Summary
Similar to the first game, but with better music
The Good
Ghouls 'n Ghosts is the sequel to
Ghosts 'n Goblins, the 1985 coin-op hit. In that game, Princess Prin-Prin had been rescued from the legions of hell by King Arthur, the knight in shining armor. Now three years later, monsters begin to attack the kingdom once again. Prin-Prin is also recaptured, but this time, instead of keeping her for safe keeping, the legions of hell decide to use her for a dark ritual that will unleash an evil far greater than Arther has ever seen.
Ghouls plays similar to its older sibling. You move through a series of locales, destroying villains along the way with your usual weapons, until you reach the boss that holds the key to the next level. Touch any enemies and you lose your suit. Touch them again and you become a sorry pile of bones. There are some slight differences in the gameplay. There are some treasure chests scattered around the level. Shooting some of them will unleash a person in a cape who will put a curse on you that will turn you into a duck, and this curse lasts only for a few seconds. If you are lucky, shooting a chest will reveal a special suit. What I like about the suit is that it will enhance whatever weapon you are carrying, and will do more damage to an enemy. And you have infinite shots, so you can use it as many times as you like.
I enjoyed looking at the buildings in each of Ghouls's six levels, especially the village on level two. The bosses that you have to fight are well drawn, including the first boss that pokes its head out of its body and Lucifer, the huge devil that you meet at the end of the game. Their animations are good. I admired the way that the first boss sinks down into the ground when you have defeated him.
The music is composed by
Tim Follin, who did an excellent job at the music in this game, especially the theme music, as well as the music for level three. Out of all the versions that I have played, the C64 and the Amiga versions both have the best music.
The Bad
Level one of
Ghouls is similar to that of
GNG in that zombies still rise out from the ground above you, making its easier for you to lose your suit. The best way to avoid this is to keep running.
The only music that I hated in the game is the one played for level two. It is so kiddy that the music made me want to puke. Speaking of the sound, there is no sound effects in the game, and there is no option in the game where you can turn it on.
After you defeat Lucifer, there are no explosions to indicate that he is being destroyed. Text just pops up just to congratulate me for defeating him, while he is sitting there looking pretty.
The Bottom Line
Ghouls 'n Ghosts is slighter better than is predecessor. However, I felt that the game involves a much darker storyline. You may use the same weapons to defeat enemies, but a suit can be obtained, and this suit enhances your weapon. Also, the graphics of the bosses, as well as the normal enemies, are well done, and their animations are great. The music is terrific. So overall, this is
GNG with some extra bits added in.
