Ghosts 'N Goblins and the fine art of self-abuse
Difficult games are all well and good, but let's be sure they're tough for the right reasons, eh?
This week's NES Works was a tough one. Adobe launched a new version of the Premiere editing suite, which refused to render the video correctly (hence the misplaced N++ attribution over the Super Mario Bros. footage...). And then I had to hurry out of town as part of a family trip for the July 4th holiday, which meant that I had to upload the massive finished video on hotel wi-fi. To cap it off, I edited the video while sitting in the shade by a pool so as not to seem entirely antisocial while the rest of the family relaxed... and as a result, I ended up with a nasty sunburn, despite my heavy layer of sunblock. And that's not even getting into how my computer died and had to be replaced while I was recording footage for this video...
In short, practically everything that could have gone wrong with this episode, did. But I suppose that it just makes it an authentic Ghosts ’N Goblins experience. It's a game designed to cause pain and suffering, and boy did it deliver.
Video description: The second (and, as it happens, final) Micronics/Capcom joint for NES falls upon the cruel arcade torture implement known as Ghosts ’N Goblins. While it's a more technically competent port than 1942, the trademark Micronics jank makes a tough game even more brutal. You'll notice this video doesn't contain any footage captured beyond the second boss, and that is because I have better things to do with my life than dash my brains repeatedly against the torture implement that is this game. Anyway! Things get better from here.
Hopefully, my suffering was not entirely in vain and you'll find this video production simultaneously interesting and entertaining. Otherwise, what was even the point? I ask you.
