👻 Ghouls ’n Ghosts – The Ultimate Test of Patience and Courage!

By SuperAsurada77

Have you ever seen a bearded guy in his underwear fighting zombies in an arcade?
If so, you probably remember Ghosts ’n Goblins — the legendary game infamous for its brutal difficulty.

Later, it came home as Ghouls ’n Ghosts on the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive, with upgraded graphics and the same soul-crushing challenge.
Just being able to play it at home was pure joy — until that first clear stage hit you with despair.

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Now, we live in an era where we can play it on handheld consoles — and yes, the save & load trick finally lets us reach the ending.
Still, you’ll need persistence and a lot of patience.

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Basic Controls

A Button: Throw weapon
B Button: Jump

If you’re wearing the golden armor, hold A to charge your magic and release for a special attack unique to each weapon.

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Now, let’s begin the adventure!

The opening scene’s graphics and haunting soundtrack hit you right in the nostalgia.

You start armored, but one hit strips you down to your underwear.
Get hit again, and you’re nothing but bones.
Yeah, it’s brutally hard.

Between grim reapers and dive-bombing eagles, chaos reigns.

Sometimes your brain presses back on the D-pad…
but your fingers just refuse to cooperate.

That golden armor is key — it unlocks special attacks!

Hold down the attack button to charge up.
When the gauge is full, release to unleash a powerful magic attack.

For example, the lance triggers lightning magic, and during that lightning flash, you’re momentarily invincible.

The pixel art vibes? Absolutely top-tier.
But… still insanely hard.

The storm scene — with the rain and swirling tornado monsters — is simply breathtaking for its time.

Then comes that charging pig monster.
Mash those buttons like your life depends on it — because it does.

And when that pig starts puking… yeah, chef’s kiss — perfection and disgust in one.

Whoever designed these bosses deserves a medal.
The imagination is off the charts!
(Headshots are the key, by the way. Three good hits will do it.)

Time limit’s ticking!

Even if you beat the boss, if the timer hits zero before you grab the key, it’s back to square one. Brutal!

Stage 2 begins.
Forget everything you know about turtles being slow.

Fall off that bridge, and you’re sucked into the sandpit — straight to monster dinner.
Turn back and RUN.

Fiery birds and bean-sprout-looking monsters make life miserable.

Those flaming phoenixes just won’t stop coming.

Stage 2 boss time — a flaming demon dog (or lion?).
Dodge the flames, spam attacks, and pray.

Victory!
Of course, only thanks to the almighty Save & Load technique.

Stage 3 — welcome to hell.
The hardest stage of them all.

You have to sprint nonstop or you’ll never make it.

This is where most players die. Over and over.

Precision jumps are your only salvation.

Almost there!
Right before the stone mouth, you must jump off.
Watch out — there’s always a monster right where you land.
Press down + attack mid-fall to survive.
Easier said than done.

Please… don’t throw your handheld.
Your handheld loves you. ❤️

Attack the eyeball hiding inside the cloud.

Even monsters look exhausted — that bloodshot eye needs sleep!

Stage 3 clear!
Take a deep breath, stare at the horizon, and meditate before continuing.

Stage 4 — another nightmare.
“Oh dear lord, haven’t I suffered enough?!”

Slippery platforms, rage-inducing falls…
But remember — the princess is counting on you!

The boss here is fast, tricky, and the timer is cruel.

Only 27 seconds left! Aim for the heart!

Made it! Somehow…

The final? stage begins.
The enemies are desperate, throwing everything they’ve got.

Still with the projectile vomit… the mental damage is real.

All the previous bosses return for revenge.

“Hey, where’d your bodies go?”

“Wait… twins?!”
The blue flame weapon is a must here — charge it up for a devastating magic blast.

The final boss? Ordinary weapons barely scratch him.

But the blue flame’s special attack melts him instantly.
Without it, you’ll need perfect dodges to survive.

At last, the door to the princess!

Wait… who’s this guy?

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Brave Knight Arthur, you have done well to come this far.
However, in your current state,
you cannot defeat the Demon King Lucifer beyond this gate.
Return once more to the Demon Realm,
and within the battles ahead,
receive the power of true magic.

Where’s the princess??

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Arthur, wear the magical armor,
and if you keep opening the treasure chests,
the goddess will surely appear.
Be strong, Arthur — I believe
that you, of all people, can defeat Lucifer.

What?! It’s restarting?!

Yes, you have to beat the entire game twice to see the true ending.
Cruel developers indeed! 😭

Somewhere in the second loop, you’ll find the ultimate weapon.

That goddess turns into the final weapon — grab it fast!

This is the most powerful weapon in the game.

It even cancels enemy projectiles!

Bosses crumble in seconds — poetic justice.
“Thanks, devs… I guess?”

Keep collecting keys and clearing stages.

Enemies get faster and meaner this time.

But with the ultimate weapon, nothing can stop you!

Easy win — pure satisfaction.

And yet, more hell awaits…

“Wait, I have to do this again?!”
Feels like serving a second term in the army.

“Oh hey, the eyeball boss! Still bloodshot, huh?”

Time to put you to rest.

Enemies come in endless waves now.

Still, every boss will finally find peace.

The charging pig?

He’s done.

Headless ghosts? Done.

Triplets of doom?

Sent them all to heaven.

The so-called “not-final” boss?
Yeah, you’re next.

At last, the true final boss awaits!

“Oh no… you look like a final boss all right.”
Jump onto its feet and strike the head relentlessly!

Defeat it, and the trapped souls are freed.

A kind bird carries the princess’s body back.

Now her soul descends to reunite with it.

Spirit and body

finally one. (Ghost meets Ghost?)

Our hero and the princess run toward each other.

Finally, a moment of peace and happiness.

Lucifer, who revived the Demon Realm that should have perished three years ago,
once again tried to rule over it —
but Arthur rose to defeat him once more.

Sensing the ominous signs of the Demon Realm’s revival,
Arthur never let his guard down,
even after defeating the Great Demon King three years earlier.

When the power of the Demon Realm began to seep into the fiends once again,
the heavenly gods bestowed upon the couple — Arthur and the princess —

Without these magical powers, even Arthur himself
would have perished before facing Lucifer.
But after receiving the Psycho Cannon from
the archangel Cael to defeat Lucifer,
Arthur finally overcame him after a long and grueling battle.

The souls of the people who had been trapped
within Lucifer’s body were finally set free,
and even the princess, who had once lost her life,
was revived.
Thanks to the valiant Knight Arthur,
peace returned once more to the human world.
…But someday, by the hand of someone or something,
the Demon Realm may rise again…

The souls of those trapped within Lucifer’s body
were finally freed, and even the princess,
who had once perished, was brought back to life.
Through the valor of Knight Arthur,
peace returned once more to the human world.
…Yet someday, by the hand of someone or something,
the Demon Realm may rise again.
Has Arthur’s battle truly come to an end…?

“Lived happily ever after?”
The question mark says otherwise.

The End.

Even with save-load abuse, this game is a mountain of pain.
You’ll need patience, persistence, and maybe therapy.
But beating it? It’s pure bliss — a retro triumph!

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🎮 Until next time, may your retro gaming spirit stay strong!
— SuperAsurada77

Original article in Korean: [link]