Despite the super-difficulty, this game has that addictive quality that makes it enjoyable to play through. Even though you'll get the game over screen hundreds of times, there's something that compels you to try again and see if you can get just a bit farther than last time. IF you do manage to beat the game and see the true ending, you'll really have something to be proud of.
So overall Capcom managed to put together a game that's both frustrating and addiciting at the same time, but all in all Ghouls 'N' Ghosts is a great old-scholl arcade platformer. You'll find plenty of the exciting action that Capcom is famous for, and fans that enjoyed the later 16-bit versions will find much of the same great gameplay here. Had Capcom relented on the difficulty a little or made it so only one go-around was sufficient, this game would have scored higher. If you have a low frustration factor, then you might want to pass on this cart, but if you can stomach the very high difficulty, then you'll find Ghosts 'N' Goblins is another great NES classic.
- Review posted on March 27, 2006