Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Box art for SNES version
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Producer(s)	Tokuro Fujiwara
Designer(s)	Tatsuya Minami Kimio Yamazoe
Composer(s)	Mari Yamaguchi
Platforms	SNES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Virtual Console, PlayStation 3, Nintendo eShop
Release date(s)	SNES version GBA version Wii Virtual Console Wii U Virtual Console Super Famicom/SNES Game Boy Advance
Genre(s)	Action/platform game
Mode(s)	Single-player

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, originally released in Japan as Chōmakaimura (超魔界村, Ultra Demon World Village), is a side-scrolling platform game produced by Capcom originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. It is the third game in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series. The game was included in the video game compilation Capcom Generations: Chronicles of Arthur for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, as well as in Capcom Classics Collection for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox and Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for the PlayStation Portable. A remake of the game was released for the Game Boy Advance which features an additional game mode with new stages. The original SNES version was released for the Wii Virtual Console and was released for the Wii U Nintendo eShop on May 16, 2013.

Plot

The player takes the role of the knight Arthur, who must once again rescue the Princess from the demons. The antagonist this time is the Emperor Sardius (known as Samael in the Japanese version), who has kidnapped the Princess in order to obtain the whereabouts of the Goddess' Bracelet, the only weapon capable of destroying Sardius. After making it to Sardius' castle, Arthur must return to the beginning where the Princess hid the bracelet in order to destroy Sardius permanently. After re-doing his journey, Arthur defeats Sardius with the bracelet and returns the Princess to the kingdom.

Gameplay

Arthur starts the game with an ordinary suit of armor, which may be upgraded up to three times. The first upgrade is bronze armor which enhances Arthur's firepower. The second upgrade is golden armor which allows Arthur to charge his firepower to unleash special magic attacks. The golden armor comes with a shield which can block one projectile before breaking. The last upgrade is a better shield which can block up to three projectiles before breaking and allow Arthur's firepower to charge up quicker. No matter how upgraded, his armor falls off following any touch by an enemy, leaving Arthur defenseless and clad only in his underwear, at which point he will die if hit again. Shields can only block projectiles if Arthur is standing still.

Like in Ghouls n' Ghosts, hidden treasure chests can be found for weapons, armor upgrades, bonus points and sometimes unwanted traps such as bear traps and evil magicians who transform Arthur. Treasure chests are hidden and can only be accessed by moving through certain specific areas of the screen, which causes them to appear.

One key feature is the "Double Jump", which allows Arthur to leap into the air, and then leap again. However the player has no direct control of Arthur's movement once in the air. The second jump can change direction, but that is the only control players have.

Sticking with tradition, players have to complete the game twice in a row, the second time with a special weapon (the Goddess' Bracelet, which only appears during the second playthrough), in order to confront the evil boss Sardius (resembling a huge demon in golden armor) and get the true ending.

Regional differences

The crosses in the game were modified from the original Chōmakaimura, where they resemble church crosses; in Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, they appear as ankhs. The final boss was also renamed from Samael to Sardius.

The PAL version also removed certain enemies in the game, like the third fiery skull on level 1. It is unclear why these changes were made as it made little overall difference to the difficulty of the game.

Ports

A straight port of the Super NES version of Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is featured alongside the arcade versions of Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts in the video game compilation Capcom Generation: Chronicles of Arthur for PlayStation, which was also released for the Sega Saturn in Japan as Capcom Generation 2. This PS version of the game is also included in Capcom Classics Collection for PlayStation 2 and Xbox and Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for PlayStation Portable. The aforementioned ports are notable for having removed the slowdown which plagued the original Super NES version.

The Game Boy Advance version, released simply as Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts in North America and Europe and as Chōmakaimura R in Japan, features an "Arrange Mode" that enables the player to choose from redesigned levels and bosses based on the original Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts, depending on their success in keeping the bronze armor, or a higher difficulty tier of the standard levels set upon keeping the golden armor. Unlike the Normal Mode, in Arrange the Goddess' Bracelet is already accessible during the first playthrough. Unlike the Capcom Generations/Classics Collection ports, the Game Boy Advance port retains the slowdown of the original Super NES version, even in the redesigned levels.

The SNES version of the game was released for the Virtual Console on the Wii on March 5, 2007 and on the Wii U on May 16, 2013. The GBA version was also released for the latter system in the PAL regions on February 19, 2015.

Reception

The original SNES version has sold 1 million units during its release, making it one of Capcom's top-selling games of all time.

See also

• Ghosts 'n Goblins (series)

External links

• Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts at MobyGames
• Chohmakaimura at the Japanese Virtual Console site (Japanese)