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4[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_gngpic.png]]
5[[caption-width-right:350:''[[Music/TheAdventuresOfDuaneAndBrando Man, it's cold outside]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpsuypjnM1k on the fucking lawn!'']]]]
6->''THIS ROOM IS AN ILLUSION AND\
7IS A TRAP DEVISUT BY SATAN.\
8GO AHEAD DAUNTLESSLY!\
9MAKE RAPID PROGRES!''
10-->-- '''The text that appears when you beat the game the first time'''
11
12''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' (known in Japanese as ''Makaimura'', "Demon World Village") is a [[NintendoHard Hellishly-hard]] PlatformGame from [[MediaNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 8-bit era]], created by {{Creator/Capcom}}. It pits intrepid Knight in (and [[UnderwearOfPower very frequently out of]]) [[KnightInShiningArmor Shining Armor]] Arthur against endless hordes of undead, demons, [[GoddamnedBats bats]], and the titular ghosts and goblins in a quest to [[SaveThePrincess save his sweetie]], Princess Prin-Prin, [[OneHitPointWonder with only two hit points to his name]].
13
14As with many great titles of the time, it began as a quarter-muncher in arcades. It was followed by ports to various home platforms, including the Platform/ZXSpectrum, Platform/{{Commodore 64}}, Platform/{{Amiga}}, and Platform/{{NES}}. Later on, it appeared in updated form on the Platform/GameBoyColor, Platform/GameBoyAdvance, and Platform/PlayStation, and in 2007 was released on the Platform/{{Wii}} Platform/VirtualConsole. The arcade game is tough enough, but the Micronics port for the NES is [[PortingDisaster miserably hard and riddled with glitches]]. Yet people [[JustOneMoreLevel still seem to love it.]]
15
16!!Sequels, spinoffs, and cameos
17The game received sequels in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' (''Daimakaimura'', "Great Demon World Village" in Japanese) for arcades and the Platform/SegaGenesis, ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' (''Choumakaimura'', "Super Demon World Village") for the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], ''Makaimura for Platform/WonderSwan'', ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'' (''Gokumakaimura'', "Extreme Demon World Village") for the [[Platform/PlayStationPortable PSP]], and ''Ghosts'n Goblins: Gold Knights'' and ''Gold Knights II'' (''Makaimura: Kishi Retsuden'', Demon World Village: Knight Chronicles) for [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]]. These tend to include [[PowerUp more projectiles and armor upgrades]] for Arthur, while maintaining the series' trademark difficulty, i.e. he loses ''all'' of his items if struck. After a whole decade of no new games in the series or its spinoffs, ''Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection'' (''Kaettekita Makaimura'', “Return of Demon World Village”) was revealed for the Platform/NintendoSwitch at the end of 2020 and released in February 2021, returning to 2D graphics and combining aspects of several of the original games into one package.
18
19It spawned a spin-off series [[BreakoutMookCharacter starring a Red Arremer]] named Firebrand, loosely known as ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest''. The first game, '' Gargoyle's Quest'' (''Red Arremer: Makaimura Gaiden''), is a rare example of an ActionRPG for the Platform/GameBoy. ''Gargoyle's Quest II'' (''Red Arremer II'') is a direct sequel for the NES. ''Demon's Crest'' (''Demon's Blazon: Makaimura Monshou-hen'', "Demon World Village Crest Chapter") for the SNES seemed to take inspiration from ''{{VideoGame/Mega Man X|1}}'', with Firebrand [[VoluntaryShapeshifting morphing]] into new gargoyles with varying strengths and weaknesses (similar to X's armor upgrades). ''Demon's Crest'' came and went without any fanfare, but today is it considered one of [[CultClassic the most underrated gems]] for the console.
20
21In 1996, a Japan-only spinoff/crossover entitled ''Arthur to Astaroth no Nazomakaimura: Incredible Toons'' was released for the Platform/PlayStation and Platform/SegaSaturn that, as the title implies, sees Arthur and Astaroth replacing Sid and Al from the ''VideoGame/TheIncredibleMachine'''s sequel, ''Incredible Toons''.
22
23Compare the ''Maximo'' duology (''[[VideoGame/MaximoGhostsToGlory Ghosts to Glory]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MaximoVsArmyOfZin Army of Zin]]''), which is a {{spiritual successor}}/spin-off starring an underwear-clad hero.
24
25Arthur himself has made an out-series appearances in ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', (playable in the former, AssistCharacter in the latter) as well as the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series (AssistCharacter in [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfTheSuperheroes the first game]], then full-blown playable in [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 the third]] and [[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite fourth]]). Arthur is also a playable character in ''VideoGame/CannonSpike''.
26
27The Red Arremer is an SNKBoss in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''. Red Arremer (specifically Firebrand from ''Gargoyle's Quest'') appears in ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' and ''Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite'', where he has unique dialog with Arthur.
28
29A costume based on Arthur appears as DownloadableContent in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', while Arthur himself appears as a Spirit initially for players who have save data of ''Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection'' and added for all players afterwards.
30
31----
32!!THIS SERIES PROVIDES. EXAMPULS OF:
33
34* AdvancingWallOfDoom: In Stage 3 of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', the screen scrolls hazards downward, eventually coming to a ceiling that crushes everything (unless you escape to the right).
35* AfterBossRecovery: Defeat a boss in underwear to get back your armor.
36* AmbidextrousSprite: Arthur's throwing arm varies depending on which direction he's facing.
37* AntiFrustrationFeatures: ''Resurrection'' has a number of factors that make this entry more accessible:
38** One that's so simple yet so fundamental is a selection of difficulties. Legend difficulty is the entry that's most on par with the NES game. The difficulties further down the line give Arthur more hit points before he bites it (showing off various levels of ClothingDamage in the process), having fewer and slower enemies, and having more checkpoints.
39** Regardless of the difficulty, you have infinite lives/continues, and you can shut the game off and continue at the stage where you were at (which is to be expected of a modern video game release, even one that emulates a classic NintendoHard one). In contrast, ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' gives you only six continues before making you start over the whole game, and has no save feature.
40** The collectible Umbral Bees can be exchanged for upgrades, and those investments can be rescinded freely (starting with the farthest upgrade in the branch), encouraging the player to try out various upgrades without having to worry about committing to certain builds.
41** The death to retry issue described in FakeLongevity is fully fixed. The game no longer takes a few seconds to show you the map before letting to retry; instead, the retry menu simply shows a picture of the map without interrupting the player.
42* ArtEvolution: After 35 years of gaming history Arthur gets a little update to his otherwise consistent design, in ''Resurrection'' Arthur sports a little crown when out of armor, that likely makes him closer to the King Arthur legend in this iteration, or he is officially declared royalty by being romantically involved with Prin-Prin.
43* AscendedMeme: In ''Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection'', the [[AchievementSystem challenge]] for reaching the game's true ending is named [[spoiler:[[AWinnerIsYou "Congraturation"]] [[note]]including the quotation marks[[/note]].]]
44* BadassCape: The Golden Armor in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts''. ''Super'' replaced the cape with a feathery helmet accoutrement.
45* BladderOfSteel: Simply putting a Save option on the SNES version would have made it a ''lot'' less frustrating. Fortunately the digital download ports on the later Nintendo systems have save states in the form of the home functions.
46* BlindIdiotTranslation: The NES version is full of this, as evidenced by the quote at the top of the page. The arcade version isn't ''quite'' as bad; it still has the same mangled grammar and syntax, but at least everything is spelled correctly. [[spoiler:''Resurrection'' gives a little nod towards the series old mangled English days, in a otherwise grammar accurate game released in 2021, the perk for clearing the True Ending route is aptly called "Congraturation"]].
47* BlockingStopsAllDamage: ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'' introduces shields which will unfortunately break after a number of hits. It is possible to obtain an unbreakable shield from a witch though, after which anything block-able can be stopped with impunity.
48* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Arthur can put on armour to protect himself from enemy attacks. He's a OneHitPointWonder otherwise.
49* BoringButPractical: The lance and the dagger are the simplest weapons in the series: the former is your default weapon, letting Arthur throw up to two large projectiles in a straight line, and the latter works the same but has a smaller hitbox, flies faster, and allows three projectiles on screen. They're well-balanced for every situation, and make up for a lack of coverage (which can often be a downside for other weapons that have odd flight paths) with easy spammability for killing enemies fast.
50* BookEnds: ''Resurrection'' starts with Arthur enjoying a little time for himself, in his undies, on a hill, enjoying the view before demons come wrecking havoc and kidnapping Prin-Prin. The true ending has Arthur go back to the same hill, as he goes back to his undies and resumes his good time of resting, with peace restored and Prin-Prin rescued.
51* BossRemix: The boss themes in ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' and ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' are remixes of the themes of the levels leading up to them (although the boss remixes for Stages 3 and 5 of ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' use the level music from Stages 5 and 3, respectively).
52* BossRush: In the sixth stage of ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'', the bosses from the previous stages show up again.
53* BottomlessPits: Not nearly as common as in most other platformers that use them, but they're definitely there.
54* {{Bowdlerise}}: Lucifer and Samael, the final bosses in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' and ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' respectively, were renamed Loki and Sardius respectively (except in the arcade version of the former, where he was still called Lucifer).
55* BreakablePowerUp: Upgrading Arthur's armor allows him to access spells and magical versions of the basic weapons. It doesn't make the armor any more durable however, and a single hit will break the armor and downgrade his weapon to basic.
56* BreakoutCharacter: The Red Arremer enemy proved so popular that a member of the species would go on to star in [[VideoGame/GargoylesQuest his own spinoff series]].
57* CallAPegasusAHippogriff: The one-horned cyclops/oni bosses in the first game are known in the manual as "Unicorns", a name normally used for a very different mythical creature.
58* {{Cap}}: In the original game, there can be no more than three zombies on the screen at a time. Other enemies have similar caps.
59* CheckPoint: Only works on death or when you insert 25 cents and then press START within 10 seconds.
60* CheckpointStarvation: Don't think that unlimited continues in certain console installments will save you; stage 5 on the NES version of ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' is entirely devoid of checkpoints, so whether you lose a life or continue from a game over, it's always back from the start of the stage for you.
61* ChestMonster:
62** Breaking open a treasure chest in the games that have them can spawn a magician enemy, who will quickly fire a ForcedTransformation spell and vanish if you don't kill it instantly.
63** Mimics show up in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' and hide inside discolored treasure boxes. It's not a convicing disguise since most real chests have to be spawned and aren't lying around in the open.
64* CleanDubName: In the console ports of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', Lucifer was renamed Loki in the localized versions, while Samael became Sardius in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts''.
65* ClownCarGrave: The zombies just keep... on... coming. Forever. And they're not the only ones.
66* CrazyPrepared: According to the ending of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', Arthur had spent ''three years'' improving his weapons because ''he knew'' the demon world would be restored eventually. Not that it did him much good...
67* DamselInDistress: Princess Prin Prin is kidnapped in every single game she appears. Technically she gets killed off in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', but since Arthur is fighting to save her soul from Lucifer and restore her back to life, it essentially amounts to the same thing. It's a wonder why she never [[{{Reconstruction}} takes exception to it and evolves]] into RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething territory.
68* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' just sufficed with fighting spooky monsters and rescuing the princess. ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' starts with said princess being ''murdered'' before Arthur's very eyes, while surrounded by the bodies of a demon invasion's latest victims. And while both games start off in graveyards, the second game is much more explicit about what the demons are doing to everyone in their path what with all the bones and decayed (non-{{Gorn}}-y) bodies strewn about. It says something that the sequel's logo spills blood, a good sign of what's in store despite still having some cartoony wackiness.
69** ''Resurrection'' portrays more horrific renditions of many demonic beings in the series, compared to the somewhat cartoonish designs from all versions prior; Astaroth is a shining example of it, the game has his most terrifying design in the entire series by far.
70* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: With the exceptions of ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' and the arcade entries outside free play mode, every game in the series technically has infinite lives/continues. Even if the game has a Game Over screen and you reach it, you are allowed to retry at the beginning of the level where you lost.
71* DegradedBoss:
72** The Unicorn (two in certain versions) and Dragon show in the final level of ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' as part of a tiny BossRush after being fought at the end of earlier levels.
73** The Shielder in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' shows up in the penultimate stage, but only as a head and an arm mounted on the wall.
74** Astaroth, the final boss of the original game, shows up in all later installments as either a late-game boss or a mere EliteMook! You even get to fight ''two at once'' in the Genesis version of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts''!
75* DenialOfDiagonalAttack: ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' lets you aim up and down, but not diagonally. However, ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' has the crossbow which shoots diagonally upward.
76* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: You kill the Devil himself by beating him over the head with a shield.
77* DifficultyByRegion:
78** The American release of the original game has the mercy of MeaninglessLives, but the Japanese version has no visible continue option (you have to use controller commands when pressing start).
79** The American release of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' has armor appear more commonly in chests, less HP for bosses, and more checkpoints per level. However, this comes with a trade-off: since every boss now has a checkpoint before it, you can't get Gold Armor or change weapons before the battle, and since Ohme in Stage 4 requires a ranged weapon, if you get there with the Sword [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable it's unbeatable]].
80* DoubleJump: Arthur gets the ability to jump in mid-air in ''Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts''. It does not make the game any easier, mostly due to it being trick to use (both of Arthur's jumps are subject to his stiff JumpPhysics, and most of the harder platforming areas exploit this).
81* DualBoss: In the first game, the bosses of the second stage are twin versions of the cyclops from the first stage. Likewise, the boss of the sixth stage are twin versions of Satan, the flying devil boss from the fifth stage.
82* DubNameChange:
83** The official name of Arthur's beloved is "Princess Prin-Prin" (as displayed in the ending of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts''), although some of the earlier localizations renamed her into "Princess Tamara" (in the Genesis version) or "Princess Guinevere" (in the SNES version, a reference to King Arthur's own beloved). However, most official documentation (even for the Japanese releases) don't even bother mentioning her name at all and simply refer to her as "The Princess".
84** The North American NES manual names the final boss as simply "The Devil", which causes a bit of confusion as there's also Satan. A Nintendo guidebook names him "Lucifer" (not to be confused with the one in ''Ghouls 'N Ghosts''). His actual name, and the one used in later installments, is Astaroth.
85** Lucifer is renamed "Loki" in the Sega Genesis version of ''Ghouls 'N Ghosts''; possibly to avoid outrage from MoralGuardians.
86* EasyModeMockery: Playing ''Resurrection'' on the Page difficulty will make the player invincible for the rest of the game, but it will not allow you to see the True Ending. The game even warns you about this when you start a new game.
87* EnemyRollCall: ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' does this with a computer controlling Arthur, revealing the enemy in question, and then fading the background out and showing the enemy's name.
88* EquipmentBasedProgression: Such a system is incorporated into the Master System port of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, where treasure chests may open a door to a screen where Arthur can choose to upgrade his equipment. Choosing to upgrade the helmet unlocks more magic, upgrading the armour will increase his health, and upgrading his boots increases his movement speed and jump height.
89* EventFlag: Interesting case in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts''; playing through the game normally, you can't advance to the final boss chamber unless you have the Goddess Bracelet. However, if you use the stage select code and start at the boss chamber, Sardius can be defeated with the lance.
90* EveryTenThousandPoints:
91** By default, the Arcade version of the first title gives you extra lives at 20,000 points, 70,000 points, and for every 70,000 points thereafter.
92** In the Arcade version of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' (on its default DIP switch settings), you get an extra life at 30,000 points, 60,000 points, and every 70,000 points after that.
93* FakeDifficulty: The main reason the games are difficult is because Arthur controls like crap and basically everything outsteps him without even trying.
94* FakeLongevity:
95** You'll have to play through the game twice to see the true ending. This applies to every installment of the series (save for the ArrangeMode on the Game Boy Advance Port of ''Super Ghouls n' Ghosts'').
96** Also, if you reach the End-Of-Game Baddie with any weapon other than the shield, you'll be sent back two levels to find it.
97** Losing a life to getting back into the game in the original: 13 seconds. Getting a game over to getting back into the game: 24 seconds. Considering how hard the game is, this adds a lot of playtime to the game and make it seem much longer than it actually is, and most of the other games have similar death delays.
98* ForcedTransformation: A magician who likes to hide in treasure chests casts magic that turns you into many different things depending on game/armor status, including a girl, duck and seal that all can't attack, and an old man that can... but slowly. Another transformation is a bee whose "flying" hitbox can actually be beneficial and allow you to walk across lava. In the first game, the magician hides in grave stones and turns Arthur into a frog.
99* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The ultimate spell you need to access and beat the FinalBoss of each game is underpowered gameplay-wise.
100* GoofyPrintUnderwear:
101** If Arthur takes a hit while armored, his armor falls off, revealing [[RealMenWearPink strawberry-print]] undies (though merchandise and cameos often depict them as hearts). If Arthur takes a hit while in this state, he gets StrippedToTheBone.
102** Arthur instead has vertical stripes in the Platform/WonderSwan game.
103* GoombaStomp: Mostly absent from the series, but Lancelot can do it in ''Gold Knights''.
104* HardLevelsEasyBosses: Most of the series' challenge comes from the tricky platforming and dangerous enemy placement throughout the stages. The bosses are typically much easier so long as you have a good weapon and/or any kind of armor.
105* HitboxDissonance:
106** Your player collision area in the first three games is rather small compared to the player sprite.
107** Related, and surprisingly in your favor, is that Satan's sweeping attack usually can't hit you if you're ducking. Knowledge of this makes it a much easier affair to deal with it.
108** On the other hand, due to some mistake in the Sega Genesis version of ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' [[https://twitter.com/Chu_cat/status/829771767837294598?s=20 fireballs have hitboxes that often don’t match the sprite at all]].
109* HyperspaceArsenal: Arthur's basic attack is to fling an endless number of lances from nowhere. Other weapons have similarly [[TrouserSpace plucked-from-thin-air]] projectiles.
110* IHaveManyNames: Astaroth is often called "The Devil" in manuals, Hades in the GBC port, and Gondiaz in early Japanese materials.
111* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' has fire level that include FloatingPlatforms with conveyor belts made of bones.
112* InexplicableTreasureChests: In ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' and ''Super'', random treasure chests can somehow materialize from thin air, appearing in set places when Arthur passes over a certain part of the background.
113* ItemAmplifier: In the sequel ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', picking up turquoise and golden armor gives your weapons more power and for the latter, the ability to charge up your attacks.
114* JumpPhysics:
115** Present but not highly distinguishable. Jumping from foothold to precarious foothold isn't as big a part of gameplay in ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' as it is in [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros some]] [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog other]] [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry platformers]], and Arthur's jump isn't all ''that'' much more controllable than a real-life jump.
116** The Commodore 64 port of the original wouldn't allow jumping over a tombstone if you were right against it; you needed a single pace back before jumping over. The "good" versions don't have this quirk.
117* {{Kamaitachi}}: Among the first enemies Sir Arthur faces in the game are kamaitachi, depicted as small floating creatures with scythes that turn into tornados.
118* LagCancel: The original arcade version of ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' has this (and you'll need it). Arthur is normally very sluggish, and he'll usually take a while to get up from a crouch, but you can alleviate this by tapping up on the stick. You can also boost his rate of fire by tapping forward after you fire.
119* TheLegionsOfHell: Most enemies are, in one way or another, fighting for the Devil himself.
120* Level1MusicRepresents: Starts with the original, lasts all the way through ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'', and becomes Arthur's theme for both the ''Videogame/NamcoXCapcom''/''VIdeoGame/ProjectXZone'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' series.
121* LiftOfDoom: ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' level 3 - the first half requires dodging spiked platforms, before the player need to rush to the right in order to avoid the rest of the ceiling.
122* MascotMook: The Red Arremer, a flying demon that appears in every game of the series and is nearly as well-known as Arthur himself, to the point of [[BreakoutMookCharacter getting a spin-off and fighting game appearances]]. Unusually for this trope (but fitting for the kind of game that ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' is), Red Arremers are the toughest recurring enemy in the series rather than TheGoomba.
123* MeaninglessLives: One of the few mercies of the series is that you have effectively unlimited tries as long as the system is on, as getting a game over doesn't reset your checkpoint and there are usually infinite continues. While ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' attempts to have limited continues, you have to be actively trying in order to run out, since you get more of them by collecting the common money bags.
124* NamedByTheAdaptation: The flyers and instruction cards for the original arcade game simply calls the main character "The Knight". The name Arthur wasn't introduced until the Famicom/NES version. Also, depending on your sources, the Princess is either called Tamara or Guinevere, or she isn't named at all (which tends to be the case in the games) with Prin-Prin being named as such only once in-game, for ''Super Ghouls n' Ghosts''.
125* NewGamePlus: Beating most of the games on a second loop is necessary to see the true ending.
126* NewSkillAsReward: In ''Resurrection'', the reward for collecting and returning all the Umbral Bees to the Umbral Tree is a bonus skill that [[spoiler: turns Arthur into a Red Arremer]].
127* NintendoHard: The games are widely regarded as some of the hardest games ever made, for reasons such as the protagonist's poor mobility, devious enemy placement and tricky platforming sections.
128* OneBulletAtATime: Varies depending on the weapon. For example, you can only have two lances on screen at a time, but up to three daggers.
129* {{Plot Coupon}}s: In ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'', there are 33 golden rings scattered throughout the levels; you must find them all in order to reach the FinalBoss.
130* NotCompletelyUseless: In ''Resurrection'', Emboulden I seems to be the least useful early game spell since it doesn't take enough hits to handle large enemy waves any better than normal weapons and other spells do, and immediately breaks upon touching fire. While the upgraded version Emboulden II is [[MagikarpPower overtly useful]], even the base form has some hidden utility:
131** While the boulder is being formed, it gives Arthur the typical spell startup invincibility and also a decently-sized close-up hitbox, which means the defense starts earlier than it looks.
132** While it's not good against an aggressive enemy wave, it makes getting past a row of consecutive guillotines much easier, since it could tank a hit.
133** Even though it immediately breaks upon touching fire, Arthur is given invincibility and may jump out of the fire, which means he can cross the fire without extinguishing it. Why does that matter? It's because during the second loop, there is one unavoidable fire trap that spawns a Red Arremer if the fire goes out, and Emboulden is the only way to pass without triggering that trap.
134* PoisonMushroom: Be wary of certain yashichis and high-value point pickups that spawn in the open in ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'', as they can respectively take away your stage time or turn you into a frog.
135* PowerupLetdown:
136** The torch and the axe in the first game are far less effective than the spear the player starts the game with, due to having odd flight angles and low fire rates. Made more insidious in some versions because the [[PowerUp Power-Ups]] appear in a specific order -- the torch will appear before the (very, very good) knife/dagger will appear. Later games made all [[PowerUp Power-Ups]] random, although they include many more let downs, too.
137** The Bow's upgrade with the Magic and Gold Armors fires three shots instead of two, and the shots home in on enemies. The problem is you can only fire one set of shots at a time, so if even one flaming arrow is still on screen, you can't fire again. This can prove to be a major, even fatal, problem if the homing arrow starts flying in a circle and refuses to either leave the screen or track the enemy gunning for you.
138*** By extension, the bow's "Seek Magic" spell which...reveals hidden chests in the vicinity. It's only situationally useful as by the time you can cast it, you already have the Gold Armor, so its only help is in either providing the upgraded shield or a replacement should you have already lost it. Otherwise, it hardly serves the player much more purpose as by that point, the spawn rate of traps and magicians in the chest increase significantly. The only other major use would be in helping the player potentially find a more desired weapon if it spawns from one of the chests.
139* RandomNumberGod: You can't trust memorization against some of the series' tougher foes like the Red Arremers. They'll zig when you swear they would've zagged.
140* RecurringBoss:
141** The original game has significantly fewer distinct boss types than there are levels.
142** Astaroth comes back in every game, even when he's not the BigBad anymore.
143* RescuedFromTheUnderworld: Arthur's goal is an Orphean one in the second game (still SaveThePrincess, however, because that's who he wants to rescue).
144* {{Satan}}: The recurring BigBad of the series is Astaroth, and Satan is his lackey. In ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', the BigBad is Lucifer (Loki in the American Genesis version). In ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', the final boss Sardius is called Samael in Japanese. These are all separate entities. And in ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'', Astaroth is still there as the FinalBoss, but there's a TrueFinalBoss after him: ''Hades''.
145* SaveThePrincess: Every game is about Arthur rescuing Princess Prin Prin. Even in the second game, where she's killed by Lucifer, it's Arthur's goal to rescue her soul and bring her back to life.
146* SingleUseShield: In ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' and its sequels, the player character's armor disappears after one hit, but they do have the benefit of starting each next stage/new life with armor equipped. ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' also offers a red shield powerup which shows up only when wearing the golden armor, but can block one projectile attack (or two if it's upgraded to blue).
147* ShootTheBullet: The shield weapon has a short range, but it can destroy enemy projectiles.
148* SpinOff: The main series spawned the ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest'' trilogy, a spin-off series starring Red Arremer/Firebrand, [[MauveShirt one of the enemies]] from ''Ghosts 'n Goblins''. And in those games, Lucifer from ''Ghouls 'N Ghosts'' (renamed to Rushifell in English) is [[spoiler:your WorthyOpponent, but not actually your enemy]].
149* SteamVentObstacle: In level 4 of ''Super Ghould 'n Ghosts'', steam is emitted from some of the background objects.
150* StockMoneyBag: The series takes place in a medieval setting. Despite that, dollar bags are found for ScoringPoints (and in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', getting extra continues).
151* StrippedToTheBone: Arthur's death animation has him reduced to a skeleton and then falling apart into a pile of bones.
152* SuperDrowningSkills: The numerous small pools of water in Arthur's path might as well be filled with lava or SpikesOfDoom. Averted in ''Makaimura for Wonderswan'', where Arthur actually can swim.
153* ThemeNaming: Some of the members of the Red Arremer family are themed after playing cards, with Red Arremer King in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', Red Arremer Ace in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', and Red Arremer Joker in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts Advance''. Queen and Jack are excluded.
154* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Arthur throws all his weapons, including melee ones such as axes and lances. The Sword in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' is an aversion, being the first melee weapon in the franchise.
155* TrialAndErrorGameplay: These games are practically built on this. One particularly shameless example comes in ''Super'''s first level, where at one point a tidal wave suddenly appears and kills Arthur by destroying the ground...except for three specific parts of it, and you can only see the parts that weren't destroyed after you die.
156* TheUnfought: Satan appears in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', where he abducts Prin-Prin in the game's opening sequence, but he never actually fights the player as an enemy.
157* UnstableEquilibrium: The games get a lot easier if you can hold onto the best weapons and obtain the stronger armors, which let you cast powerful charged spells and give you a shield to block certain projectiles. If you lose your golden armor by taking a hit (or can't keep the regular armor for long enough to find it) and/or bump into a bad weapon, it can take several lifes to recover.
158* {{Unwinnable}}:
159** The NES version had some bosses immune to some attacks. If you had the wrong item, you can't even get the screen saying you didn't get the shield.
160** The fourth boss in ''Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' is a stationary slug with weak points that need to be hit by firing downward. It can become this if Arthur happens to be carrying the short-range broadsword.
161* UpdatedRerelease:
162** ''Goku Makaimura Kai'' for ''Goku Makaimura'' (''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins''), which includes the original game and a revised mode that drops the RPG elements for a more Arcade-like experience.
163** The Platform/GameboyAdvance port of ''Super Ghouls n' Ghosts'' includes an all-new "arranged mode" with branching paths and new levels.
164* VideoGameRemake: ''Resurrection'' can be seen as a partial remake since it heavily calls back to the first two entries in the series with its selection of enemies and locations, and having no double-jumping. However, there are many new weapons and spells for Arthur, and the TrueFinalBoss is [[spoiler:Hades from ''Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins'']].
165* WaterfrontBossBattle: The second boss of ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', the Kraken, is fought from a tiny raft.
166* WeaponizedOffspring: In ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'', the boss of the first stage is a giant bird which spits eggs out of its mouth which hatch into smaller, groundbound bird monsters which attack you.
167* WeirdCrossover: The Japanese-only game ''Arthur to Astaroth no Nazomakaimura: Incredible Toons'', released for the Saturn and Playstation in 1996, demonstrates what happens when you subject ''Ghosts 'n' Goblins'' characters to the puzzle antics of ''VideoGame/SidAndAlsIncredibleToons''.
168* AWinnerIsYou: The first game, typical retro game ending, followed by the GameOver screen in the NES version.
169* WombLevel: The fourth level in ''Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts'' is called "The Ghoul's Stomach." (Also known as "The Demon's Insides" 魔物の腹 in Japanese). It's appropriately spooky. Doubles as both a GimmickLevel in its first section with the changing gravity and heavy use of sprite rotation in both sections, and an AutoScrollingLevel in its second where you board swinging platforms and avoid deadly gas spewing from demonic viscera. The autoscrolling is {{justified|Trope}} since you're ''inside'' a demon. This stage is followed up with an [[OrganTheft ice world]].
170* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: "THIS ROOM IS AN ILLUSION AND IS A TRAP DEVISUT BY SATAN. GO AHEAD DAUNTLESSLY! MAKE RAPID PROGRES!" After defeating the ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' FinalBoss, Arthur is forced to replay the entire game, on a harder difficulty level, to get the genuine end. This is a tradition kept for the later games, with the second loops adding special weapons that Arthur needs to carry to the end to fight the TrueFinalBoss. Averted in Resurrection, as you do rescue the princess in the first cycle, though saving the whole kingdom requires a second loop.
171* ZeroEffortBoss: The first boss in the NES version, even by first boss standards. It only has one attack: shooting fireballs. You can duck under those fireballs. Crouch, fire away, done.
172----
173-->''[[AWinnerIsYou CONGRATURATION]]\
174[[EarnYourHappyEnding THIS STORY IS HAPPY END.]]\
175[[ThankingTheViewer THANK YOU.]]''\
176
177
178-->''[[BlindIdiotTranslation BEING THE WISE AND COURAGEOUR]]\
179[[KnightInShiningArmor KNIGHT THAT YOU ARE YOU]]\
180[[GoodFeelsGood FEEL STRONGTH WELLING.]]\
181[[GoodFeelsGood IN YOUR BODY.]]\
182RETURN TO STARTING POINT.\

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