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Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
  PSPPlatformerUC  
  opened by paleface at 21:41:10 12/21/07  
  last modified by paleface at 12:27:18 03/05/24  
  paleface [sys=PSP; cat=Platformer; reg=NA]
           
New game in this ancient, notoriously unforgiving platformer. This time around the graphics are 3D, but the gameplay is still stiffly 2D, with no air control while jumping, just like the old classics you loved to hate (see entry 37).
 
Right from the get-go the game bombards you with a constant stream of endlessly spawning enemies. They'll pop in from anywhere, even right on top of you, and if you're stuck in mid-jump, or mid-shot, you have no chance to dodge, and you're going to get hit. Various types of armor can absorb some hits, but it won't protect you against the generous amount of pits and water traps. I particularly love the tidal waves of blood that rush along the second stage and sweep you helplessly into the nearest pit. Even on Normal difficulty, the game is really hard. When you've lost all your lives, you can continue, but only at the very beginning of the most recent stage you got to. With patience, then, you can gradually pummel your way through, but it just feels so punishing and not fun a lot of the time that I just wonder what they were thinking.
 
Another thing of which I'm not particularly fond is the weapon system. Enemies will sometimes drop different weapons that you can use, or you'll find them around the levels. Problem is, some are better than others, particularly in certain situations, and if you have one you like, getting another one that replaces it is a curse--but the powerups are often very hard to avoid. So something like what happened to me could happen: I had a dandy ballistic weapon, then ran into a pickup just before the first boss fight, and had to face him with little bombs that I could only throw a few feet, while he flew around above me, raining fire down. Whee.
 
The 3D graphics actually look quite nice, with rich color, depth effects, and lots of animation.
 
But the game is such a bitch. I dunno if I'm going to be able to force myself to keep trying to bash through it.
    
 
references:
· Capcom Generation: Dai 2 Shuu Makai to Kishi (PS1)

 
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