MAKAIMURA
( Ghosts'n Goblins )
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魔界村
©1986 Capcom
Release: 1986-06-13 (¥5500)
Cartdridge CAP-MK
Platform / Action
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Released in America as
GHOSTS'N GOBLINS
( NES-GG-USA )
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Released in Europe as
GHOSTS'N GOBLINS
( NES-GG-XXX )
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Makaimura (aka Ghosts'n Goblins) is a side scrolling platform game
by Capcom and conversion of their own arcade game originally released in 1985.
It is the first episode of Capcom's popular franchise featuring
King Arthur's eternal fight against Satan and his minions. His beloved
girlfriend Prin-Prin has been kidnaped by the Lord of Hell and the brave knight
must rescue her (as he will countless times) from his castle. Equipped with a
suit of armor and joust-spears, Arthur sets out on an epic journey against a
horde of approaching undead zombies and other winged demons. The game's start screen is
home of a large map showing the unique route to Satan's castle through six
desolated locations such as the trademark cemetery and other uninviting haunted towns
and creepy caves. Each area ends on a gate guarded by dreadful demons - Arthur
must defeat them to gain the key that will let him advance to the next stage. Fallen
foes sometimes release bonuses as well as new weapons such as the flame-torches,
the fast throwing knives, the Axe (shows up halfway through the game)
and the cross (at the end of the game). Arthur's piece of armor
offers a small protection and splits open when hit for the first time. When that happens,
he is stripped of his armor (and dignity) and fights in boxer shorts - one more hit and
he turns into a small pile of bones. Thankfully, Makaimura provides infinite
continues and respawns the player at the last checkpoint (or halfway point).
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The original Makaimura arcade game was released by Capcom in 1985 (picture on the left).
Countless ports followed, such as Famicom (1986), ZX Spectrum (1986),
Commodore 64 (1986), CPC (1986), Amiga (1988) and
Atari ST (1990). The Famicom port was also re-released for the
Game Boy Advance in 2004 as part of the Famicom Mini series.
As an interesting side note, an obscure
roulette redemption game called Double Fever Makaimura was even available
in Japan and manufactured by Capcom (the medal game, released in 1987, was part
of a series that also included 1942, Senjō no Ōkami and Son Son).
Finally, the arcade game was later included in Capcom Generation 2: Dai 2 Shuu Makai to Kishi
for the Playstation (1998) and Saturn (1998), and in
Capcom Classics Collection for the Xbox (2005) and Playstation 2 (2006).
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Teaser text from the American version:
The beautiful princess is kidnapped.
Her lover, the Knight
in shining armor, armed with
five different weapons to fight
the enemy, sets out to rescue
the beautiful princess.
The Knight, aided by your
skill, must pass thru seven
different guarded gates, fighting
and destroying demons,
dragons, giants and zombies.
There are hidden characters
too! Some friends. Some foes.
Ghosts'N Goblins is exciting...
challenging you and
the Knight to rescue the princess,
amid great danger, escaping
Hades, land of the
enemies.
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Game Staff :
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Planning
Hasse and Fuji
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Music
Hal and Wood
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Design
Black and Hasse
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Program
Kazzo
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Presented by Capcom
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G
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Japanese guidebook
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Japanese game book
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Japanese mini-game/pencil-case
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Japanese boardgame
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Japanese model
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Japanese notebook
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Click on picture to enlarge |
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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The insane difficulty and unforgiving nature of Makaimura doesn't
need to be introduced anymore. The devilish game will consume many of your
lives with little mercy and you'll see Arthur turn into a little bone
pile so many times that you'll most certainly start feeling real, physical pain every time
he does. To be honest, the original arcade game features the same hellish difficulty
level and sparse checkpoints (and you have to complete the game twice!). On the
conversion front, this Famicom port is (surprisingly) accurate and as
close at it can possibly get to the arcade game - within the technical limitations,
of course, of the hardware it's running on... I wish I could give Makaimura
a better score (as it deserves it) but the incredibly difficulty level poises
(I feel) this otherwise monumental and classic title.
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