I’ve been trying to connect with this series for roughly 40 years now.
Finally, revisiting the SNES classic “Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts” for Halloween this fall, it clicked.
I think I can partially credit my persistence in continually giving the series a fair go, which has allowed my ability to grow as a by-product. I mean, games are usually more fun when you aren’t getting your teeth knocked down your throat on a regular basis, so just practicing and getting better with these unique platforming dynamics allows for a better experience.
But there are also plenty of reasons to praise this particular offering, which initially rubbed me the wrong way for its aforementioned difficulty and the slowdown it would suffer during busy moments.
Those negatives are offset by an enjoyable double jump and power-up structure which is more rewarding than other games in the series. Powering Arthur up here feels like it makes a genuine difference in how the game opens up to you.
And once the game is opened up, you get to see all it has to offer in terms of cool environments and pretty sprite work. This is truly one of the Super Nintendo’s showcase titles, which is no small thing to say. As an example of the SNES doing extremely cool things visually, this belongs among the greats.
Finally, not to be overstated, I got the sense playing it this time that it’s programmed a touch more fairly than its arcade cousins, which are designed to eat away at your quarters. It feels, dare I say it, almost manageable?
Maybe I am getting better at these games.