The Sega Master System version of Capcom‘s classic arcade game, Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, was developed and published by Sega in 1989, and it is a cut-down version of the original and is also easier to play.

This port features levels that are much simplified compared to the original. There are fewer enemies to deal with; fewer projectiles to dodge; and bosses are easier to kill. That said: this is still not an easy game to play. There are plenty of almost impossible pixel perfect jumps that you have to make, which can cause serious frustration.

Levels are also divided into shorter sections (probably because of the console’s limitations), and moving between them sometimes requires that you shoot a chest and walk through a door that subsequently appears. These mysterious doors can also take you to bonus armour rooms or wizards who will restore either your life or your ‘magic point’. And – to be honest – I don’t really know what the ‘magic point’ thing is all about anyway as it wasn’t in the original.

The graphics in this port are okay overall, although there are some jarring diagonals in places. The scrolling is smooth but the backgrounds are relatively plain. Thankfully the gameplay is still fun though, and that is mostly down to the responsive control of lead character ‘Sir Arthur’ who runs and jumps with gusto and remains as full of character as ever.

Ultimately, though, this is a stunted port of Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. It might have satisfied Master System owners in 1989 (at least for a while), but comparing it to the SNES or Megadrive versions – or the arcade original – it looks a bit janky now. It’s certainly not the worst port of this great game, though.

More: Ghouls ‘N Ghosts on Wikipedia