Another honourable mention should go to the guys at Nostalgia for their C64 Ghosts'n Goblins Arcade 2015. They put all the arcade levels back in . Re did the proper arcade tune. And re did some sprites. Mainly slimmed Arthur down a lot . plus loads of other stuff i have forgotten about.
yep, it could be great if they added the new versions for the 8 bit to this list too (or maybe time for another video for "fixing old games"). The CPC and CPC+ got an impressive remake of G&G.
What a great compilation, I never knew there were so many different home conversions. Loving the Saturn's name, Demons and Knights, you always learn something interesting watching your videos!
@@RetroCore are you planning on making an episode about Metal Gear 1 i wanna see your thoughts on the NES port alongside with the Computer versions, i thought the NES Metal Gear is overhated and Kojima intense hate on that one doesn't help the rap it gets
There's a 2015 G&G "arcade" revamp of the C64 version which adds basically everything that was missing, the map screen, music & jingles, enemies and stages removed from the original + old ones with more faithful art. Had they released that version in '86 it would have been a system seller.
Damn, ghost and demons for the anniversary looked really nice, it's like a mix of both ghost 'n goblins, ghouls 'n ghost and super ghouls 'n ghost with a touch of originality 😍 Thanks Mark 😁👍
Perfect one for a remaster this week, Mark. I played a whole lot of Ghosts 'n Goblins for the NES at my across-the-street neighbor's. He had the system a few years earlier than I did, and though he was a jerk (that's giving him a bit too much credit...mom told me the dude murdered his girlfriend last year or year before), I tolerated his jackassery so that I play this, Double Dribble, and Castlevania early on. Lots of fun; not as good as the arcade version for sure, but it was the only port I played until the GBC version. GnG is just such a classic game. And, I think the thing I'd like say most about the arcade version is how nice the music was, even with the FM channel drop outs. It's such an amazingly catchy soundtrack from Ayako Mori and such a huge improvement over her earsplitting main-theme music in 1942.
Nothing wrong see another timeless classic that help make Mark's channel iconic. Ghost n Goblins is always a pleasure to revisited for sure bro. 8^) Anthony..
Great video as always! I remember that we had the NES version growing up but barely remembered it until a few years later. I also have great memories playing Ultimate Ghost 'n Goblins on the PSP but man, it was so hard that I never got to beat it!
Another thing about the GBC port, was both that it can be played on the SGB and monochrome systems (solid black cart shell), and from my playing the AI follows the arcade (based on the Red Arremers).
@@RetroCore that was a really nice feature of those particular carts. Including the early Pocket Monsters ones, and ones such as Dragon Quest I&II, which even had features for those with the Super Game Boy.
Ghosts 'n Goblins was my very first arcade game as a kid, I could barely even make it past the first level back then, but it left quite an impression (lol I'm still a glutton for punishment)! And to this day I've never managed to beat it without continues, what a hard-as-nails game this was 😵
Wow so many surprises! The visuals and sound of the Java versions are pretty neat. The windows one especially looks and sounds interesting enough I might try to find a way to play it. I’ll definitely give the wonderswan version a go now too. Excellent battle Mark!
I think the Homebrew GX4000 port would have been worth looking at, I was very impressed when I loaded it up on a flashcart with a CRT, doesn't look quite as good when you can see the pixel cleaer, but they did a much better job than the original CPC port.
Recently the MD homebrew proof-of-concept conversion (uncomplete) of the first level was arcade perfect, both for graphics and sound, i'd like to see it finished as the ultimate 16-bit.. like Shinobi, another perfect port to be completed...come on ;)
@@RetroCore The audio chip on the arcade is far worse than the Mega Drive's. The arcade used a YM2203, which is basically kinda like a chip that has an Atari ST chip mode (AY PSG mode) and FM mode (but with only 3 channels). The sequel used the YM2151, and what a world of difference it made
Cool! Look foward to watching this. I was just playing this on original Xbox yesterday, "Capcom Classics Collection", which I believe is either the Saturn or PlayStation version as it says 1998 in the title screen.
😊👍. Yep. I know that conversation is the right word but in most people's mind everything is a port 😉. Kind of like any unfinished game is a Beta when in reality they're are many stages before Beta version.
The Famicom port is one of the most historically significant games on the platform: it was released a month after the debut of the Disk System on a cartridge that was larger than the maximum memory of the proprietary disk format Nintendo was using for its brand new add on. The steady improvement of cartridge tech over the life of the platform leading up to titles like SMB3, Kirby, and Gimmick pretty much started with this game.
Used to play the ZX Spectrum version as I loved the arcade game. It looked like dog shit but played quite well. The c64 was probably the best 8-bit port. Can’t beat the Arcade version, though. Great video 👍🏻
There was a 2015 version of the C64 port of this game. A excellenet remake that include all levels and much more tunes (while the original was a great game in its own). btw the Amiga port was released after Ghouls 'n Ghosts.. hmmm.
@@RetroCore There's also a recent MSX version, which requires a video card based on plans for the unreleased MSX3. I guess western developers had a really long list of things to prove....
Cool video, the more ports you can cram in the better! BTW the recent-ish GX-4000 port by Xifos is possibly the best game on that console. Well worth looking it up.
Huh, there's quite a few interesting ports for this one. For one, it's crazy that Micronics and Digital Eclipse actually made good ports for the Fami and GBC respectively, and for another the CPC music sounds absolutely amazing! Weird that the Saturn port has more muffled sound than the PS1 though, like they applied too much filtering.
I feel like the Amiga port was that rare instance when Capcom provided Elite with the source code and assets for the arcade version, as opposed to having some poor dev "eyeball" it, like most other ports of the era. Whatever was the case - super well done! Also, might be worth it to make an addendum to this video, now that there is a bunch of new versions of the game - ones for MSX2 V9990, c64 "GnG Arcade", Colecovision, and Amstrad GX4000
Great video Mark, shame you didn't include the C64 and Amstrad remakes although the 2nd of the Amstrad remakes (Golem13 release) is not quite ready yet but looks very promising.
It would have been nice to see the C64 remake version which improves the graphics, and replaces the soundtrack, renditions of the arcade music are in there but they've also included new tracks for some stages for a bit more variety which sound a lot more like they belong with the official soundtrack than the original C64 tune.
Considering the fact that the C64 version fits all into one load, added to time contraints that Chris Butler had, it turned out pretty well. I played it quite a bit in the 80s but I never got to the end.
Apart from the screen estate being smaller due to the resolution, the Amiga port looks amazing compared to the original, while note one to one, it actually looks pretty vibrant and a little bit brighter and I strangely prefer it.
LOL! 😆🤣 your MSDOS description of this made me spit my cupa tea out!! Holy shit is it bad! Arthur looks like Mr Big nose floating on the moon against ghost flying headless chickens!!! Lol! Brilliant! Made my day cheers! If you look close at MSDOS port I think unarmoured Arthur is more closer to looking just like Tony Hart's Morph!! Same skin colour and face too! I'd forgotten just how funky tunes and catchy the ace C64 version was!
Lol, yeah, that's right. He is the right colour to be Morph. Here's a funny one for you, Morph in Japan means scarf. Of course the spelling is different but the word sounds the same.
You left out Ghosts 'n Goblins Arcade for the C64, a complete rewrite that aimed to be as accurate a port as possible. It wasn't official, but it's regarded as the definitive version for the C64.
The Amiga port arrived a few months after Ghouls 'n' Ghosts as Elite had to find a second development team to handle the conversion and it requires a 1 Meg Amiga to run, if you want all the levels. Sadly, you can't turn around, mid-jump in either the ST or Amiga version.
Well, it wasn't done by US Gold so that left a chance for this Amiga version to not suck. 😉 Elite arcade conversions were hit and miss on the Amiga (Space Harrier was baaaad, visually impressive but bad) but this one hit the lucky draw. Such a shame though that it plays without overscan, meaning there are large black borders around the screen when playing on a TV or monitor. At the time this really disappointed me when I first played it. Also I couldn't get over the slightly less flexible controls. But technically it is a good port for the machine, it could have been much better but any port that doesn't suck on the machine needs to be celebrated. 😉
Spectrum version was really hard, even with 9 lives. 4-way scrolling 2nd level feels laggy and unfair with enemies too fast to avoid, too. It's also missing a lot of later levels, apparently - not that most would ever get that far to find out! Good for the time, but could have been improved.
I will just say this again but a Sega MegaDrive version should have been made by Sega but probably they felt or assumed the game was too old or not as popular as Ghosts n Ghouls but it would have given MegaDrive/Genesis two of the franchise as arcade near perfect conversions. Still a fan developed conversion can still be made for MegaDrive... It was also hilarious for the NEC PC-88 version when the key dropped and Arthur just had that delay before getting his armor back. Also that "Beats of Rage Engine" for PC, is that based on Sega's Bare Knuckle or Streets of Rage game graphics rom hacks? cause that PC thing could be possible on MegaDrive minus that gratuitous sampled sound effects. Nice that you mentioned the other games btw since they tend to be fairly unique to certain hardware or platforms. Finally what a shocker.. I never expected the FamiCom and NES versions to be made by a non-Capcom developer team... wonder what the backstory was... perhaps Nintendo of America knew it was an arcade hit back then and requested the game while Capcom in Japan had probably forgotten about it... which kind of seems that way since they only made an arcade sequel and the Super FamiCom unique version and afterwards no arcade games, just cameos and home original stuff not related to the arcade style gameplay.
Beats of Rage was an engine made BY senile team for the Dreamcast. It was a Streets of Rage like beat'em up with King of Fighters characters. Since then the engine has been modified to be used with so many games. Sadly it would not run on a Mega Drive.
Contrary to what people will have you believe there were quite a few good arcade ports on the Amiga. Silkworm, Toki, Rodland, Rainbow islands, Bubble Bobble, Snow Bros, Super hang on, Pang, Arkanoid, R-Type, Midnight Resistance, New Zealand Story, just to name a few...
More keep popping up in my head... Pacmania, Double dragon 2 and 3 (well 3 was a bad arcade to begin with but it is better than the arcade actually on the Amiga, as the choppy arcade movement is gone), Dragon Breed, P47, Operation wolf, Operation Thunderbolt,Mortal Combat 2 was very good (well disk swapping, but such was Amiga), Marble Madness (yay for allowing mouse controls too), Liquid Kids (and like Pang, New Zealnd etc, pretty much everything that Ocean France handled), Gauntlet 2, Saint Dragon, R-Type 2 (forgot that one the first time), Ironman Stewart's off road...
@@jimkrom I know, I actually own original copies of some of the games that you have mentioned, I was just jocking. It's too bad that those portings are often forgotten and people always remember only stuff like the crap port of Capcom games or the european clones of japanese games (that are a mixed bag).
@@slucchi723 Ikr??? It was a great machine for its time and it just doesn't get the respect it needs. People who have never been in contact with it back in the day, playing the games today on emulators with dpads and bitching about the controls... Well, newsflash, they were made to be played on a freaking joystick and then, up to jump or accelerate makes sense and is fun. Or how no one can feel how it was back in the late 80's to pop Shadow of the beast on and hear at first and then see how f'ing amazing it looked when all you had until then was spectrums and CPCs or NESs. It just sounded and looked brilliant. Was it a good game? Well not so much (although better than what people make it to be). But at the time, it would let you stunned...
Man that PSP port looks amazing! LOL sad part is that it looks more fun than the newest port they released for new consoles not long ago, aka the one that has the marionette style to it.
I assume your MD Mini 2 unboxing/review video is out this week, right, Mark? I've seen positive reviews around the Genesis Mini 2, unlike the Astro City Mini V ones.
OH YES what a pleasant surprise for Halloween another remaster of other oldie but goodie, i'm sure it was a torture gathering footage from some of the versions of this merciless game hopefully everything is ok aside from playing this. The arcade original i can actually enjoy quite a bit, now the NES version is just putrid for me but at least is better than the Famicom in one aspect in the Famicom version you have no continues at all and i actually found that out of curiosity after reading about that somewhere. Well at least Amstrad owners had a banging soundtrack so it's a win. The C16 is actually interesting, the C64 the OST is amazing but if i'm not mistaken that version has like 3 or 4 stages and that's it, and although some people pointed it out it had a fan remake in 2015. At least the Speccy didn't got another dumpster fire of an arcade port so they got a win. Gotta hand it to the NEC PC 8801 despite its limitations by not being a gaming machine it plays good enough. Poor Dos fans this was a kick in the balls. The Amiga port of this game is a clear example of how they should make arcade ports for the Amiga, now the ST on the other hand good effort but wasn't enough, GBC was an interesting effort. The mobile ones well we can't expect much from a Java version of an arcade platformer in the early odds, PS1 and Saturn at least got like always really faithful ports. Ultimate GNG is a true culmination of everything that the series made until then and i freaking love it. The Wondserwan game is really interesting i like it. Also holy cow that tribute game looks great. Great vid Mark 😉
Just a random question, did you ever try enthusia for the ps2? Its a konami gran turismo clone that i think does progression better while also being a good driving fame in general. I think it will be good for a gaming pick ups video.
For those that remember the original arcade ran about half the speed you might know it runs at today and it suffered with stuttering scrolling! Next to Sega's Quartet, Capcom's G&G didn't look so good even if it played like the classic we know it is! That said, around the time of the first port to Sega Saturn it looked to of had the Street Fighter 2 treatment, as in it had been made to run faster to try and hide the stuttering. By the time it was released on Classic Xbox and PS2 it had a further speed increase to hide the stuttering even more and this is where the game sits today for speed as seen on Xbox1, PS4, Switch and Super Retrocade. Best home port of Ghost'n Goblins goes to Sega Saturn as it's closest to the original. PS1 Ghosts was stretched out sideways to fill the screen more and every version since has been like this...
I've never knew about the wonderswan, and much less the windos pc version. It really got my attention to try it out, but after heard you recommend it.... It's a must!!!
You cannot capture CRT output properly, especially when the video is meant to be displayed on an LCD/OLED panel. For TH-cam videos, the best option, especially due to the low bitrate, is to capture the raw pixels.
I never got very far but always dropped at least one quarter in at arcades because it's such a well designed game. :D Good enough on NES but in retrospect the flickering and slowdown could have used a little attention, also the sprite work is kind of plain by Capcom standards. True some highlights on CPC but it doesn't look or behave much like G&G. The C16 has seen better results now in homebrew than it got bitd. Funny the new music on C64 but at least it's good music, also rare to see sprites that small on that platform since they are often too big heh. Lol there's that thing again on ZX, why change how the zombies rise? Decent effort on the Spectrum but would love to see a redux with everything people have learned since then. Agreed, that is pretty fast scrolling performance for a PC88 game and the audio portion is quite good. Take it off the screen, you're embarrassing us DOS gamers "Why Capcom, why?". ^_^ The Amiga port is definitely what I think arcade ports should be like on the platform that unfortunately didn't always happen. On ST another case of "I know better than the arcade designer-itis. O_o??? I know Digital Eclipse can't compare to a Japanese company but it's not all bad work, they're not Tiertex. ^_^ Strange time period for the Java version, it was like everybody forgot how to draw pixel art on all the portables like GBC, guessing the masters had moved on from 2D idk, weird walk cycle. :P Excellent SS port, really just wanted all the arcade games on that platform. Yeah the SS screen mode aspect was too restrictive in retrospect with funny cropping needs and that whole SOTN res oddness. Nice thing about that generation like PS1/SS where older arcade games could definitely be brought home arcade perfect. :D I still haven't tried the PSP one so I think that will be my next quest for the platform. ;) I do like the WonderSwan but it's kind of low on my collecting list but that G&G port would be part of that. Quite interesting that Windows one, I only dabble in the whole Mugen world. Happy Halloween. :)
The beginning of the series that likely made many people ragequit due to it's difficulty, and having to finish the game twice to beat it, only for it to loop yet again, and having to beat it twice again to finish it, and then forever looping after. The NES port is not too faithful, sometimes weapons you don't want will drop on ladders you have to climb to get to the next section, very aggravating if you get the shield/cross in stage 6, and an axe drops right where you have to climb if you walk in the wrong spot around where the ladder is. The PSP version of Ghosts N Goblins is like the PS2 version,a port of the PS1 version as it, and Ghouls both have darkness issues. Like the PS2 Capcom Classics Collection Vol 1, the PSP games that were on the PS1/Saturn Capcom Generation packs, were the ones used for the PS2 CCC Vol1, and the PSP Capcom compilations.
I have never seen the game in arcade and really only ever played it on the NES. Oh boy, did my friends and I play and play this. I don't remember us getting through the second, harder run. One question- why does it look to me that Arthur's sprite has a hole in his head? I never got what his head was supposed to really look like.
Another thing about these NES ports _I think_ is that, instead of having the drops and hidden items being either randomized for some cases, or following a specific order in others... I think they're mostly fixed? If you climb the stairs on the top floor of the manor in the second level, a torch always spawns on the exit ladder, and I don't think the arcade had that specific event. But again, could be wrong.
I wasn't aware of the Windows version and that is not a simple port either. Funny how in Spectrum version, zombies surface as if they're U-boats 😄 A cemetery is a quite romantic place for a smooching. But, Arthur was in his underwear when the demon took Prin-Prin, so... oh, dear. What a deviants. Think of the children!😱
You know, everything difficult today is compared to Dark Souls, but I think it it would be fairer to say Dark Souls is the Ghosts 'n Goblins of today haha.
Punishing game but a classic if ever there was one. Respect for those who could beat the game at the arcade. I personally liked a lot the C64 version, like most people I knew. At the time it was more than enough and you didn't need a supply of coins to properly practice. But it was a truncated version, missing some levels, for the usual time/technical reasons (not a huge deal as most people wouldn't see the third level but still). In facts Elite felt like they could unofficially provide more levels with a similar style in a separate and terrible game named Beyond the Ice Palace wink wink nudge nudge.
LOL they used Kraftwerk's Das Model as BGM! Other heavily GnG inspired titles are Dragon's Kingdom and Vardan for the Commodore 64, but to be honest they are well made.
The Retro Asylum podcast have an entire episode dedicated to Maximo were they wax lyrical about it from start to finish. It apparently has a few imperfections of the era but the foundation seems really solid. I even bought the PS version after listening to that episode, although I haven't had time to play it yet. 😋
I really like Ghouls N' Ghosts but I've never played the original Ghosts N' Goblins, probably for the simple reason that the sequel was on Sega consoles but the original wasn't (and I never had an NES).
Coin Op knows what it's doing and it's unforgiving. NES is the best home port (at that point). CPC is broken. +4 is meh. C64 is the great offering. ZX Spectrum misses the mark. PC 8801 is halfway decent within limitations. MS DOS is a clusterfuck. Amiga is the best port on the micros. ST is a missed opportunity. GBC is great way to play on the go. Mobile version is a mixed bag. Western Mobile is good I would love to play it on my first phone. Saturn is amazing. PS1 hit all of the high marks. PSP is a great update. WanderSwan is great. Windows is miraculous.
Subtitles will be coming on Monday. I'm off out for the weekend so no time to fix them. Bye for now :)
I need that techno mix at the end of the video. You also didn't mention the Japan-only Kai version of the PSP Ultimate G&G game.
Back in 1988 when I bought my first ever computer (6128), I was blown away with the music of this game.
It was my first game.
It is the type of tune that sticks in your head as well.
I love the original promo poster: many Goblins but just the one Ghost.
Another honourable mention should go to the guys at Nostalgia for their C64 Ghosts'n Goblins Arcade 2015. They put all the arcade levels back in . Re did the proper arcade tune. And re did some sprites. Mainly slimmed Arthur down a lot . plus loads of other stuff i have forgotten about.
yep, it could be great if they added the new versions for the 8 bit to this list too (or maybe time for another video for "fixing old games"). The CPC and CPC+ got an impressive remake of G&G.
@@Robahue Cool . I never knew about the New Amstrad Versions . Cheers
Oh! That OC Remix of the main theme of Ghosts n'Goblins is a classic from them!
The ms-dos version is like a fever dream lol. Sunburnt Arthur
What a great compilation, I never knew there were so many different home conversions. Loving the Saturn's name, Demons and Knights, you always learn something interesting watching your videos!
Demons and nights is the compilation's name. The direct translation of Makaimura (the Japanese name for Ghost'n Goblins) is Demon Village.
@@RetroCore are you planning on making an episode about Metal Gear 1 i wanna see your thoughts on the NES port alongside with the Computer versions, i thought the NES Metal Gear is overhated and Kojima intense hate on that one doesn't help the rap it gets
Nice! Glad you shared the bonus games too!👍
You're welcome.
There's a 2015 G&G "arcade" revamp of the C64 version which adds basically everything that was missing, the map screen, music & jingles, enemies and stages removed from the original + old ones with more faithful art. Had they released that version in '86 it would have been a system seller.
Nice video as always. Had no clue about Ghosts'n Demons, and you weren't kidding. Absolutely great time with it.
I like how the GBC music sounds like the Commodore 64
Really enjoying these battle of the ports videos, thank you and keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching.
Played a lot to the Amstrad version in the past. I love their genuine music.
Thanks for that terrific remaster!
Thank you for watching 👍
Damn, ghost and demons for the anniversary looked really nice, it's like a mix of both ghost 'n goblins, ghouls 'n ghost and super ghouls 'n ghost with a touch of originality 😍
Thanks Mark 😁👍
See if you can find Ghost and Demons. It's free and well worth a play through.
There are also two new versions for the GX4000-CPC PLUS.
Cool, I didn't know about that.
@@RetroCore Yeap, one is finished and the other still in production.
Nice to see you get a mention in UK magazine 'Retro Gamer' this month 👍👍.
Yeah, I saw that. Pretty cool 👍
Perfect one for a remaster this week, Mark. I played a whole lot of Ghosts 'n Goblins for the NES at my across-the-street neighbor's. He had the system a few years earlier than I did, and though he was a jerk (that's giving him a bit too much credit...mom told me the dude murdered his girlfriend last year or year before), I tolerated his jackassery so that I play this, Double Dribble, and Castlevania early on. Lots of fun; not as good as the arcade version for sure, but it was the only port I played until the GBC version. GnG is just such a classic game. And, I think the thing I'd like say most about the arcade version is how nice the music was, even with the FM channel drop outs. It's such an amazingly catchy soundtrack from Ayako Mori and such a huge improvement over her earsplitting main-theme music in 1942.
Oh man, imagine knowing someone who ended murdering another person.
@@RetroCore Yeah. That guy was unhinged even as a kid. Kind of like that Sid kid from Toy Story.
Oh man, that's creepy.
Nothing wrong see another timeless classic that help make Mark's channel iconic. Ghost n Goblins is always a pleasure to revisited for sure bro. 8^)
Anthony..
Great video as always! I remember that we had the NES version growing up but barely remembered it until a few years later.
I also have great memories playing Ultimate Ghost 'n Goblins on the PSP but man, it was so hard that I never got to beat it!
Yeah, Ultimate Ghost's in Goblins is a real tough one. I've also never completed it.
Fantastic video! I especially appreciated the bonus entries!
Theres a newer version of this for the C64 which adds the missing levels. Ghosts and Goblins arcade, released in 2015.
Another thing about the GBC port, was both that it can be played on the SGB and monochrome systems (solid black cart shell), and from my playing the AI follows the arcade (based on the Red Arremers).
That's right. I normally play it in monochrome.
@@RetroCore that was a really nice feature of those particular carts. Including the early Pocket Monsters ones, and ones such as Dragon Quest I&II, which even had features for those with the Super Game Boy.
Ghosts 'n Goblins was my very first arcade game as a kid, I could barely even make it past the first level back then, but it left quite an impression (lol I'm still a glutton for punishment)! And to this day I've never managed to beat it without continues, what a hard-as-nails game this was 😵
Wow so many surprises! The visuals and sound of the Java versions are pretty neat. The windows one especially looks and sounds interesting enough I might try to find a way to play it. I’ll definitely give the wonderswan version a go now too. Excellent battle Mark!
I think the Homebrew GX4000 port would have been worth looking at, I was very impressed when I loaded it up on a flashcart with a CRT, doesn't look quite as good when you can see the pixel cleaer, but they did a much better job than the original CPC port.
Totally thanks for the Ghosts n' Demons recommendation!
Recently the MD homebrew proof-of-concept conversion (uncomplete) of the first level was arcade perfect, both for graphics and sound, i'd like to see it finished as the ultimate 16-bit.. like Shinobi, another perfect port to be completed...come on ;)
I'm not surprised the audio was perfect. The Mega Drive sound chip is very similar to that of the Ghost'n Goblins arcade.
@@RetroCore The audio chip on the arcade is far worse than the Mega Drive's.
The arcade used a YM2203, which is basically kinda like a chip that has an Atari ST chip mode (AY PSG mode) and FM mode (but with only 3 channels). The sequel used the YM2151, and what a world of difference it made
Cool! Look foward to watching this.
I was just playing this on original Xbox yesterday, "Capcom Classics Collection", which I believe is either the Saturn or PlayStation version as it says 1998 in the title screen.
Ooh, probably PlayStation as that has the correct aspect ratio.
When you said "or conversions". That's the spirit! ;-) 4:51
😊👍. Yep. I know that conversation is the right word but in most people's mind everything is a port 😉. Kind of like any unfinished game is a Beta when in reality they're are many stages before Beta version.
The Famicom port is one of the most historically significant games on the platform: it was released a month after the debut of the Disk System on a cartridge that was larger than the maximum memory of the proprietary disk format Nintendo was using for its brand new add on. The steady improvement of cartridge tech over the life of the platform leading up to titles like SMB3, Kirby, and Gimmick pretty much started with this game.
Believe it or not, I'm still trying to finish the PSP version!
I’ve always been more of a Wizards and Warriors person but I do have a soft spot for this game
And the NEC SuperGrafx version ? It was just gorgeous
Used to play the ZX Spectrum version as I loved the arcade game. It looked like dog shit but played quite well. The c64 was probably the best 8-bit port. Can’t beat the Arcade version, though. Great video 👍🏻
wow that amiga port is not only well made but has some great music to boot!
But only has 1 loop, instead of the traditional 2.
@@Bloodreign1 Probably better for it.
I'm still amazed at how many devs touched all these different ports. I'm also surprised that not all the computer ports were bad lol
Sometimes a plesent surprise is good.
There was a 2015 version of the C64 port of this game. A excellenet remake that include all levels and much more tunes (while the original was a great game in its own). btw the Amiga port was released after Ghouls 'n Ghosts.. hmmm.
I guess Elite had something to prove after Sculptured Software's terrible Ghouls'n Ghosts.
@@RetroCore
There's also a recent MSX version, which requires a video card based on plans for the unreleased MSX3.
I guess western developers had a really long list of things to prove....
@@RetroCore Not quite, the game was heavily delayed, as Elite had to find a second development team, after issues with the first one.
@@RetroCore I got that version. It's flawed but has great music.
AKA Ghostly Village, or sometimes Chostly Village, in Eastern Europe
Which remix version of the C64 intro music is that at the beginning of the video?
I got it many years ago from the Overclock Remix site.
You definitely should've looked at the new C64 port made in 2015
Sorry, I do t follow homebrew much except on consoles. I will check it out though. I hear its very good.
Awesome video
Cool video, the more ports you can cram in the better!
BTW the recent-ish GX-4000 port by Xifos is possibly the best game on that console. Well worth looking it up.
Inhad no idea there was a GX4000 version. It's great that it's the best game on the console but then again the competition isn't exactly high 🤣
@@RetroCore Very true!
Huh, there's quite a few interesting ports for this one. For one, it's crazy that Micronics and Digital Eclipse actually made good ports for the Fami and GBC respectively, and for another the CPC music sounds absolutely amazing! Weird that the Saturn port has more muffled sound than the PS1 though, like they applied too much filtering.
To be fair, Micronics only did the programming on the NES port. (Capcom co-developed the port)
Great compilation, Mark. Perfect for Halloween. I never knew there was a Windows remake of the Wonderswan game. I need to acquire that.
Yeah, it's well worth checking out. It's really good.
I feel like the Amiga port was that rare instance when Capcom provided Elite with the source code and assets for the arcade version, as opposed to having some poor dev "eyeball" it, like most other ports of the era. Whatever was the case - super well done!
Also, might be worth it to make an addendum to this video, now that there is a bunch of new versions of the game - ones for MSX2 V9990, c64 "GnG Arcade", Colecovision, and Amstrad GX4000
Great video Mark, shame you didn't include the C64 and Amstrad remakes although the 2nd of the Amstrad remakes (Golem13 release) is not quite ready yet but looks very promising.
Yeah, sadly I had no idea about those.
@@RetroCore no worries, great video all the same. 👍
It would have been nice to see the C64 remake version which improves the graphics, and replaces the soundtrack, renditions of the arcade music are in there but they've also included new tracks for some stages for a bit more variety which sound a lot more like they belong with the official soundtrack than the original C64 tune.
Another excellent BOTP. I’ve attempted a couple of different versions of this game in the past but never got very far. A bit too tough for me.
It is a tough game. I've never finished the final round.
Considering the fact that the C64 version fits all into one load, added to time contraints that Chris Butler had, it turned out pretty well.
I played it quite a bit in the 80s but I never got to the end.
Yeah, it's not a bad version at all. It's leagues above the terrible Ghouls'n Ghosts release.
What about the PS2 version
It's emulation so it wasn't covered.
Whew! I was getting a bit worried about you. Normally you say something when you take a week off. Looking forward to watching. Thanks for the content!
Sorry, work life is really busy now so I may be down to three Battle of the Ports per month in some cases.
@@RetroCore You do what you need to. I was just glad to see you were ok!
Thanks for the concern 👍
Apart from the screen estate being smaller due to the resolution, the Amiga port looks amazing compared to the original, while note one to one, it actually looks pretty vibrant and a little bit brighter and I strangely prefer it.
Awesome ,awesome ,awesome :)
LOL! 😆🤣 your MSDOS description of this made me spit my cupa tea out!! Holy shit is it bad! Arthur looks like Mr Big nose floating on the moon against ghost flying headless chickens!!! Lol! Brilliant! Made my day cheers! If you look close at MSDOS port I think unarmoured Arthur is more closer to looking just like Tony Hart's Morph!! Same skin colour and face too!
I'd forgotten just how funky tunes and catchy the ace C64 version was!
Lol, yeah, that's right. He is the right colour to be Morph.
Here's a funny one for you, Morph in Japan means scarf. Of course the spelling is different but the word sounds the same.
You left out Ghosts 'n Goblins Arcade for the C64, a complete rewrite that aimed to be as accurate a port as possible. It wasn't official, but it's regarded as the definitive version for the C64.
I never knew about it.
@@RetroCore And you call yourself a retro game fan! ;)
I notice you was mentioned in Retro Gamers article on the master system Prince Of Persia.
Yes, that's right. Someone was kind enough to send me a scan of that. Pretty cool👍
That's awesome, well deserved!
The Amiga port arrived a few months after Ghouls 'n' Ghosts as Elite had to find a second development team to handle the conversion and it requires a 1 Meg Amiga to run, if you want all the levels.
Sadly, you can't turn around, mid-jump in either the ST or Amiga version.
That's true about the jump. Still for an Amiga arcade port, this is impressive.
Well, it wasn't done by US Gold so that left a chance for this Amiga version to not suck. 😉
Elite arcade conversions were hit and miss on the Amiga (Space Harrier was baaaad, visually impressive but bad) but this one hit the lucky draw.
Such a shame though that it plays without overscan, meaning there are large black borders around the screen when playing on a TV or monitor. At the time this really disappointed me when I first played it. Also I couldn't get over the slightly less flexible controls. But technically it is a good port for the machine, it could have been much better but any port that doesn't suck on the machine needs to be celebrated. 😉
Awesome!
Spectrum version was really hard, even with 9 lives. 4-way scrolling 2nd level feels laggy and unfair with enemies too fast to avoid, too. It's also missing a lot of later levels, apparently - not that most would ever get that far to find out! Good for the time, but could have been improved.
Mish, the amiga version really looks n sound really nice ...
I will just say this again but a Sega MegaDrive version should have been made by Sega but probably they felt or assumed the game was too old or not as popular as Ghosts n Ghouls but it would have given MegaDrive/Genesis two of the franchise as arcade near perfect conversions.
Still a fan developed conversion can still be made for MegaDrive...
It was also hilarious for the NEC PC-88 version when the key dropped and Arthur just had that delay before getting his armor back.
Also that "Beats of Rage Engine" for PC, is that based on Sega's Bare Knuckle or Streets of Rage game graphics rom hacks? cause that PC thing could be possible on MegaDrive minus that gratuitous sampled sound effects.
Nice that you mentioned the other games btw since they tend to be fairly unique to certain hardware or platforms.
Finally what a shocker.. I never expected the FamiCom and NES versions to be made by a non-Capcom developer team... wonder what the backstory was... perhaps Nintendo of America knew it was an arcade hit back then and requested the game while Capcom in Japan had probably forgotten about it... which kind of seems that way since they only made an arcade sequel and the Super FamiCom unique version and afterwards no arcade games, just cameos and home original stuff not related to the arcade style gameplay.
Beats of Rage was an engine made BY senile team for the Dreamcast. It was a Streets of Rage like beat'em up with King of Fighters characters.
Since then the engine has been modified to be used with so many games. Sadly it would not run on a Mega Drive.
I'm surprised there was a PC-88 version but not an MSX or MSX2 version
guessing you also had the £99.99 plus/4 plus pack bundle back in 85 or so with icicle works, treasure island, fire ant etc
That's the one! Ah, good old days. I'm sure it was bought from Comet.
for a time that there was a good arcade port on Amiga I didn't know back in the day! GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME??
Contrary to what people will have you believe there were quite a few good arcade ports on the Amiga. Silkworm, Toki, Rodland, Rainbow islands, Bubble Bobble, Snow Bros, Super hang on, Pang, Arkanoid, R-Type, Midnight Resistance, New Zealand Story, just to name a few...
More keep popping up in my head... Pacmania, Double dragon 2 and 3 (well 3 was a bad arcade to begin with but it is better than the arcade actually on the Amiga, as the choppy arcade movement is gone), Dragon Breed, P47, Operation wolf, Operation Thunderbolt,Mortal Combat 2 was very good (well disk swapping, but such was Amiga), Marble Madness (yay for allowing mouse controls too), Liquid Kids (and like Pang, New Zealnd etc, pretty much everything that Ocean France handled), Gauntlet 2, Saint Dragon, R-Type 2 (forgot that one the first time), Ironman Stewart's off road...
@@jimkrom I know, I actually own original copies of some of the games that you have mentioned, I was just jocking. It's too bad that those portings are often forgotten and people always remember only stuff like the crap port of Capcom games or the european clones of japanese games (that are a mixed bag).
@@slucchi723 Ikr??? It was a great machine for its time and it just doesn't get the respect it needs. People who have never been in contact with it back in the day, playing the games today on emulators with dpads and bitching about the controls... Well, newsflash, they were made to be played on a freaking joystick and then, up to jump or accelerate makes sense and is fun. Or how no one can feel how it was back in the late 80's to pop Shadow of the beast on and hear at first and then see how f'ing amazing it looked when all you had until then was spectrums and CPCs or NESs. It just sounded and looked brilliant. Was it a good game? Well not so much (although better than what people make it to be). But at the time, it would let you stunned...
The Amstrad version looks like is Homer Simpson on the armor LOL.
Man that PSP port looks amazing! LOL sad part is that it looks more fun than the newest port they released for new consoles not long ago, aka the one that has the marionette style to it.
I assume your MD Mini 2 unboxing/review video is out this week, right, Mark? I've seen positive reviews around the Genesis Mini 2, unlike the Astro City Mini V ones.
Yep, filmed the unboxing on Friday and will be filming the rest, today (Sunday).
OH YES what a pleasant surprise for Halloween another remaster of other oldie but goodie, i'm sure it was a torture gathering footage from some of the versions of this merciless game hopefully everything is ok aside from playing this.
The arcade original i can actually enjoy quite a bit, now the NES version is just putrid for me but at least is better than the Famicom in one aspect in the Famicom version you have no continues at all and i actually found that out of curiosity after reading about that somewhere.
Well at least Amstrad owners had a banging soundtrack so it's a win.
The C16 is actually interesting, the C64 the OST is amazing but if i'm not mistaken that version has like 3 or 4 stages and that's it, and although some people pointed it out it had a fan remake in 2015.
At least the Speccy didn't got another dumpster fire of an arcade port so they got a win.
Gotta hand it to the NEC PC 8801 despite its limitations by not being a gaming machine it plays good enough.
Poor Dos fans this was a kick in the balls.
The Amiga port of this game is a clear example of how they should make arcade ports for the Amiga, now the ST on the other hand good effort but wasn't enough, GBC was an interesting effort.
The mobile ones well we can't expect much from a Java version of an arcade platformer in the early odds, PS1 and Saturn at least got like always really faithful ports.
Ultimate GNG is a true culmination of everything that the series made until then and i freaking love it.
The Wondserwan game is really interesting i like it.
Also holy cow that tribute game looks great.
Great vid Mark 😉
Just a random question, did you ever try enthusia for the ps2? Its a konami gran turismo clone that i think does progression better while also being a good driving fame in general. I think it will be good for a gaming pick ups video.
I've never actually heard of that one. I'll look in to it.
The Playstation version also has rumble feedback. Also, I think that many of the older ports don't have all the levels.
For those that remember the original arcade ran about half the speed you might know it runs at today and it suffered with stuttering scrolling! Next to Sega's Quartet, Capcom's G&G didn't look so good even if it played like the classic we know it is! That said, around the time of the first port to Sega Saturn it looked to of had the Street Fighter 2 treatment, as in it had been made to run faster to try and hide the stuttering. By the time it was released on Classic Xbox and PS2 it had a further speed increase to hide the stuttering even more and this is where the game sits today for speed as seen on Xbox1, PS4, Switch and Super Retrocade.
Best home port of Ghost'n Goblins goes to Sega Saturn as it's closest to the original. PS1 Ghosts was stretched out sideways to fill the screen more and every version since has been like this...
I've never knew about the wonderswan, and much less the windos pc version. It really got my attention to try it out, but after heard you recommend it.... It's a must!!!
The Windows game is great but be warned, it can be tough.
@@RetroCore Don't worry, I love the challenge.
The wonderswan version is pretty interesting maybe I should try to get a copy since I have a wonderswan color.
It is one of the more expensive games on the system but that's not a surprise.
@@RetroCore Well nevermind then lol
It would be nice to see these via a CRT as intended.
You cannot capture CRT output properly, especially when the video is meant to be displayed on an LCD/OLED panel. For TH-cam videos, the best option, especially due to the low bitrate, is to capture the raw pixels.
I have to admit it: Never finished any Ghost and goblins games on any computer/console and I think never will.
No shame in that. They're tough games.
I believe the 512k ST and Amiga versions are missing 2 levels from the coin-op, only the 1 Meg Amiga revision features them all.
Strange why they'd be missing levels. I guess the latter ones were too complicated to fit in to memory?
12:24 Should've just said "They're rare, but they do exist" like Guru Larry
Is the Plug N Play Jakks pacific version emulation or was it a port?
No idea. Those dont exist in Japan(where I live) . I've never actually seen one.
I had no idea a Jakks pacific plug and play of GnG existed but usually these were ports to whatever little board they were using in the mid-2000s
I never got very far but always dropped at least one quarter in at arcades because it's such a well designed game. :D Good enough on NES but in retrospect the flickering and slowdown could have used a little attention, also the sprite work is kind of plain by Capcom standards.
True some highlights on CPC but it doesn't look or behave much like G&G. The C16 has seen better results now in homebrew than it got bitd. Funny the new music on C64 but at least it's good music, also rare to see sprites that small on that platform since they are often too big heh. Lol there's that thing again on ZX, why change how the zombies rise? Decent effort on the Spectrum but would love to see a redux with everything people have learned since then.
Agreed, that is pretty fast scrolling performance for a PC88 game and the audio portion is quite good. Take it off the screen, you're embarrassing us DOS gamers "Why Capcom, why?". ^_^ The Amiga port is definitely what I think arcade ports should be like on the platform that unfortunately didn't always happen. On ST another case of "I know better than the arcade designer-itis. O_o???
I know Digital Eclipse can't compare to a Japanese company but it's not all bad work, they're not Tiertex. ^_^ Strange time period for the Java version, it was like everybody forgot how to draw pixel art on all the portables like GBC, guessing the masters had moved on from 2D idk, weird walk cycle. :P
Excellent SS port, really just wanted all the arcade games on that platform. Yeah the SS screen mode aspect was too restrictive in retrospect with funny cropping needs and that whole SOTN res oddness. Nice thing about that generation like PS1/SS where older arcade games could definitely be brought home arcade perfect. :D
I still haven't tried the PSP one so I think that will be my next quest for the platform. ;) I do like the WonderSwan but it's kind of low on my collecting list but that G&G port would be part of that. Quite interesting that Windows one, I only dabble in the whole Mugen world. Happy Halloween. :)
The beginning of the series that likely made many people ragequit due to it's difficulty, and having to finish the game twice to beat it, only for it to loop yet again, and having to beat it twice again to finish it, and then forever looping after. The NES port is not too faithful, sometimes weapons you don't want will drop on ladders you have to climb to get to the next section, very aggravating if you get the shield/cross in stage 6, and an axe drops right where you have to climb if you walk in the wrong spot around where the ladder is.
The PSP version of Ghosts N Goblins is like the PS2 version,a port of the PS1 version as it, and Ghouls both have darkness issues. Like the PS2 Capcom Classics Collection Vol 1, the PSP games that were on the PS1/Saturn Capcom Generation packs, were the ones used for the PS2 CCC Vol1, and the PSP Capcom compilations.
The NES port was made by a company with no skill whatsoever. It's an amazing port for Micronics. Its probably the best game they've ever made.
MSX2 version?
A platformer using the beats of rage engine? WhaaaAAAT
I have never seen the game in arcade and really only ever played it on the NES. Oh boy, did my friends and I play and play this. I don't remember us getting through the second, harder run. One question- why does it look to me that Arthur's sprite has a hole in his head? I never got what his head was supposed to really look like.
Maybe the hole is meant to be a window or ventilation hole in his helmet? It's a mystery 🤔
A game with one of the best butt-sprites in game history.
Slalom on arcade/NES and Morrigan from Darkstalkers:
Another thing about these NES ports _I think_ is that, instead of having the drops and hidden items being either randomized for some cases, or following a specific order in others... I think they're mostly fixed? If you climb the stairs on the top floor of the manor in the second level, a torch always spawns on the exit ladder, and I don't think the arcade had that specific event. But again, could be wrong.
Interesting observation 👍
I missed the homebrew MSXturboR port for the V9990 graphics chip, which is pretty close to the arcade: th-cam.com/video/E4Z52D4AKyI/w-d-xo.html
... #sensacional .. u got the best vídeos.. 👏👏👏👏😎😎😎
I wasn't aware of the Windows version and that is not a simple port either. Funny how in Spectrum version, zombies surface as if they're U-boats 😄
A cemetery is a quite romantic place for a smooching. But, Arthur was in his underwear when the demon took Prin-Prin, so... oh, dear. What a deviants. Think of the children!😱
Lol, maybe the demon was thinking "not in my cemetery you dirty buggers" and grabbed the girl just in time 😆
You know, everything difficult today is compared to Dark Souls, but I think it it would be fairer to say Dark Souls is the Ghosts 'n Goblins of today haha.
Punishing game but a classic if ever there was one. Respect for those who could beat the game at the arcade. I personally liked a lot the C64 version, like most people I knew. At the time it was more than enough and you didn't need a supply of coins to properly practice. But it was a truncated version, missing some levels, for the usual time/technical reasons (not a huge deal as most people wouldn't see the third level but still). In facts Elite felt like they could unofficially provide more levels with a similar style in a separate and terrible game named Beyond the Ice Palace wink wink nudge nudge.
Serious respect to anyone who can compete this twice on the Arcade. It's such a tough game.
Dude you really put in the work. Did you streal the algorithms girlfriend or something?
Great episode. You should have included the horrible Amiga knockoff "Belial" for the lulz.
LOL they used Kraftwerk's Das Model as BGM! Other heavily GnG inspired titles are Dragon's Kingdom and Vardan for the Commodore 64, but to be honest they are well made.
@@amerigocosta7452 The Kraftwerk cover is the only thing I like about the game.
C64 was pretty good.
It was. I expected much worse.
Never understood why capcom thought it a good idea to force people to play through twice. What's the thought process ? Not exactly a short game
Back in the day it was common for games to have a second loop. I guess that just stuck with the series.
I hope you can make a BOTP of the game Barbarian.
It's on the to do list but I'm not sure when I'll get around to it.
So sad that Capcom decided to abandon the Maximo franchise. It was the natural successor to GnG and also a great alternative to Castlevania.
Sadly poor sales of Maximo 2 killed development of Maximo 3, only a few months into development
@@thefurthestmanfromhome1148 Poor marketing budget, I guess. The games were awesome.
I've got both Maximo games but never played them. I should do.
The Retro Asylum podcast have an entire episode dedicated to Maximo were they wax lyrical about it from start to finish. It apparently has a few imperfections of the era but the foundation seems really solid.
I even bought the PS version after listening to that episode, although I haven't had time to play it yet. 😋
@@nekononiaow Had things worked differently, we would have Maximo in Smash Bros, Marvel Vs Capcom, etc :(
When games were great 👍
I really like Ghouls N' Ghosts but I've never played the original Ghosts N' Goblins, probably for the simple reason that the sequel was on Sega consoles but the original wasn't (and I never had an NES).
Coin Op knows what it's doing and it's unforgiving. NES is the best home port (at that point). CPC is broken. +4 is meh. C64 is the great offering. ZX Spectrum misses the mark. PC 8801 is halfway decent within limitations. MS DOS is a clusterfuck. Amiga is the best port on the micros. ST is a missed opportunity. GBC is great way to play on the go. Mobile version is a mixed bag. Western Mobile is good I would love to play it on my first phone. Saturn is amazing. PS1 hit all of the high marks. PSP is a great update. WanderSwan is great. Windows is miraculous.
MS DOS is indeed a cluster fuck!
Can you make a BOTP of Zelda links awakening?
How many ports does that have?
@@RetroCore Gameboy, Gameboy colour and Switch.