The atmosphere in especially Ghouls 'n Ghost has always had a magical pull on me. It is an amazing game-series - probably one of the 10 most iconic arcade games of all time, imho. The local arcades were simply amazing around this period in time - imagination ad libitum, gorgeous graphics,.wonderful atmosphere - so glad I got to experience it all.
I felt stupid when I bought Maximo not knowing it was basically a 3D remake of Ghosts & Goblins. Then I started playing and I thought, "Hmm, this feels familiar..."
LOL!!! SO true! So as far as I can remember, this was the very first arcade game I ever played. It was at a Red Robin near Seatac. I was 6. That’s how memorable this game was!
@John Smith Wow, well done. I thought about going through it again because I felt ashamed thinking I'd have to go to school the next day and have to say "hey I beat G&G but I sort of didn't". But that's what I ended up doing. This was when I realized nobody else had that game, nor cared about it anyway.
Pick up an arcade1up cabinet and they have a version with four games including ghosts and goblins and the original strider arcade versions! they were going for around $150, not bad compared to their other cabinets costs
By the way, fun bit of trivia: Koichi Yotsui, the director for Strider was a background designer on Ghouls 'n Ghosts. And the music for Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts was done by Mari Yamaguchi, who later did the music for Mega Man 5.
This is one of the best videos I've seen on these games. Sadly, there's not a lot of documentation on the creation process of the series, and most videos on RU-vid just talk about how hard the game is and not much more. This is really well done, great video.
For *Ghosts 'N' Goblins* I remember finding the headstone/frog secret. But eventually I did that trick and turned into the frog as the timer went to zero. That totally messed up the timer to flip to 255 minutes which in essence gave an unlimited amount of time. So you would use that to sit on the first board for as long as you wanted to racking up points and lives to help get through the rest of the game. At some point I spent the hours needed to get to a million points.
We had a school bully who i only saw happy at the arcade & it was because of Ghost n Goblins! He would laugh when you lost your armor & saw you run around fighting goblins in your tighty whities! If you could play long enough he would sometimes feed you quarters for this game, just so he could laugh more. Even though I die a lot playing this game i still go back to it as it reminds me of a time when a bully was changed into a regular kid & i hope he is still happy & playing this game somewhere out there now!
Ghosts n Goblins on NES, I only finished 1 time. Ghouls n Ghosts for Genesis, twice. Both extremely difficult challenges of trial and error. Lots of patience. Great history here, thanks!
One game that made me quit arcade games ( although it was a fun game ) was Gauntlet . When i realized , whoa im just feeding more quarters so i can keep playing ?
Ghosts and Goblins was the bane of my childhood and I have several broken controllers and one shattered cart to prove it. I swore off playing it when, after nearly 4 hours of constant playing--stopping only up use the bathroom--I was greeted by the THIS ROOM IN AN ILLUSION screen...that resulted in the aforementioned broken cart. It wasn't until last year I FINALLY managed to beat this infernal game after getting my hands on a NES console...yes I used Game Genie codes, but I don't care.
I played this one in the arcades during lunchbreak in school. Always stayed there to long, and was late for class. Fantastic game, love it. Later i got the c64 version at home. Excellent video 🙏thank you.
Not to tune my own horn, but I used to rock this game. I was one of the few that actually managed to finish the whole game. Starting over with the extra difficulty. I also found a trick on stage one, to play the game without a time limit and score the highest score possible. On stage one as you mentioned, there are magicians that pop out after you hit the tomb stone 15 times, if I recall. After the magician comes out and before he turned you into a frog, I would wait a few seconds before time would run out on the clock, and you would die, I would hit the tomb stone to bring out the magician, so he would then throw his spell tours you and turn you into a frog just as time would run out. You would then be magically brought back to life. And you could stay on the stage without a time limit and score the highest points possible. But the only thing was, you would remain a frog as long as you stay on the stage. You can still die though, but if you didn't venture too far, you could manage the zombie hordes coming your way.
@happyclown0306 These are the war stories from back in the days. Just simply by playing the game to death. I recently played the game again, after watching this video, and you actually turn back into Arthur, after being turned into a frog and time runs out. But without the time limit as I mentioned. I also found a trick on Double dragon to get unlimited credits. But that one is a little more complicated to pull off.
Apparently, the PS2 game Hungry Ghosts (which never got a release outside of Japan) is what Tokuro Fujiwara intended as the "true vision" of GnG. Its a survival horror game and it seems really cool but I always want to be able to read the TONS of text, which is all in difficult Japanese that I dunno if a Google translation could help at all.
Thanks for all the informative videos. I have learned a few new things I had not heard on other channels about certain games. I think your channel will catch on soon.
Played many hours on the C64 and snes. And I love the C64 music especially when it starts jamming after a minute or so. Definitely one of those games that I have the music get stuck in my head until this day.
This game was crazy making hard! I either liked or was indifferent to most arcade games, but this one had a special place of loathing within me. It was simply too difficult to play more than a few minutes. What made it really hard was not the game play itself (although this was mind numbingly difficult) but the great graphic's and audio that would lure me to sacrifice just one more hard earned quarter in an attempt to make it an extra few inches further in the game. If I tried play the game at my age now I would have to take blood pressure pills.
Great video. I really admire the fact that you don't rely on cringy memes and unnecessary guest appearances like certain other gaming-related RU-vidrs on here.
The Ghouls n Ghosts conversion for the C64 wasn't bad - and the music was fantastic. I still have an fragment of a memory leaving the title screen running with the music on a loop in the background while doing my math homework in third or forth grade. Ghouls n Ghosts was also a little bit easier, I don't think I ever got past level 2 of Ghosts n Goblins.
I Had No Idea there was a PSP Ghouls and Ghost and here I thought I was an aficionado LOL! Time to go on Amazon and/or call my vintage gaming stores.. I must try that game!
6:40 The Horrendous Horrible Box Art What in The Heck Were They Thinking Just Like The Angry Video Game Nerd Most iconic Catchphrase Quote And He Still Use His iconic Quote Word is This What Were They Thinking!!! Quote That Word is Totally Awesome...
I remember when the *Rock 'N' Rope* kit was put in a different game cabinet at the local _Putt-Putt Golf & Games_ arcade and we got hooked immediately. I don't remember what game PCB it was swapped out with.
There's something about The C64 port's music gives me a chuckle. Its like they couldn't license the real music, and went "Lets go for something spoopy!"
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries It's charming. A lot of home computer ports of games like that had to do original scores as they were developed by smaller developers. Sometimes a high school kid did all the work.
There was an infinity time cheat in the arcade original, you could then rack up any score you wanted and earn as many lives too - What you had to do was hit one of the tombstones I think it was 12 times or whatever number it was to be just one hit away from releasing the spell thing from the tombstone that turned you into a frog - You had to then hang around near enough to the tombstone, killing the zombies until the time was nearly out - It was then a matter of timing to hit the last hit on the tombstone as you just ran out of time, as the spell thing was released and came across the screen to turn you to a frog, you just had to jump in front of it as your time was out - You would obviously die and the bones would appear but if you timed it correctly the thing/spell from the tombstone would then hit the bones and not turn you to a frog but bring you back to life - You then had infinitive time, to rack up high scores and free lives, you could still also die. You could spend hours just killing zombies if you wanted.
the game designer said he made it difficult, to make it a challenge. but i think that greed was the real motive. the game probably make millions of extra $ for capcom, because of the difficulty.
Forgive me if somebody already mentioned this. Arcade version of the game is available as a arcade1up cabinet.it may still be available in Walmart I got it for $150 and I don't think it was some super clearance item. It has four games in total which is great cuz if you get super frustrated with ghosts and goblins you could play one of the other ones and get a break. Best of all No quarters as this game was the ultimate quarter muncher. Yesterday I played for 2 and 1/2 hours and only got two level five.
Iam so glad I found your channel it brings back good memories I had the amstrad cpc 464 I now realise it was probably the worst out of the 3 available in the U.K. spectrum zx+2, amstrad cpc 464, Commodore 64. Commodore 64 was highly rated. Iam suprised to see the amstrad was better than others.
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed the content. The Amstrad spectrum had very little penetration over on this side of the pond so I Wasn't familiar with them until years later
PatmanQC - History of arcade game documentaries can I ask How old you are? I just turned 41. Also if you haven’t seen it “ king of Kong a fistful of quarters is An enjoyable watch was on Netflix a few years back.
I had both this and Ghouls n Ghosts on my Good ol' Commodore 64 in the early 90s. I loved the first one, as I remembered it from the arcade in town,and was delighted to have something so like it on the computer. Ghouls n Ghosts then,- the graphics on the c64 port are considerably poorer than the original strangly enough- least thats what I thought. But the playability is brilliant,- even though it was absolute impossibly bastard hard. I tell ye this though- the Tim Follin soundtrack for Ghouls n Ghosts on the c64 is to this day, some of my all time favorite video game music. From the opening titles, all the way to the eerie doom and gloom of the final level, each stage has an utterly brilliant , memorable score. Full of atmosphere, haunting melodies and really, all these years later, I still love to listen to those tunes. The spooky, weird dream freak outs of stage 3 is one thing to behold, but Level 4's soundtrack still reigns. Building from a haunting, icy sprinkling of high notes, it builds to a huge emotive crescendo. I remember getting to play the Megadrive conversion, and absolutly loved the game to bits, but was actually disapointed that the music on level 4 was'nt based on the c64 tune! Wonderful, entertaining lookbacks ya got on this channel, man. Love it- regards from Ireland.
For the C64 there has been a completely face-lifted version done by Nostalgia: csdb.dk/release/?id=139257 This version has longer levels, adds missing levels and other bits and pieces from the arcade. It's really awesome. The C64 version of Ghouls'n'Ghosts is also pretty damn good. Only the collision detection is a bit off which makes the game harder than it needs to be. However, the in-game music is just *awesome*. The SID really shines there.
@@PatmanQC-Arcade-Documentaries I totally understand this decision. That being said, I find it important to also spread word that old platforms are still alive and to this day have a vivid community.
I noticed you didn't mention Maximo: Ghosts to Glory. I know its not 2D and all, but it still is a Ghosts n' Goblins game. I remember getting it back in 2001 not realizing it was a Ghosts n Goblins update until the main character's armor got knocked off and was reduced to wearing the classic heart boxers. As with the original games there was definitely a learning curve. The frustration of just getting through the first level was on par with the originals, though a lot about the game had changed. Anyway, just thought I would mention this. Thanks for posting all these vids of video game history. Keep it up!
It should be noted that the NES version of Ghosts and Goblins was released by Capcom but not programmed by them. It was farmed out to another studio called Micronics who also did programming on a number of other mediocre to awful NES games for other publishers. NES Works #032 on another YT channel has an excellent video covering Ghosts and Goblins. NES Works #031 covers another Capcom released NES game, 1942, that Micronics also did a terrible job on.
Awsome game, one of my favorites i played a lot. Still have to say, one of the hardest games ever and i still could never beat it and havent yet. Loved how he turned into skeleton when lost lives. Would be another cool walmart cabinet game for home. 👍🏻 loved super ghouls and ghosts which had on SNES.
I have always like this series for I played this classic cause in a take away place near my school had it and commando and bomb jack and express raider beside it and got a lot of 5th and 6th years players at lunchtime and I played it at a quiet time when they were not hogging the arcades
Super ghouls n ghosts on snes. Is one of my favorite games. I got to the very end and didnt know you need to beat it twice to get the right ending. I never beat it again.... yet
You might be interested in the bbc drama it’s called micro men I just seen it’s also called syntax Era: DescriptionMicro Men, working title Syntax Era is a one-off BBC drama television programme set in the late 1970s and the early-mid 1980s, about the rise of the British home computer market. It focuses on the rivalry between Sir Clive Sinclair, who developed the ZX Spectrum, and Chris Curry, the man behind the BBC Micro. It is funny interesting and good drama it’s worth the watch.
This game is one of my all-time favorites. It was very difficult. One of the only N. E. S. games I was unable to finish. I think I made to the 3rd level. Commando and Trojan were both great CAPCOM titles from the same period.
I actually have the C64 music for Ghosts and Goblins as the ring tone on my phone. I recall playing the arcade game via emulator (never saw it in real life) and my recollection was that, although hard, all of the game was reasonably balanced except for a stage in the final area where you had to climb up one of those staircases and there was a demon who'd toss fireballs at you as well as swooping down on you. That bit wasn't balanced IMO, I never found a good method of handling it since your attacks go forward and it was above and in front of you.
I used to play this on my Amstrad 6128 and it kicked my behind regularly. I really liked the movement and graphics, but i never got that far along... I remember you had to play without an armor if you were injured...
There's a great Japan-only collection for PS1 called the Arthur Chronicles. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcom_Generations#Capcom_Generations_2:_Chronicles_of_Arthur I picked it up years ago in Japan, it's awesome!
