Play Ghosts'n Goblins Online

Ghosts'n Goblins came out on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, developed and published by Capcom. It was one of those games that felt right at home on the NES, a platform full of tough, straightforward action titles that didn't hold your hand. You knew what you were getting into just by looking at the box art; a knight surrounded by monsters, no promises of an easy ride.

You control the knight Arthur, moving screen by screen through graveyards and forests, throwing lances or daggers at an endless stream of zombies, crows, and red devils. Your main goal is to rescue the princess, but you'll die over and over just trying to reach the next checkpoint. The game is famous for its brutal difficulty; one hit knocks your armor off, a second kills you, and you have to start the level from the beginning if you run out of lives. It feels tense and unforgiving, a constant test of patience and pattern recognition. Finishing it gives a real sense of accomplishment, but getting there is a struggle every step of the way.