ULTIMATE
GHOSTS ‘N GOBLINS
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Systems: PSP
INTRODUCTION:
Movie fans have long endured remakes. Some good, some bad. Gamers are no exception when it comes to remakes, either. While remakes of video games aren’t as prevalent as movie remakes, we do get ’em. And like their film counterparts, there are both good remakes (METAL GEAR SOLID: TWIN SNAKES, for instance) and ones best left forgotten (NINJA GAIDEN TRILOGY).
With the wave of nostalgia hitting consoles in recent years with ‘Best Of’ collections and the like, it’s great to see companies take the extra step and add something more to their classics. Capcom recently released an update to their classic 1985 smash GHOSTS ‘N GOBLINS with ULTIMATE GHOSTS ‘N GOBLINS for Sony’s PSP, complete with redesigned graphics, sound and all the goodness that was GNG. Let the madness begin!
GAMEPLAY:
For those not around in 1985 (I was, but I was still in diapers, so sue me), the basic story for GNG goes like this: Players assume the role of Arthur, a boxer shorts-wearing knight who must rescue the Princess Guinevere from the clutches of Lucifer. In ULTIMATE GNG, the new and mysterious ruler of the Dark Realm (aka Hell) has destroyed the royal castle and kidnapped the princess so that his minions may mix their blood with her majestic lineage. Not one to support the idea of demon rape (that belongs in Hentai, kiddies), Arthur sets out on his quest to destroy the evil ruler and free his lady.
ULTIMATE’s plotline doesn’t sound too deep when compared to games of today, but when you’re busy mowing down enemies in your underwear, you really don’t care. Like the other games in the series, ULTIMATE is a toughie. Arthur’s armor takes only one hit in its initial form before flying off and leaving you in your skivvies. Also, Arthur isn’t the most fleet-footed hero, and is a pretty crappy jumper (it doesn’t get much easier once you gain the double-jump ability, either).
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as you can upgrade your armor so that you can eventually withstand two hits before losing it completely, and the variety of weapons this time around (including an auto-targeting swallow blade and a new whip that would put Simon Belmont to shame) help to even out the playing field. As well, Arthur now has magic at his disposal, allowing him to do more on both defense and offence. Arthur is also now able to gather items which can be stored and used for different levels, ranging from what type of power attack Arthur can use (as a secondary attack) to standard equipment (shields, double-jump boots etc).
Of course, Capcom also added some new things to the difficulty to try and lessen the pain of having to drink 5 Red Bulls before playing the game. This time around, you’re given three choices of settings: Novice, Standard and Ultimate. Novice allows the player to begin the game with more lives, and are also knocked back less of a distance when attacked. Additionally, powered-up weapons will also retain their extra strength when players spawn back to life.
When playing through Standard Mode, however, users will only start the game with two lives before having to continue, and without the aforementioned benefits of the Novice mode. Lastly, for those who consider themselves veterans of the franchise and hardest of the hardcore, there’s Ultimate Mode. In this mode, all your armor breaks after only a single hit and if you die, you don’t respawn from the point you died… you respawn at the very beginning of the stage.
Another area that made the original so difficult was its controls. As mentioned before, Arthur sucks as jumping, and can’t change his direction in mid-air like you can with other platformers. While some of you will be screaming for the head of Tokurou Fuijiwara for this, keep in mind that the control scheme is faithful to the original’s, which is what Fuijiwara was aiming for. Sure, Arthur comes off as a robot, but that’s the way we remember him, dammit!
The last part that may be the most frustrating to some gamers is the need to find a set of Golden Rings hidden throughout the levels to access the last battle and finish the game (kind of like what happened in SUPER GHOULS ‘N GHOSTS, but you don’t have to play all the way to the end of the game to start swearing). Players are given the option to backtrack to earlier levels and search previously unreachable areas to find rings they missed by the use of powerups found later on in the game.
In all, the gameplay is classic GHOSTS ‘N GOBLINS with a modern twist. Gamers who remember dumping quarters into the arcade machine while playing this game, then knocking some guy’s head off after dying for the 45th time, can rest easy knowing that you can do it in the comfort of your own home now. Just remember to not break the expensive stuff, alright?
Gameplay: 8.5/10
It’s the classic formula from 1985 updated for 2006, complete with quick loading times and a save system that will hopefully prevent you from demolishing your bedroom wall. Gamers new to the series can expect just as much of a challenge as those who honed their skills in the arcades way back when, though it might be too much of a challenge for some.
GRAPHICS:
Given what Capcom was going for with the game, the graphics harken back to SUPER GHOULS ‘N GHOSTS (with obvious enhancements), and that’s a good thing. You’d be hard pressed to find a current side-scroller with detail and art design like this. Animation is smooth all around, and the stages look amazing, from the familiar first stage graveyard to the slime-infested swamp, there’s a lot eye candy for those looking to chow down on a 2.5D scroller such as this.
While some parts of the game may be too dark for some, I personally found them to be acceptable, given the atmosphere. I mean, come on, it’s a friggin’ horror game! Framerates go at a good clip, though there are times when the game slows down a bit, but that’s few and far between.
Graphics: 9.5/10
Hiccups in the framerate and some palette swapping between enemies do occur, but even those don’t stop the game from being a visual feast for the eyes. Some may find the environments a little dark in some instances, but again, those are few and far between.
AUDIO:
Anyone who played SUPER GHOULS will recognize many of the sounds in ULTIMATE, which still stand the test of time. The music in this game is haunting, yet fun at the same time. It has a lightheartedness to it in some respects, as the game doesn’t exactly exude too much of a serious tone to it. Personally, I prefer Konami’s stuff when it comes to their CASTLEVANIA series, but there’s that tone thing again.
Enemy sounds are probably the weakest part in the sound department, in that there aren’t nearly enough of ’em. Also, some sound effects for the most part lack certain ‘oomph’ in some instances, but being nitpicky about these things is kind of trivial when you’re busy staying alive.
Audio: 8.5/10
The best sounding of the franchise thus far (and rightfully so). Despite some
inconsistencies with the sounds (or lack thereof), it’s a treat for the ears as well as the eyes.
FINAL VERDICT:
There are probably two parties who will come away from this with different reactions. One party will be those who recognize what Capcom was aiming for when it updated one of its classics and brought with it some new and exciting goodies, the other will be those who won’t get past the game’s limitations in difficulty, and who probably feel that the enhanced graphics were used to cover up the fact.
In the end, I’d fit in with the former. Even though the game is definitely hard at points (and Capcom realized this), part of the charm the game has is based on the fact that it’s difficult. However, there are still going to be those who are turned off by the fact that the game is hard, and rightfully so. It’s a find line to tread when coming up with a game that’s challenging and fun, yet not so challenging that the fun turns into frustration. While ULTIMATE GNG isn’t for everyone, you can’t deny that Capcom seriously thought this project through, and in many opinions, succeeded with the outcome.
FINAL SCORE: 8.5/10
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