Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins, known as Gokumakaimura (極魔界村, lit. "Extreme Demon World Village") in Japan, is the 5th entry in Capcom's Ghosts 'n Goblins series released for the PSP on 3rd of August, 2006 (Japanese Version). Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins is the first game in the series to employ 3D graphics, while maintaining much of the 2D gameplay mechanics of the earlier games. It also marks the return of the series' project head, Tokuro Fujiwara.
Features[]
The stages are varied, ranging from being inside a more traditional haunted forest to volcanic pits and ruined castles. Enemies are hugely varied and tend to be thrown at Arthur in groups, meaning that players really have to keep their wits while playing. One annoying variation is the groping hand, which extends out of the ground and pins Arthur on the spot, leaving him exposed to any attack. Others range from zombies, ghosts, Giant Oxen, Venus Fly Traps and string dragons. Also the boss characters are nicely varied, and some are simply incredibly huge in size (two of which take up the entire screen).
The game has many weapons from the past games (though not all of them), with a few new additions; this installment also has a new equip system. Arthur is now able to gather items that can be stored and used for different levels, ranging from what type of power attack Arthur can use (as a secondary attack) to standard equipment (shields, double-jump boots etc). Arthur can also collect different types of armor, which give him varied abilities too.
The magic system is no longer tethered to the armor and weapon combination; instead, "POW" pick-ups increase weapon power, and armor amplifies the magic spell Arthur has equipped (which are also gathered throughout the levels as pick-ups, hidden in chests).
Instead of the linearity of the original versions, the game has now been designed so that players have to obtain a selection of Golden Rings hidden throughout the levels to access the last battle and finish the game. Players are given the option to backtrack to earlier levels and search previously unreachable areas to find these by the use of powerups found later on in the game. These can vary from equipping "double-jump" boots to a shield which allows Arthur to fly for a limited amount of time.
Gameplay[]
There are three specific game modes available from the start:
- Novice Mode
- Standard Mode
- Ultimate Mode
The main game mode, Standard Mode, is a departure for the series; Arthur starts with six lives and when a player loses one of these lives, Arthur is resurrected on the spot. Arthur's armor can now resist more than one hit when it is powered up, when he eventually loses his armor and is down to his boxer shorts, he can only sustain one more hit.
Ultimate Mode plays similarly to older Ghosts 'n Goblins titles; Arthur has a smaller number of lives and once he dies, he is sent back to a pre-determined point of the stage rather than being resurrected. He will either be sent back to the start, or if he travelled far enough before dying, to the stage's half-way point. In this mode, Arthur can only take one hit before losing his armor, no matter what kind he is wearing. This mode is for traditionalists and expert players. The game is extremely hard in this mode.
Novice Mode is an easier version of Standard Mode. Certain environmental obstacles are excluded from this mode, such as the tornadoes in the Death Castle.
Gokumakaimura Kai[]
Gokumakaimura Kai (極魔界村 改, lit. "Extreme Demon World Village Revised") is an improved version of the game released only in Japan in 2007. Besides the original game, it also includes a new gameplay mode that makes the game similar to early games in the series. In this mode, Arthur starts with the double jump, and instead of being able to collect different shields and magics, he can have only one at a time, replacing the current one by the one taken. Also, the position from some enemies is different.
Main Characters[]
- Arthur, the knight hero.
- Princess Prin Prin, the kidnapped princess.
Enemies[]
- Wraith
- Minotauros
- Giant Grey
- Meltbacher Worm
- Bloody Doll
- Bloodbrain
- Shocker Dragon
- Mantispider
- Zombie
- Galiburn
Enemy Bosses[]
Minor[]
- Sorcerer
- Red Arremer (Red Devil)
- Dust Manteater
- Slugel
- Black Dragon
- Dark Red Devil
- Witches union (a.k.a Sorceress (Optional)
Main[]
Stages[]
1-1 Magic Forest
Red Rose Witch Lair
1-2 Bloody Nest
2-1 Storm Fortress
2-2 Death Castle
Yellow Rose Witch Lair
3-1 Rotten Swamp
3-2 Sea of Death
Blue Rose Witch Lair
4 Scorch Mountain
5 Black Palace
Dark Astaroth's Chamber
Hades' Chamber
Equipment[]
Weapons[]
- Lance
- Dagger
- Fire Bottle
- Swallow Blade
- Grand Lance
- Bomb
- Boomerang Scythe
- Vine Whip
- Electric Whip
- Fire Crossbow
- Scatter Crossbow
- Elec Crossbow
Shields[]
- Cracked Shield
- Knight Shield
- Emperor Shield
- Demon Shield
- Dragon Shield
- Infinity Shield
Armors[]
Magical Powers[]
- Flare Magic
- Inferno Magic
- Invincible Magic
- Time Magic
- Unseal Magic
- Spirit Magic
- Gorgon Magic
- Power Up Magic
- Discovery Magic
- Wave Magic
Gallery[]
