Ghosts N Goblins Resurrection (Switch)

Arthur is back! I don’t really know what else to say in the intro as I’m still reeling from hell being frozen over and Capcom breaking the Ghosts N Goblins seal one more time!.

So if you aren’t versed in the earlier years of gaming you may have missed the original “Dark Souls” of gaming (yeah it hurt to write that), Ghosts n Goblins. The torture device slash video game was a grueling 2D Run and Gun platformer starting Arthur the Knight as he takes down the forces of Hell to save his betrothed, armed with a Lance and polkadot boxer shorts Arthur aimed to stick it to the Shadow Lord and is minions in one of the toughest series in all the land.

Since then there has been several titles and even spin offs involving one of the more iconic foes that Arthur has but ladies and gentlemen, this ain’t no Gargoyles Quest or Maximo, this is Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection and it’s going straight for your soft spot.

Once again it’s a 2D run and gun platformer, same story albeit present in a Shadow Puppet visual style which if I’m honest wasn’t so much of an issue while playing but I didn’t care for it at all in the few cutscenes or while trying to admire the graphics.

For those unfamiliar with Ghosts N Goblins there are several quirks of the series which have remained in this title, aside from the difficulty which will be discussed in due time. First off, Arthur has some stiff Castlevania jumping and knockback, this will alot of the time foil your runs and see you starting again. 

Initially you can only hold 1 weapon at a time, should you break a chest while holding your favourite weapon you are almost guaranteed to get the one you don’t want, holy water grenade or crossbow with its split attack but slow fire be damned!.

As I just mentioned Ghosts N Goblins is a hard as nails series and this one makes no bones about standing with its peers, fortunately for the less masochistic there are tweaks and options should you want the less than cripplingly painful authentic trip.

First off there is the main difficulty, you can have an balls to the walls hard mode classic GnG game or drop it down a bit where you can take more hits, have less foes and generally have a slightly easier time, don’t worry it’ll still make you work for the win. If you happen to still be struggling even on the lowest difficulty you can also adjust enemy speeds in the options too which gives you a further advantage.

Finally there are collectible “Umbral Bees” in the game’s 7 stages which allow you to unlock various magic and tricks, including holding more than 1 weapon which turns Arthur into a swiss army pocket knife of doom!.

Naturally because it’s Ghosts n Goblins when you finally reach the Shadowlord and vanquish him, then you have to play the game again with even more difficulty, alongside extra collectables to unlock another final boss and an extra ending.

While 7 stages doesn’t sound much with the difficulty and collectables you’ll get a fair few hours out of the game, alongside high scores and higher difficulties you’ll find yourself returning to Ghosts n Goblins time and time again.

Overall Ghosts N Goblins Resurrection is a fantastic modernization of a classic title, its tough no matter how you play it but there is enough options to tailor it to be manageable levels of difficulty. I love Ghosts N Goblins and this latest title stands side by side with the original releases and is one for retro lovers around the kingdom.