Super Ghouls'n Ghosts (1991)

This game is a brutally challenging side-scrolling action-platformer developed by Capcom, the MC is called Arthur, a knight who must battle through hordes of undead and demonic enemies to rescue a princess, so a very generic plot. It is famous for its punishing difficulty: precise jumps, enemy swarms, and no mid-level checkpoints push players to their limits, and even though I consider myself to have an above average skill when it comes to platforming, this game beat my ass. This is also a trait of the PlayStation 2 title called Maximo, which is a spiritual successor, I highly recommend it.

The double jump mechanic was a standout feature at the time, adding depth to platforming, the gothic visuals and eerie soundtrack enhance the dark fantasy atmosphere, and the SNES upgrade brought colorful, detailed sprites and smoother animations over its arcade predecessors. I consider this 2D era of Capcom to be one of the most creative and highest quality pixel-art of all time. I mentioned this on other reviews and I can't stress this enough, this was one of Capcom's golden era. There is also replay value since you can beat the secret boss if you are willing to do some things on a second run, I confess that I didn't bothered to try, so a single run was enough for me.

The weapon system further reinforces the game’s unforgiving nature, as the MC is often at the mercy of whatever weapon he picks up next. Some weapons are situationally powerful, while others can feel borderline useless in certain stages, forcing you to adapt on the fly rather than rely on a single comfort choice. This design can be frustrating, but it also adds tension to every pickup and encounter, making survival feel earned rather than guaranteed. Combined with the limited armor system, where a single mistake can strip you down to his boxers, the game constantly reminds you that confidence is temporary and punishment is always close.

Despite all its cruelty, this title remains a memorable and influential title that represents both the best and worst of old-school game design. It demands patience, pattern memorization, and near-perfect execution, which will either push some people toward mastery or drive them away entirely. For those willing to endure its relentless challenge, however, it delivers a strong sense of accomplishment that few modern games replicate. It’s not a game I would rush to replay, but as a piece of gaming history, it absolutely deserves respect.

It is brutally difficult, but this is (unfortunately) my favorite kind of challenge. Overall, the game is actually pretty fair despite its difficulty. The sprites and environments look great. The music is good. The powerups are a huge improvement from the previous versions. It is actually a very charming game. It's hard to believe games can be this difficult though. It was insanely hard, and I've beaten some other "all time hardest games" like Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden as well.

It seems like it would be nearly impossible to beat this all in one go as would've been required on a SNES copy. I played a ROM on my 3DS and used save states. I used them before bosses periodically because the levels are so difficult and eat up so much time as you try to learn them. Even if you're hardcore, I would say play it that way so you can practice different portions without spending all that time repeating the levels. (You're gonna have to beat it twice anyway, so who gives af.)

I bet that I will revisit this for another playthrough next year. It took me about a week of picking up and playing 30 minutes a day.

I beat Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts yesterday on the Switch. I habitually used the rewind fuction and save states to do so, but I really enjoyed playing thru the game, while being challenge, but also feeling like I could actually beat the game with rewinds/save states.

The art style is amazing. I liked the variation in the enemies a lot. And exploring which weapons I liked using most was a lot of fun.

The bosses weren't nearly as cool as the levels themselves. I thought the first bird boss was interesting, but the rest a little mediocre. The final boss in the first play through in particular was just plain boring.

The Difficulty Right, so after I beat the game I find out there is a second run through on a harder difficulty, which I will probably try later. But, for the time being, I wanted to try to see how far I could get without habitually using the rewind function.

After an hour of cursing and frustration that answer is, halfway thru level 1... I honestly don't know how people find this game fun without rewind and save states. Its brutally hard, to the point of near cruelty.

I know some people relish the near impossible difficulty of some game, I am not one of those. Without save states and rewind I would have quickly moved on.

So overall, with modern comforts its fun and different. Without them, I wouldn't play beyond an hour.

I started playing this once it was put onto Switch thru their online service that now has SNES games on it. Normally a platformer like this would get me super frustrated and eventually abandoning playing it; however, the rewind function the port allows, in addition to save states, makes the game approachable, while still hard.

I have been having a LOT of fun with the game, the artwork and ambiance is super cool, and it has been a lot of fun experimenting with the different weapon types.

I have one more level left before beating the game, so full review once I finish.

Gameplay, Story and Value:

Different versions of Ghouls 'n' Ghosts all had different tweaks made to the mechanics, while still featuring air tight handling and controls. On the Genesis, Arthur could fire his weapons in any directions, while on the SNES you could only fire the direction you were facing. On the Genesis you had no control over your jumps once you left the ground, and while that's still true on the SNES version, you were also given the ability to jump again in midair, in a different direction should you so choose. These are the major mechanical differences between the 16-bit iterations of this game, and the difference they make is great enough that you can't really call them the same game anymore!

You still need to beat the game twice to get a proper ending, and doing so is still obscenely difficult. Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts has an entirely new map built around the changes it's made to gameplay, and the result is a journey through some truly nefarious stages. Added to this version of the game are some new weapons, including the Bow and Scythe, a new suit of Magic Armor which changes the way your weapons work and allows you to upgrade to the power-boosted Gold Armor. Also introduced in this version is some serious lag, which I have a hard time calling an issue as it grants you some much needed time to think during sticky situations.

Death will come often and without mercy, and will usually be followed by obscenities and controller throwing. Still, the reward for learning the game and slowly pushing through situations that once seemed impossible makes up for what it demands of you. Stages are populated by a variety of enemies and end in often-epic boss encounters.

Yes, it's insanely tough, but that's what makes it all so much fun. Unfortunately, you'll have to face the challenge all in one sitting, as the game does not allow for any form of continuation if you decide to power it off.

Presentation, Music and Sound:

The game looks fantastic and makes excellent use of the SNES' capabilities. Stages are creepy and distinct, and many of them offer full on style shifts in the middle of the level. You'll run up and down spiraling towers, navigate through rotating dungeons and ride a dipping and bobbing raft through a long, narrow cavern. I can't really say this version looks any better than the Genesis version by default, but it's the clever use of the hardware that really sets it apart.

Music is great as well, but I'd have to say the tracks aren't as memorable as in the Genesis version. Everything is still great and suits the environment perfectly though. Sound effects are fine and fit well into the game.

Afterthoughts:

When it comes to difficulty, no punches are pulled here and rankly I think that's what makes this game so great. The challenge is intense but fair, though that may not always seem like the case. Working your way through each section of each stage is hard, fun and addicting. I really would have liked to see a save system here, or at least passwords, as ultimately I just didn't have the mental stamina to keep attempting the game from the beginning.

Review:

Gameplay: