Ghosts n Goblins has always been a favourite of mine - ever since I first saw it in the arcades back in the spring of 1986. There was something about its rich, vibrantly coloured sprites, it's elaborate music and meaty sound effects that really struck a chord (see what I did there?). Looking back, its thematic connections with the world of fantasy role-playing were also part of the attraction. D n D was pretty big then too.
35 years later and I still love it. I still haven't completed it yet, but the game - as an artefact - is something I like to admire and come back to, time and time again. So, when my kids showed me the YouTube previews of Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection on the Switch, I was pretty excited. In fact, in an act of saintly parental generosity, i just had to buy it for them on the day it came out
Sadly, the kids weren't impressed. Not enough guns or punching for their liking. And they were even less impressed by my insisting on using a joystick to play it.
There are things about it I like. The artwork - I think - is a nice development, and brings the old sprites into Full HD territory. Level design is also pretty good in general, and manages to provide something new in a way which still riffs off the original. I like the way you can switch paths between the Ghosts n Goblins and Ghouls n Ghosts remakes. It also sounds great. I particularly like the low bass boom you get on regeneration. Reminds me of Vector Pilot on the Vectrex.
What I'm not so sure about is the gameplay. To say it's hard would be an understatement. So far, it's been a relentless Groundhog-day-style grind. You don't get lives, but what amounts to energy, along with limitless chances to start again from the nearest checkpoint. To be honest, I'm not sure why they've done it like that. OK, so that's how games seem to work these days. But if my kids are representative, younger gamers don't enjoy it anyway. And if this is aimed at the more mature gaming palate, it seems to have gone a bit awry. I haven't given up on it just yet, but maybe I'm missing something?
What do the rest of you think?
35 years later and I still love it. I still haven't completed it yet, but the game - as an artefact - is something I like to admire and come back to, time and time again. So, when my kids showed me the YouTube previews of Ghosts n Goblins Resurrection on the Switch, I was pretty excited. In fact, in an act of saintly parental generosity, i just had to buy it for them on the day it came out
Sadly, the kids weren't impressed. Not enough guns or punching for their liking. And they were even less impressed by my insisting on using a joystick to play it.There are things about it I like. The artwork - I think - is a nice development, and brings the old sprites into Full HD territory. Level design is also pretty good in general, and manages to provide something new in a way which still riffs off the original. I like the way you can switch paths between the Ghosts n Goblins and Ghouls n Ghosts remakes. It also sounds great. I particularly like the low bass boom you get on regeneration. Reminds me of Vector Pilot on the Vectrex.
What I'm not so sure about is the gameplay. To say it's hard would be an understatement. So far, it's been a relentless Groundhog-day-style grind. You don't get lives, but what amounts to energy, along with limitless chances to start again from the nearest checkpoint. To be honest, I'm not sure why they've done it like that. OK, so that's how games seem to work these days. But if my kids are representative, younger gamers don't enjoy it anyway. And if this is aimed at the more mature gaming palate, it seems to have gone a bit awry. I haven't given up on it just yet, but maybe I'm missing something?
What do the rest of you think?
