Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

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JaySevenZero
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Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can leave your thoughts regarding Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura) for possible inclusion in the podcast when it's recorded.
lowestformofwit

Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by lowestformofwit »

This is such an odd one.

I have strong nostalgic feelings for this game but I probably shouldn't as the experience is never very enjoyable. The game is too hard due to its coin-op roots. I remember playing a Spectrum conversion on a rainy day when I was probably very young and the furthest I ever got was the Crystal Castles (?) section (maybe level 3 - memory is very fuzzy). It's such a laugh that to complete it the game throws you back at the start...

Maybe I was just too rubbish. Maybe I needed to git gud?

Iconic though. Always pick up the daggers, avoid the firebomb 'power-up' always...
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stvnorman
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Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by stvnorman »

I bought this and London to Brighton steam train simulator Southern Belle for the ZX Spectrum at the same time, and suffice to say Southern Belle didn’t get a look in for a very long time!

I think at the height of my expertise I got to the first boss, a winged demon that bounced around at you if I remember correctly. Funny thing is I never thought about it being that difficult – which retrospectively I now know it to be notoriously so in the history of gaming! I was more than happy in that graveyard, and never even considered there being more to the game than this. (Which ironically there wasn’t much more of on the Spectrum). Just die and restart without too much frustration, which is one of the many qualities that makes this a classic of the eighties on any platform, a great conversion for the Spectrum, and one of my favourite games ever.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by ratsoalbion »

Sorry to rain on your parade Steve, but the Speccy conversion was waaaaay easier than the original coin-op!
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stvnorman
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Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by stvnorman »

ratsoalbion wrote: January 10th, 2018, 9:55 pm Sorry to rain on your parade Steve, but the Speccy conversion was waaaaay easier than the original coin-op!
What do you mean? The Speccy version was arcade-perfect wasn’t it???

Yes, I remember that, though my experience of the coin-op was extremely limited. I quickly decided there were far better ways of stretching full value out of a precious 10p - namely Shao-lin’s Road around that time if I remember right. Anyway, it’s all relative. Kids today with their new-fangled Dark Souls or Super Meatboy don’t know they’re born!
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Joe81
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Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by Joe81 »

Sometime around 1988 or 1989, when I was 7-8 years old, I first started becoming aware of video games and soon started spending most of my free time with them. In order to play I had to go to my best friends house who had an NES with a collection of games that contained many of what I now consider to be my all-time favorites: Metroid, Super Mario Bros 2, Zelda 2, Mega Man 2, , and one game in which I was particularly intrigued; Ghosts n Goblins.

I remember being frightened by the monsters on the cover and that any time I asked my friend to play it he would say no and that it was 'too hard' or just 'not fun', so I was left to my own imagination as to what the actual gameplay was like based on screenshots, etc.

I never played that copy of Ghosts n Goblins, but in the summer of 1991 I managed to get a hold of a copy of my own from another friend and began a period of sisyphean futility where I attempted to beat the (seemingly) unbeatable. I failed of course and moved on to other things; what else could a ten year old do when confronted with this game? My friend was right, Ghosts n Goblins was TOO hard. However, unlike my friend I enjoyed every second of it and spent waaaay too many hours that summer trying to beat it but never making it past the first parts of the third level. The 2nd level is unreasonably difficult IMO.

I recently bought this on my 3DS virtual console and found that I still really, really love this game and that I find the constant state of danger the player is in to still be every bit as butt-clenching as it ever was, the music, art and sounds to still be absolutely stellar examples of the best the genre has to offer, and yes, I still find this game to be just as soul-crushingly difficult. GG Capcom.

Three word review:
Faster restarts please!
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Re: 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by ThirdDrawing »

I have fond memories of playing this on the Commodore 64, with its distinctly different soundtrack. I'm sure the difficulty will be talked about during the podcast and I always ended up quitting out of frustration. I never managed to finish it but I always loved the aesthetic and monster design. Even back then, I was a horror fan and this felt like it was made for me much more than Mario. It was what kept me coming back again and again, because I wanted to see what other horror elements the game had.

About 2006, I was traveling in Japan and stumbled across a Capcom collection for the PS1. I was vaguely aware of the history of the game but had no idea there had been a collection for PS1. I had neither seen nor thought of the game in years and I immediately jumped at the chance for unbridled nostalgia. I began to doubt my memory because I was sure the music had been different (I was right) but it was a joy to come back to the game. The muscle memory came flooding back and while I did get further than I remembered getting, I still haven't finished it. I'm still trying though, and I still find myself humming the C64 music as I play.
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Re: Our next podcast recording (2.9.18) - 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by Nupraptor »

Don't think I ever made it past the first few screens!
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Re: Our next podcast recording (3.9.18) - 335: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by Simonsloth »

On the whole I generally like to post on the podcast thread when I have finished a game but in this instance I admit defeat.

I have started this more times than I care to remember and each time have been defeated at an early hurdle. Even clearing the first area was an accomplishment. Ive always viewed it as my video game nemesis and only for revered savants to finish.

Since seeing onecreditben’s impressive YouTube run I have been inspired to go back and with the benefit of save states have inched my way forward but it always feels like luck rather than skill which gets me that little bit further. This is further hampered by the fact the game is relentless and unlike say mario where you are given a chance to breathe there is almost no respite to be had at any point. It’s heart pounding, adrenaline inducing stuff at times but these moments are outweighed by deaths. Oh so many deaths.

I know the game is notorious and I would loved to have been among the elite to have finished it but I’m not. I will keep trying though.
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Re: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by Stanshall »

Great show, I really enjoyed Ben's contributions and I've rather got into his 1CC stuff over the past few months. Slightly different tone but I like it. The highlight was Michiel getting pumped up to Welcome to the Terrordome!
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Michiel K
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Re: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Makaimura)

Post by Michiel K »

^^^^ "I'VE GOT SO MUCH TROUBLE ON MY MIND / REFUUUUUUUSE TO LOOSE!"
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