Friday Night Rentals: Ghosts'N Goblins

Intro:

Hard games can sometimes act as the gateway for our memories. We look back and say things like "Nintendo Hard," when it comes to certain cartridges of the Nintendo Entertainment System's heyday.  Ghost'N Goblins by Capcom easily enters that pantheon of retro gaming with the "Nintendo Hard" label with its difficult jumps where there was no turning back, relentless enemies that literally spawned on top of you, and one-touch deaths all set against a back drop of sometimes pant-less knight on a quest fighting the forces of darkness. When playing this game as a kid, I readily remember not just the frustration of barley making it to level two, but being absolutely convinced that the game was cheating somehow. (This was in the time before we knew games like Super Mario Kart really were cheating, but I digress). So, was it just as frustrating to play as an adult as it was a kid?

Gameplay:

You are King Arthur, and one day while courting the princess Prin Prin none other than Satan himself comes along and kidnaps the object of your affection. And so begins your quest to, what else, rescue the princess. While the scenario seems familiar, the added bonus of fighting the father of all lies is a nice twist on the genre. You battle your way through zombies, ghosts, demons, and an assortment of big boss fights on your quest to defeat Satan and rescue Prin Prin. Along the way you can collect various weapons, such as torches and knives, and power ups ranging from simple point bonuses to extra lives. Each time you get a weapon it replaces the previous weapon you had, and you even keep that new weapon after you die--until you acquire a new weapon. The challenges in the game can seem on the unforgiving side as you have no control over your character once you make a jump. If you mistime a jump on to a floating platform, there are no Mario-physics to help you undo that jump, you are committed. Flicker is also a minor issue here. Though it's impressive the game can get a number of sprites on the screen at the same time without too much in terms of slowdown, flickering can sometimes cause difficulty in tracking the various monsters.

One of the more notorious "features" of Ghosts'N Goblins is the, "false ending/untrue ending" you get after beating the game. As it turns out, you have to beat the game twice in a row in order to truly win and receive the proper ending. The game had no passwords, so were you to manage to navigate your way through Satan's minions and defeat him, you had more of the same to look forward too. At the time, I had no idea that when games did this sort of thing, it was a way to artificially extend the game and keep you playing. Today, we tend to think of it as just adding to the frustration of the game itself.


Graphics and Style:

I like that the backgrounds for the game are always pitch black as it helps set the tone of game. With monsters that sometimes boarder on too colorful, (red, white, and blue zombies?) to enemies that can look like a frank in a blanket--the game needs some darker colors to help make some of the monsters look scarier. Now, the red gargoyle demon and little trolls looked evil enough on their own, for sure--but those monsters weren't all winners.  

For what it was worth though, a great job was done on the detail when it came to the monsters, tombstones, ladders, trees, and the various elements that provided setting for Ghosts'N Goblins. The sprites may have flickered, but I wasn't noticing them so much and I think that was because of the details thrown in by Capcom.

Music and Sound Design:

As far as music goes, I don't know that I have too much more to add from my separate Midweek Music Box about Ghosts N Goblins. Everything I said there still applies. The tunes create that horror movie feel and make the soundtrack an instant classic. It's hard not to think of the music for the first stage just seeing the image for the game:

"Stage One OST"

All the music tracks in that game have this appeal. With literally hundreds of games on the Nintendo Entertainment System, it was could have been difficult to make a soundtrack that stood out. Capcom was in their prime here not only in game making, in sound composition. Ayako Mori created a sound and feel for this game that puts you either in the mood for hard gameplay or Halloween. Sometimes both. Also, as a lover of the harpsichord, I have to say that hearing the NES do it's best to emulate that sound is pretty darned cool as well.

When it comes to sounds used within the game. It's not half bad. I know that AVGN said the odd-flying hot dog-like creatures were annoying with the high-pitched squealing noise that they made, but I guess I find it midway between annoying and atmospheric. Admittedly, the sounds are lackluster compared to not just modern games, but even games from the same time period. But when you think about it, the creepy/annoying sounds work for the tone of the game. You are in a land filled with Satan's minions; of course they are trying to freak you out by squealing and growling at you.

Memories and New Thoughts:

Castlevania shares a large brunt of the reason why this game was so much more difficult back in the day. Why is that?

I had already rented Mega Man, Section Z, and Gun.Smoke by the time I got around to trying this game. I knew that even if the game was hard and at times frustrating; that it was Capcom and Capcom meant was "State of the Art" just like the boxes promised. I have to say that the two times I rented this were some of the most aggravating experiences I've ever had on the NES, second only to Cybernoid. Had I known that the knife in Ghosts'N Goblins was the weapon to have, I think my experience could have been different as a kid.

I mean, come on! As a kid, everyone knew that you used pitchforks and torches to fight off monsters. You'd think that this would be especially true of a game with a horror movie type feel. Nope. It was and always has been the knife. I have Angry Video Game Nerd to thank for that bit of knowledge entirely. If I had to guess why a seemingly simple dagger trumps a torch or spear, I would guess it has something to do with the animation. The spear is a large object that explodes when it hits an enemy. The torch lets loose with a nice tall wall of flame if it hits the ground. When you lob the knife, it has less pixels to animate across the screen, has a relatively quick "shatter" animation when it hits, and if you miss it goes across the screen quickly--meaning you can throw a new one more quickly. Again, these are totally layman guesses though.

As it stands, playing this game decades later can still lead to frustration. Death comes easily, and quickly. However, knowing that the what I once took for granted as the weakest weapon was, in fact, the best one, makes it a little more likely that I may actually see the end of this game.

If only I could get a bit further than the first level now that I actually know all this...

Friday Night Rentals: Super Ghouls and Ghosts

Honestly, I have no excuse.

I never took a blow to the head, never took people up on dares, and never got past level two in the original NES game.  So why would I think that when I rented Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts my experience would be marked by anything other than quick deaths, maddening frustration, and the lingering longing to have rented something else from the video store?  Well, I'm a glutton for punishment and this was a SUPER game you see.  So naturally that meant that I had a SUPER time coming my way and that my beloved Mega Man producing Capcom would have learned their lesson.  No more of those cheap deaths and lingering regrets this time!  Right?  Well, no.  The only SUPER thing was my frustration.  I couldn't believe I had rented the upgraded version of this game.  What was I thinking?  Did I like torturing myself back then?  Well, it's time to relive the frustration and fun, it's Halloween time and this is Super Ghouls N' Ghosts.

Graphics/Style

You're a knight fighting monsters across ghastly landscapes and horror themed backgrounds again.  So is this game just Ghosts 'N Goblins suped up?  To a degree you could say that, but it's more than than just a few tweaks of a classic game.  Game makers were eager to show off their chops on the "new" Super Nintendo by making use of mode 7, parallax scrolling, and multi-layered backgrounds.  Yes, Arthur has shiner armor, and yes, the wide color palette makes everything that much cooler, but it's the attempt to make use of the systems capabilities that really helps the game to stand the test of time.  Capcom gave us something familiar when it came to the overall look of the sprites and style they were done in, but they also took risks in making certain creatures and settings a bit more grim and ghoulish.  Arthur and his "pals" got an upgrade for sure, and it's great looking one to boot.  Ghouls 'N Ghosts never felt like it had forgotten it's roots merely in favor of looking new.  Instead, it took what we knew from before and gave it an overhaul to bring it into the more "modern" 90's.

Music/Sound

"Haunted Graveyard"

Synthesized organ music makes a triumphant return, this time with the richer sounds of the Super Nintendo to help enhance the experience.  Okay, it might not have the full orchestration that modern game could have, but it still feels like I'm listening to some odd pipe organ music.  Much like other entries in the Capcom library at this time, the team at Capcom had the ability to churn out soundtracks that were both memorable and enjoyable.  I meant what I said in my review of the Ghosts 'N Goblins music, I love it when a game with classic monsters takes the time to make the soundtrack feel appropriately matched.  

An added bonus with making the transition to the Super Nintendo is the extra layers of sound that are brought to the table.  You've got synthesized organ, flute, and several other instruments.  And, while I like the soundtrack to the original Ghosts 'N Goblins well enough, there are moments that are a tad tinny for my tastes, so it doesn't really make it on to my iPod.  Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts though is welcome anytime on my video game music playlist, especially around Halloween.

Gameplay

Satan has made off with your maiden, so it's rescuin' time!  Like last time, you're fighting your way through undead legions, classic monsters, and insane obstacles.  Also like last time, you have two hits and you're dead.  First your armor flies off, then another hit and the meat gets ripped from your bones, just like in real life.  Also, you can't throw upward, which feels like a bit of artificial difficulty.  It's funny that this feels a tad on the cheap side because when you think about it, you don't get the luxury of throwing Mario's fireballs upward, and in the NES Castlevanias you could never whip upward--so why does it feel cheap here? Maybe its the difficulty of the game and sheer number of enemies that seem to attack from above.  If they can get above me to try and skeletonize me, I should have the capacity to chuck a knife in their general direction.

Obviously the old saying of "Nintendo Hard" comes to mind when playing this game, but there are moments in my opinion when the game does cross that line into cheap-ville.  I don't mind monsters coming at me from all sides, but sometimes you get a natural obstacle that pops up and kills you, so it feels less like skill was needed, and more like a case of trial and error.  There's a part right in the first level where a massive wave of water hits the screen and next think you know, Arthur finds himself swept out to sea!  There are other parts later in the game where the ground suddenly shifts under your feet and you suddenly find obstacles you've already passed hurtling towards you and murdering your unsuspecting rear-end!  Sometimes this feels so cheap it's hard not to scream.

I will say this though; when you do get past a level it's an immensely satisfying feeling that's hard to beat.  Yeah, you died countless times.  Yeah, you're on your last continue and you've barely reached level 2.  Yeah, there are no checkpoints and death means starting from the beginning of the level.  But it feels worth it when you beat the level boss and are ready to continue the quest to defeat Satan and rescue your gal.

Control

You can't talk about the control in the Ghosts 'N Goblins franchise without mentioning the way the knight jumps.  Once you take that leap, you are committed to that direction.  No take-backs!  Either you make the jump or fall to your death.  Either that or land on an enemy and have the flesh ripped from you body like it can't wait to get away from you. 

Other than that, it feels great to move Arthur around, hurling spears, flaming torches, and of course, the all-important knife.  While certain aspects of the jump mechanic feel cheap, tossing weapons and moving around on screen feels natural and satisfying.  When you duck and dodge enemies and die, you know that it was you who screwed up.  Yes, it's hard as all-flipping get out, but you still know that with a bit of practice you can master the game...at least, well...you can master it well enough to move around with some dexterity.  Winning, now that's another matter entirely.

Final Thoughts

Of course this game still has a high frustration factor, even to this day!  That doesn't go away with time, but wounds can heal over time.  And I would like to say that my emotional scarring has healed up.  No longer do I think that the game is impossible.  No longer do I wish I could return my copy to the store for a better game.  I've learned that it was a better game than most other games on the market back in the day.  Heck!  I'd say that it's better than many triple A games on the market now.  It may not be the best game in the world for unwinding from a long day, but it's still a classic game worth its salt and a replay this Halloween, or any time of year.

Midweek Music Box: Ghosts 'N Goblins

If you like to swear in frustration, Ghosts 'N Goblins was a good place to start.  But other than the ability to make gamers rattle off a litany of swear words worth of the Angry Video Game Nerd, it had the ability to set tone with the few notes afforded to it thanks to the system limitations.  Continuing with Halloween themed reviews, this week I've got another familiar title I'd like to talk about.  Harkening back to a time when cinema was restricted to whatever organ music was on hand to accompany the film, Ghosts 'N Goblins embraces a macabre feeling with every note that's played.  Take for instance the music that plays when you start up the game:

"Game Start"

Can't you just picture some sort of Phantom of the Opera-type creature banging away at an organ as this plays?  Granted the setting Ghost 'N Goblins goes for has more in common with a medieval setting--what with knights and princesses fighting the devil himself--but the game composer went for a classic horror genre feel for the music.  Take a listen to the music from stage one:

 

"Stage 1 Theme"

Doesn't it make you think of films with Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff?  If it doesn't, then you need to make time in your game-playing schedule for some classic horror because you're missing out.  While those early films may seem a tad campy to us at first glance, they really do offer an unsettling look into the darker side of reality and unleash a world of possibilities that many don't want to think about for too long.  Sure, Ghosts 'N Goblins on a basic level is just your run-of-the-mill action platformer, however the ideas it presents should strike us as a bit unsettling.  Satan himself wants your bride and will literally unleash hell to get her and keep you from reclaiming her.  Classic horror movie stuff happening here.  You've got a terrible monster with evil intent and only one man stands between him and his fiendish desires.  

One last track I want to direct you to is the boss battle music here:

"Boss Battle"

Again, you've got the feel of some one banging away on a pipe organ (within the limitations of the system) and it makes the already nerve racking battles take on a level of intensity that not only ups the ante of an already difficult task, but helps make it feel that much more like you're playing in a classic horror movie.  I hope it doesn't sound (Ha!  Audio pun!) like I'm stretching the comparison too far here, it just takes takes me back to film class.  While it might not have the creep factor of random violin scratches and heart-like drum beats, it does what it can to give you music that fits the tone of the game.  While the Ghosts 'N Goblins soundtrack doesn't exactly make it into my playlists around Halloween, I do enjoy hearing it in all it's 8-bit glory around this time of year, and you should make time to listen and play it too.