If you are seeking that GnG Club title, this might be the game to do it!

@@hungrygoriya I might have to take your suggestion, because super GnG in SNES isn't working out for me.

@@jmarx3943 I can't even get out of the first one or two stages in Super GnG :D I feel that.

@@hungrygoriya I've given that game numerous tries since release in 91, and never made it past stage 3...and I'm NOT that bad at games lol.

@@jmarx3943 I believe it!

Thanks so much! It does look a lot better compared to the NES version, right? Nice and detailed in comparison! If you do find it, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. This one feels way more balanced.

Punished is a great descriptor for what I think many of us have faced at the hands of the other games! I haven't played the C64 version at all, but from what I read online, the port wasn't the greatest because of the controls! The expanded mechanics in the Master System version really go a long way in giving you a leg up here... if you spam the shield spell over and over, you can more or less beat the game without too much trouble, but there's not much fun in that. It's great to have a fallback in especially hairy situations though! I hope you give it a try!

@@hungrygoriya Yeah, the collision handling isn't quite what it needed to be. Which is a shame, especially as it has the most amazing soundtrack out there. Been a while since I sat down with that one (probably when I sat down to do a vid on it), and yeah, I think it did date kind badly. At least control wise, this SMS port seems to fare better though.

You're welcome!

Happy Halloween to you too! And thanks. That's my sweet RGB and upscaler being put to good use! I hope you do try it out sometime. I think it's similar and different enough to feel brand new again for you!

Thank you very much :)

Thank you! Did you end up finishing it back when you played it?

No i found it to difficult back then but loved playing it anyway.

I'm glad this game is a dream come true for you! Do you think you'll have an opportunity to try it out sometime? I know I definitely enjoyed it more than I've enjoyed any other game in the series, simply for that balance you mentioned. And yeah, haha... a little Ironsword, a little Beetlejuice... this game was definitely short on tolerable music.

@@hungrygoriya I may have to give this a try someday...I don't own an original Sega Master system though. I do have like 5 or 6 Genesis systems lying around...because hey, why not? :D

@@edr777 All you need is a power base converter if even a single one of your Genesis consoles is a model 1. Problem solved!

You are very welcome! All my life I have searched for a GnG game just like this one... I think you'll really enjoy it if you give it a try.

Hungry Goriya I played a little of Ultimate Ghosts ‘N Goblins on PSP and I appreciated that it had different difficulty levels you could select. But I like the different game mechanics this SMS version offers. I’ll be giving it a try soon!

@@newwavejunkie I hope you'll report back and let me know how it goes.

Totally! I spent so long trying to beat the NES game and was so relieved when I found this. I've since gotten through the NES one but it was no walk in the park.

Haha yeah, very similar sound to both!

I agree with that in a lot of ways, especially visually!

@@hungrygoriya And (at least for me and looking from a distance) the level design as a whole, Ghosts... was a typical example of a game artificially made difficult (time limit, misplaced items and misplaced overpowered enemies) Ghouls... seems more organic, I remember an old add in a local TV showcasing the suspended platform levels. I know you are not into emulation but I will set mine later on to try this game.

Right on! Once you get some of those boot upgrades, you'll be coasting! Good luck!

Thank you very much! I hadn't played anything sufficiently Halloween-y in a little while so it was perfect to bring around for this time of year.

@@hungrygoriya I make an effort to play the game Jack Bros. every October since it's about monsters who need to get back home before Halloween ends. It's for the Virtual Boy, so it's a great game if you have one of those lying around.

@@leethompson-kolar6333 I have a Virtual Boy, but no Jack Bros., unfortunately. I'd LOVE to own a copy of that someday. Everytime I've seen one at a convention, it's always been way more than I'd like to pay! My Virtual Boy's modded for AV out too... perfect for streaming/recording footage.

@@hungrygoriya That's a surprise! I didn't expect that. I did have to pay a pretty penny for an imported version, but I'm glad I did--it's the perfect length for a yearly revisit on an uncomfortable console. Do you own Virtual Boy Wario Land? You can't own a VB without Wario Land.

@@leethompson-kolar6333 I do own Wario Land! I have about 10 games for the system in total. Is the Japanese version of Jack Bros. English-friendly? I might look into a copy if so!

I'm struggling to remember... I'm not really familiar with the Genesis game (even though I think it's just this one, but prettier and longer?)

It looks pretty great! I think the Genesis version might've had a little more game if I'm not mistaken... and the music is worlds better! I don't think I'd make it too far there though :D

@@hungrygoriya the music in the Genesis version was great. Look forward to your next review

Yes! I was really excited to have a chance to finally beat a GnG game. This one felt really accessible for anyone to pick up and play! If you give it a go, I hope you enjoy it!

@@hungrygoriya I just might do that. And thanks for the lovely review It's kinda baffling that with the more sophisticated hardware, the Master System would so often come short of the NES but there are these few times where it would surpass it in the port department. Bubble Bobble is also one of the game I prefer for the SMS :)

@@captainnintendo You're very welcome! I'm glad I discovered the Master System at all... better late than never I suppose! But yeah, so many ports, or even the original stuff for the system are fantastic on the Master System. I'm glad more people are finding out about it and appreciating it more! And I just, just picked up Bubble Bobble for SMS a few weeks ago. 200 levels?! Sign ME up :) I'm terrible at it though!

@@hungrygoriya Here in Denmark, it was really a 50/50 split between the people who owned a NES and SMS. Although, the Nintendo Franchises were probably more commonly known still. We had this TV show over here that was pretty much the only place where you could see actual gameplay from games and hear reviews and that show completely dominated which games would get the spotlight. Even if the reviews weren't particularly favorable, it was something tangible xD But they really gave each system back them about the same attention so kids would at least be aware of both systems. I'm on kind of a quest to track down all of the Bubble Bobble games. The Game Gear version being particular elusive for some reason while also being a pretty decent version. It's basically a screen crunched SMS version If you're a Bubble Bobble fan as well, I imagine you must also be a little excited for the new one "Bubble Bobble 4 Friends" that's coming to Switch soon. I just bought one of the fancy limited editions from Strictly Limited Games. They still have a few left if it should have any interest store.strictlylimitedgames.com/collections/all/products/bubble-bobble-4-friends-collectors-edition-nintendo-switch-preorder I seem to have a habit of rambling on xD

That would've been pretty awesome, right? It'd at least take the edge off of perpetual failure in those other games, at least in my case.

@@hungrygoriya nah, trust me, I've never finished a G&G either, even though I love the aesthetic and character designs. I think if the series ever gets a proper revival, they could definitely take some cues from this. (And give the option for a hardcore mode with no bonuses for the super fans)

@@HybridAngelZero I agree entirely! I think it would please a lot of people to bring in some of the benefits of this game to others, most definitely!

It was helpful to me, that's for sure!

I used music from a few different games since so much of the GnG soundtrack was just meh. That's actual Beetlejuice music and wasn't in this game!

@@hungrygoriya I KNEW it :P

@@xenxander Good ear though! Sorry for the confusion!

I would like that!

I do enjoy this one a lot despite getting destroyed even with all of the bits and pieces of help this one has on offer. I had no idea there was a Saturn version... this I've gotta see!

@@hungrygoriya It's called Capcom Generations Volume 2. Capcom released like 5 compilations of either their arcade games in different era's or popular console games. I think volume 1 is their early 80s arcade games like like 1942 and I know one of them is 6 different versions of Street Fighter 2, but number 2 is all about Ghosts N Goblins/Ghouls N Ghosts. Also playing with a Saturn controller... oh yeah!

@@chaospoet Good to know! My Saturn collection's super small but this might be fun to track down for it.

It's very convenient, let me tell ya!

You'd think that permanent upgrades would be a staple in newer games, but I suppose they wanted to do a callback to all the other mean games in this series... I enjoyed how approachable this one was compared to some of the others. I watched a few people play through GnG Resurrection (which is what I'm assuming you played?) on Legendary mode and the gameplay looks excruciatingly difficult. I don't have the skill to make it through that sort of thing! Xardion eh? I haven't heard of it before, but I will have a look into it. Just when I thought I'd found all the SNES RPGs I wanted, there might still be one more! Thanks for mentioning it!

@@hungrygoriya yeah, thats the one, but I would never dream of finishing it at legendary. I was at normal difficulty and it almost cost me a new controller just to get through lol No, seriously, that was hard as **** to beat. Only graphics and boss designs made me finish it. Otherwise, it was way too "cheap difficult" for me to be enjoyable. As for Xardion, its one of those games that dont look like much at first, but then we play it to realise its far from being awful, kind of like Lagoon or Arcana or 7th Saga. At first, it seems to be a action/shooter game, but trust me, its a good old rpg with lvl up, sidequests and everything. I believe you would like it. Besides, its not that expensive compared to other titles. On that note, Im actually playing Paladin Quest for the first time, and that one too is much better than I tought it would be.

Until a few days ago, this was the only one I could make it through as well. I just finished up the NES one... finally!

@@hungrygoriya Congrats on that!

@@JohnSmith-ch9sm Thanks... I still can't believe it!

It was a great thing for someone like me who needed some extra help. I've since made it through the NES game, but I struggled for hours to do it!

I laughed out loud the first time it happened since I didn't know why it was happening... what a treat until it's not a treat anymore and you're getting wrecked!

Get on that!!! :D

Yeah, the NES, SNES and Genesis games are all different and all equally difficult for me. I can't get through any of them! I appreciated how much more easily people could approach this game comparatively.

I'm not sure what all the hate is about! It's definitely a fun and decent game that made a series I once really disliked into something I could get behind. I think if people tried it out, they'd like it! And thank you! I will continue to explore this library until I run out of things.

How long ago did you part ways with yours? I hope you can find one if it's something you'd really like to get into again. At the very worst, you could always do a model 1 Genesis and a Power Base Converter if you have any interest in the Genesis library!

@@hungrygoriya I havent had a SMS since the early 90s lol

@@TerminallyNerdy There's no time like the present!

@@hungrygoriya *insert travolta wallet gif here lol*

I certainly gravitate towards more approachable games like this from hard-as-nails series. I think it's also why I liked Simon's Quest so much out of the classic Castlevanias too, but that also has some RPG elements I'm drawn to.

I think so! I haven't seen or played it myself but I think it does exist!

@@hungrygoriya I looked up a long play. Looks good for a C64 game. And you can shoot up! And there's magic! I think the NES version still looks better but it's more advanced than I expected.

I need as much help as I can get in these games, so let's hope this was good inspiration!

Well, the Master System and Genesis games are more or less the same game except the Master System has more kindness in it as I tried to point out here. I've heard many people say the NES game is the hardest of the ones you've mentioned here, so if you want to ease into the series, start with this one and play the NES game last.

I just made a deal on mercari for sms gng. I also bought the super 7 gng action figures to motivate me to cross the finish line 🎉

From the playlist I was looking into, it's called "Castle of Evil Demons"

Yes! This version's much more approachable at least. It didn't give me nearly as much trouble as the NES GnG!

@@hungrygoriya only one I’ve ever beaten in earnest is Super. I did beat the one on the CAPCOM arcade collection, albeit with save states and slowing the game play all the way down lol

@@chrissiano82 Nothing wrong with that! That honestly sounds like a great way to play Super GnG. I haven't made it out of the first stage in that game, haha

Be heartened that with a few upgrades, you'll be ripping around in no time!

I said fusing, not infusing...

@@hungrygoriya Oh, ha ha! So it isn't tea, then...

I don't actually! I don't know what kind of extras I could make Patreon-exclusive so I haven't considered starting one up. I appreciate the sentiment though!

For me, it was perfect! I liked it quite a bit :D

@DejaVoodooDoll I keep wishing that one day I'll be able to make it through the harder games. For now, I'll settle for this small victory! And yeah, those games have definitely suffered visually in their ports to various places too. I just thought this game was particularly ugly compared to the Genesis/Arcade versions! Also, thanks for subscribing :)

It depends on the enemy, but there is some slowdown like any other game.

Some slowdown? Did you ever play this game? It NEVER runs at normal speed !!!@@hungrygoriya