| Ghosts 'n Goblins | |
|---|---|
 TheGhosts 'n Goblins series logo as seen inUltimate Ghosts 'n Goblins | |
| Genres | Run and gun,platform |
| Developers | Capcom,Tose |
| Publisher | Capcom |
| Creator | Tokuro Fujiwara |
| First release | Ghosts 'n Goblins July 7, 1985 |
| Latest release | Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection February 25, 2021 |
| Spin-offs | Gargoyle's Quest Maximo |
Ghosts 'n Goblins, known in Japan asMakaimura (Japanese:魔界村; lit. "Demon World Village"), is a series of platformersrun-and-gunplatformvideo games developed and owned byCapcom. The first entry in the series wasGhosts 'n Goblins, released inarcades on July 7, 1985. The series has subsequently been ported to and released on a variety ofpersonal computers,game consoles andmobile platforms and spawned severalsequels andspin-offs.
The main series focuses on the knightArthur's quest to save princess Prin-Prin from the demon king Astaroth. The primary spin-offs include theGargoyle's Quest andMaximo game series.
The series as a whole has sold over 4.6 million units as of December 31, 2023 and stands as the 13th best-selling Capcom game franchise.[1] It has gained a reputation among players for its high level of difficulty.[2][3][4][5]
The most recent game in the series,Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection, was released on February 25, 2021.[6]
| 1985 | Ghosts 'n Goblins |
|---|---|
| 1986–1987 | |
| 1988 | Ghouls 'n Ghosts |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | Gargoyle's Quest |
| 1991 | Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts |
| 1992 | Gargoyle's Quest II |
| 1993 | |
| 1994 | Demon's Crest |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | Arthur to Astaroth no Nazomakaimura |
| 1997–1998 | |
| 1999 | Makaimura for WonderSwan |
| 2000 | |
| 2001 | Maximo: Ghosts to Glory |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | Maximo vs. Army of Zin |
| 2004–2005 | |
| 2006 | Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins |
| 2007–2008 | |
| 2009 | Ghosts 'n Goblins: Gold Knights |
| 2010 | Ghosts 'n Goblins: Gold Knights II |
| 2011–2020 | |
| 2021 | Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection |
The main series consists of run and gun platformers with players controlling a knight named Arthur who must battle through hordes of the undead in order to rescue the kidnapped princess Prin-Prin (also known as Guinevere, or not named altogether depending on the game/translation) from the demon king Astaroth. Arthur's health and magic level is represented by the armor he wears, with Arthur capable of finding better armor and various weapons in treasure chests hidden throughout the game stages; even so, regardless of how powerful the armor Arthur wears is, he will lose it with a single hit. Once losing his armor Arthur is left only wearing his boxers (an image which has become iconic for the series).[2] In most of the main series, once completing the game the player is forced to re-play the game's stages at a higher difficulty level in order to receive the game's "true" ending. The series has gained a reputation among gamers for its high level of difficulty.[2]
TheGargoyle's Quest series is a group ofside-scrollingadventure games with mildrole-playing video game elements. Players control the character of Firebrand, a character who is based on an enemy in the main series.
Maximo is a3Dhack and slash platformer series developed by Capcom's US-based Studio 8 for the PlayStation 2. The games are based on theGhosts 'n Goblins universe and feature original character designs by Japanese illustratorSusumu Matsushita.
Capcom released a series ofGhosts 'n Goblins-themedFlash basedmini-games forCapcom Party; a subscription service related to itsCapcom Parki-modemobile app.
In 1986,Ghosts'n Goblins was adapted into a manga by Sawada Yukio and published by Wan Pakku Comics, released as a five-part story in the anthology seriesHisshō Tekunikku Kan Peki-ban (必勝テクニック完ペキ版).
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts andGargoyle's Quest are two of the video games featured in the manga titledRock'n Game Boy, by Shigeto Ikehara and published by Comic BomBom October 1989 to December 1991.
Ghosts 'n Goblins, was one of the video games adapted into a manga titledFamicom Ryu (1985–1987) andNekketsu! Famicom Shounendan (1986–1987), published by Comic Coro Coro.
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is one of the video games featuring in the manga titledCyber Boy, by Nagai Noriaki, Published by Coro Coro Comic and Shogakukan, from 1991 to 1993.
The series would later be included in theArchie ComicsWorlds Unite crossover along with various other Capcom andSega franchises, with theSonic the Hedgehog andMega Man comic lines providing the backdrop.[15]
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TheGhosts 'n Goblins franchise was created byTokuro Fujiwara (also known for producing games in theMega Man franchise) and is produced byCapcom. Toshio Arima served as lead programmer and Ayako Mori composed the score for the original arcade release in 1985.
The original score for the initial arcade release ofGhosts 'n Goblins was composed by Ayako Mori. The music developed for the game's first level, entitled "Graveyard, Forest & Ice Palace," has since become recognized as the official theme for the franchise, appearing in a re-mixed form in every entry of the main series as well as making cameo appearances in other Capcom games such asMega Man 7 andUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Tamayo Kawamoto composed the score forGhouls 'n Ghosts, the next entry in the series, followed by Mari Yamaguchi forSuper Ghouls 'n Ghosts (with Tomohiro Masuda and Nobuhiko Isa handling the GBA re-release), and Masaya Tsunemoto and Kazuhiro Kotani forUltimate Ghosts 'n Goblins. The score for theGargoyle's Quest spin-off series was composed by Harumi Fujita (I)[16] and Yuki Iwai (II) (with Norihiko Togashi handling the Game Boy re-release ofGargoyle's Quest II).[17]
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the franchise, Capcom released theMakaimura Ongakutaizen in Japan on December 28, 2005. This 7 disc boxed set featured over 350 tracks and was a complete soundtrack for the series to date, featuring the complete scores of not only every entry of theGhosts 'n Goblins andGargoyle's Quest series, but also of everyPC andhome console port of each game therein. In reference to the series' soundtrack as a whole, one reviewer stated:
With each of Makaimura's original scores, Capcom's composers and sound programmers pushed various consoles to the limits to produce high quality scores. WithMakaimura,Daimakaimura, andChoumakaimura, the series evolved admirably to refine a dark action-packed orchestral sound that fitted the scenes of the games. The classic series is especially strong thematically, remembered not just for the first stage theme but for other striking compositions. The series has demonstrated plenty of diversity over the years with the Baroque-influenced approaches toMakaimura for WonderSwan and the Red Arremer titles, the exceptionally ambient score toDemon's Blazon Makaimura Monshou Hen, and the dabs of avant-garde and rock influence in the classic series. All these factors considered, the series has secured the legacy of being one of the most musically and technologically influential video game franchises.[18]
Capcom released a soundtrack forUltimate Ghosts 'n Goblins on September 30, 2006.
TheGhosts 'n Goblins franchise stands as Capcom's 13th best-selling game franchise, having sold over 4.6 million units.[1] It is generally well regarded by critics and somewhat notorious for its traditional high level of difficulty.[2][3][4][5] Additionally, the franchise frequently makes cameo appearances (the character of Arthur in particular) in other Capcom titles, the latest of which beingUltimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
The main series starring Sir Arthur and Princess Prin-Prin was initially released as anarcade title in 1985 and subsequently re-released and ported to a variety of home computer consoles. It continues as an activeintellectual property for Capcom with its latest release in 2021 on theNintendo Switch. TheNES release ofGhosts 'n Goblins was rated as the 54th best NES game of all time byIGN[2] and the 124th best game on a Nintendo console byNintendo Power.[19] The game is considered byGameTrailers to be the world's second most difficult game ever made.[5] As of 2008, the originalGhosts 'n Goblins is Capcom's 18th best selling title, having sold over 1.6 million units. Similarly,Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is Capcom's 42nd best selling title, having sold over 1 million units.[20]
The main series went on a minor hiatus after the release ofSuper Ghouls 'n Ghosts in 1991. Capcom general producerNoritaka Funamizu explained that theGhosts 'n Goblins games take a long time to develop and were not popular in Japan; as a result, Capcom had taken a net loss on previous installments and were wary of producing a new entry.[21] With the exception of the largely overlookedMakaimura for WonderSwan which was released only in Japan, and a re-release ofSuper Ghouls 'n Ghosts on theGame Boy Advance, the mainGhosts 'n Goblins series did not see a major release untilUltimate Ghosts 'n Goblins on thePlayStation Portable in 2006. The return of the series received mixed to positive reviews.GameSpot noted that the entry would appeal to fans of the original, but that many of the old-school game mechanics including level design and jump mechanics, along with the traditional level of difficulty, may not appeal to the current generation of gamers.[22] These concerns were echoed by such sites asGameDaily and AtomicGamer.[23] Other sites such asIGN[24] and GameCritics[25] praised this adherence to the series' old-school mechanics and traditional level of difficulty, while noting that the new health, armor, and waypoint systems as well as tiered difficulty options went a long way in adjusting the difficulty for new gamers.Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins was also the first entry in the series to employ3D graphics, a fact praised by most reviewers: "The 3D graphics enhance the 2D gameplay by giving the world a sense of depth without interfering with the gameplay, and the whole package simply glows with vibrant color and lighting effects."[22]
TheGargoyle's Quest spin-off saw a series of releases between 1990 and 1994. The introduction of RPG elements inGargoyle's Quest was praised, however reviewers noted an uneven level of difficulty.Demon's Crest was highly regarded as "one of the finest action titles on SNES, and without a doubt the crowning achievement of theGhosts 'n Goblins line" by critics; however, it went largely unnoticed in terms of sales being labeled a "major flop". Similarly, theMaximo spin-off sub-series was initially well-received, though criticized for being difficult and inaccessible.Ghosts to Glory (2001) achievedPlayStation 2 Greatest Hits status in theUnited States, selling more than 400,000 units in North America. IGN ranked the game as the 6th most difficult game on thePlayStation 2.[4] A sequel,Maximo vs. Army of Zin was released in2003 with better critical reception but faltering sales, ultimately leading to the cancellation ofMaximo 3. The future of both theGargoyles Quest andMaximo spin-off series is unknown.
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