It's hard to believe, especially since I just about remember this one happening, that Ghosts 'n Goblins, Capcom's seminal (and seminally difficult) coin-op classic, first arrived in smoky arcade halls in Japan 40 years ago. Four entire decades. Deary me.

I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but what is time, actually? Anyway, I have a long-standing association with the Ghosts 'n Goblins games, from arcade all the way through NES, Commodore 64 and SNES, and it's never really been a pleasant one overall. I'd pump my coins into the arcade version mostly just to see the graphics on Arthur as his gear deteriorated. And when I was controlling him, you best believe it crumbled way faster than any known technology could keep up with repairing. So it was an expensive little hobby I got myself into.

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Let's cut to the chase: I absolutely suck at Ghosts 'n Goblins. But I've also always seen the appeal, and it's always won me over. From the original, which I had to spend a lot of time in my local chip shop to get a go on, right through Ghouls n Ghosts, Super Ghouls n Ghosts (which has long been my personal fave) and so on, until I sort of just gave up. I moved on and did other things. Nothing of significance, I should add. Ok, old man. Nice story, thanks for coming out and sharing.

But wait! If you enjoy the idea of this series, or you've tried it in the past and baulked at its difficulty to the point you gave up, you might be surprised at how much you may enjoy Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection which I bought despite fully believing I wouldn't finish the first level due to stress. But I forged ahead, and it was well worth it.

It's hard, even on its default setting, and I can't even begin to imagine the harder challenges because I'm never going there, but Capcom's re-ignited effort is a genuinely fantastic action-platformer. And it's one that I think should have lots of appeal for Dark Souls-hardened gamers of today, especially because, as difficult as it is, and it must be to stay true to its roots, it's very well-balanced, so that even a little effort will see you gain a good foothold.

And gaining a foothold, in my mind, is something that many entries in this series previously didn't give you a chance to do, unless you were very committed in a way many players never really would be. With Tokuro Fujiwara's snazzy return to his own franchise, there's a better curve into the action. Arthur can now turn and attack from a crouched position, which makes a big difference for knocking back pesky rear invaders (no laughing at the back of the class, please), and although he's still restricted in movement, he feels much more reactive, in turn making deaths feel a little easier to swallow.

The checkpointing here is still brutal, but as our 8/10 review of the game said back at release:

"this penalty is absolutely required for learning the stage by rote, and while you need monk-like resolve and no small amount of mental fortitude to see your way to victory, it can be achieved. This series has always been about slow, measured memorisation: knowing your routes, methods and weapon specifics, and how to avoid chests containing disability-spelling magician."

It really is one of those moreish affairs that gets under your skin, especially if you're like me, and you sort of have to finish it then. Which is a good thing! It's perfectly made, impressively designed across the board, and there's a newly impressive variety been added to environs. It's almost a little emotional to see Arthur and the old shuffle gang looking so well. Also, dying doesn't even feel so bad when everything is so wonderfully well-animated, does it?

If this speaks to you, know you'll have a great time with Resurrection. A truly harsh but fair game that deserves a heck of a lot more chatter about it than I've seen amongst my gaming pals since it dropped back in 2021. It's also a real looker, and watching Arthur's gear fall off is still, for some reason, and maybe I need to see someone about this, but I find it mesmerising. What a visual loop! Anyway happy birthday Ghosts 'n Goblins. God knows how many 10p coins you've cost me over the years, but I appreciate you all the same.

Now. where did I put that infinite health cheat code...

Have you played Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection yet? Fan (or absolute loather) of the series in general? Let us know!