Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts
| Developer: Software Creations | Graphics: |
 | |
| Publisher: US Gold | Sound: |
 | |
| Year: 1989 | Difficulty: |
 | |
| Genre: Platformer | Lastability: |
| |
| Number of players: 1 | Rating: |
5/10 | |
The sequel to Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins. The number of weapons increases to seven. There’s also a golden armour that grants the ability to charge a special attack unique to each weapon. And finally, the long-desired ability to shoot vertically makes its debut.
Interestingly, the Amiga port of Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts (arcade, 1988) was released a year before the port of the original. It’s widely considered the weaker of the two. You’ll notice that the width and level of embellishment of the status bar (showing lives and score) are rarely good signs. This trick is usually employed to cut down on slowdowns by shrinking the playable area and thereby reducing the machine’s workload. It’s rarely sufficient. Isn’t that right, Wonderboy? Strider?
Let’s give credit where it’s due: this second instalment was far more polished (on arcade), with greater variety in enemies and environments, as well as more refined visual effects. I imagine this made it harder to adapt for computers and consoles. Still, that doesn’t excuse it falling so far short of its Sega Genesis counterpart…
The Amiga version stands out solely for its original soundtrack, but sadly, it lacks any sound effects whatsoever.
For once, I’d recommend an alternative to arcade emulation: the excellent adaptation (or sequel?) Super Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts (Super Nintendo, 1991), which introduces a new type of armour (green) and adds double-jumping (among other features). That said, it too suffers from frequent slowdowns. A modified version (for emulators) called Super Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts Restauration fixes this shortcoming.
|
