CURIOSITYThe ’80s Games That Laughed While They Destroyed You6 min read

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Makes You Do It All Twice

Capcom’s Ghosts ‘n Goblins launched in arcades in 1985 and reached the NES in 1986, casting Sir Arthur as a knight who watches his princess Prin-Prin get dragged away during a picnic. The game that follows is arguably the hardest release of the entire era. Not the most technically demanding, not the one with the worst controls — just the most merciless in its construction.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins forces players to complete all six levels twice to reach the true ending, and the second pass is harder than the first.

Arthur loses his armor on the first hit, fighting in his underwear until he finds a replacement suit. Every resource matters. Every enemy respects nothing. And when you finally claw your way through to the end, the game reveals it was only the dress rehearsal. The second loop exists not as bonus content but as punishment for believing you were finished.