 Aesthetics
In honesty, I did not like Ghosts'n
Goblins whenever I saw it. It seemed too
cutesy and simple, too much like a
Mario-made-Knight. But the Sir Arthur of Ghosts
is simply different than that of Ghouls. The
knobbly-kneed, marshmallow-proportioned Arthur of
Ghosts grew a bit taller and more upright in
Ghouls. This is paralleled in the art style of
Ghouls: a maturity and increased attention to
details that included background layers and
environmental animations that create an ambiance.
The art style of Tokuro Fujiwara’s
GnG is almost unmatched to this day (with the
exception of ex-Irem alumi Nazca Team’s
peerless Metal Slug games). It
represents a great deal of what I find
fascinating about early European/Gothic art:
attention to detail. Even more so it brings to
mind the rampant invention of demonologies by
artists like Bosch, the exaggerated facial
expressions resembling the works of Durer,
and much later, the etchings of M.L. Breton in Le
Dictionnaire Infernal. At the same time,
it captures a cartoonish look, a quality that
juxtaposes itself with these same aforementioned
grotesques and creates what Mike Bevan once
called a "comic gothic" quality. It has
been repeated in very few games to this day. This
explains why I persist in liking this style so
much. Its uniqueness in the media of games as
well as its fusion of two art styles that have
always captivated my attention and inspiration.
The game displays at once the trappings of an
apocalyptic altarpiece and the whimsy of a puppet
stage.
In
addition to this are the references, conscious or
not, to archetypes of mythological foes and the
legendary hero that must conquer them. This is
obviously a recurring theme in video games, but
the setting is rarely maedival and if so, rarely
a quality approach. Fantasy in most forms is
usually heavy-handed and derivative, and realism
is much less exciting.
 
GnG's
hero is Sir Arthur, a generic every-hero, a
knight who, to this day, has not had a string of
incessant sequels to develop (and thereby
demystify) his character. Therefore he remains an
archetype. Yet he is an awkward hero. This is a
conundrum, obtuse to the classical style of
"Hero." Very much a Don Quixote
he is, in his entire bumbling demeanor. A comical
hero? This is the same type of odd pairing as the
two art styles that clash within the
"dreamily nightmarish" setting.
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Dain Quentin Gore
straps on his chain-mail to look back on Capcom's
classic gothic platformer, and all those
wonderfully ghoulish boss battles..
 Being
a young boy enamored by the idea of elaborately
armored knights fighting dragons and demons, what
first enthralled me about Ghouls’n Ghosts
(hereafter GnG) was actually the gold armor and
what it represented–a grand achievement for
expert-level gameplay. The idea of such a
reward--a whole new, powered-up arsenal of magic
attacks--was what immediately drew me so close to
the game. And of course, it just screamed major
style points!
I then took notice of Knight Arthur's
new repetoire of physical feats, his ability to
fire above him or jump and fire below him. I
later learned of how these new moves could be
honed such that you can anticipate an enemy's
attack or even wait until the very last moment
and skewer them, emerging victorious from their
disintegrating bodies. Again with the style
points!
Perhaps one of the most defining characteristics
of Ghouls'n'Ghosts is the manic approach to enemy
generation.Enemies appear from multiple points on
the screen, and at fast intervals. And they just
keep coming! This created a chaotic and random
feeling to the game: this uncertainty creates a
frantic pacing that more closely resembles a
shmup. Combine all this with the fact that death
is inevitable in GnG. Knight Arthur is never
powerful enough to avoid even a glancing clash
with a creature. The fact that Arthur has to
destroy (or avoid) as many obstacles without
sustaining more than one near-mortal hit, all at
manic pace, is truly the most scary thing about
the game.
The hidden buried
treasure chests expounded on the randomized pots
from Ghosts, an innovation that allowed those
with secret knowledge of their locations to be
redeemed... or cursed!
Bestiary
  
The most important
element of all are the Bosses.
This is the first game that I played that truly
expressed the idea of a Guardian that refuses to
let the hero pass and gain ground in the battle
(having not yet played any shmups, famous for
their "set-piece" bosses). The sheer
size of the Guardians gave them a reputation. In
addition are the melding of monster types to
create a composite feel, not a mere derivation of
typical themes.
Shielder
The first Guardian
is still one of the most impressive bosses in a
classic video game, becoming synonymous with the
series as the box-art friendly fiend. It is also
one of the best examples of the aforementioned
fusion of archetypes. Not only is it a cyclopean
giant, it echos, through its severed head as well
as skin, the mythic trial of Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight. By extension is the theme of the
headless horseman, Dullahan, of Irish lore.* In
addition, it is a Frankensteinian monstrosity,
mechanically contorting like a zombie, yet a
knightly beast encased in heavy armour..
*Oddly enough, the Dullahan fears gold!
Cerberus
The second Boss is
a giant dog-like thing along the lines of
Cerebrus and Garm, both intercessors to doomed
places. It is also a flame elemental, inconstant
and using its own essence in its attacks, its
very presence the reason behind the burning
village. In this sense, he is what has been
deemed an "event" or
"set-piece" boss, one whose effect can
be seen in the scenery itself, or is, in fact, an
integral part of the scene. He guards the
entrance not to the Underworld itself, but to a
weird tower.
Gassuto
We then have the Tower''s storm elemental
creature. Some call it the Mistral Winds. A
single bloodshot eye surrounds it, again an
ever-present nod to the cyclops. But, this
creature is like an ethereal cloud with
sentience. Nature itself, perhaps, or a dijin
under Luciferian influence? It is calm at times,
flowing like water through the air, and at
others, furious, invincible. It doesn't die: it
dissipates. Maybe it will return?
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