Figure it's better that the meat of this topic (the last link posted above) be presented here outright, summarized and properly edited.
Ghosts N' Goblins - Arcade (US/MAME) vs. NES differences
GENERAL
Item 'paralysis' - In the arcade game, only one enemy drop (from a jar) can be on the screen at once. In the NES version, as a test, I filled up a single screen with 1 Dagger, 1 Javelin, and 4 Stone Statue power-ups. Indeed, you can 'farm' rather easily for your perfect weapon in the NES game. In the arcade, if you're farming, you have to constantly pick up the item drops or the enemies will just stop carrying jars. If one lands behind a tombstone, unreachable, you can no longer get any items in that location and have to move to a new screen if looking for drops.
LEVEL 1
-1-
Arcade: When Magicians are triggered from chests, they fire a magic spell in the exact moment they appear. You want to trigger that first one for the 2000-point kill, but even with a super early kill he'll cast the spell. You have to use thoughtful maneuvering with tombstones and ladders to kill them without getting turned to a frog, since you can't possibly jump the magic spell on flatground.
NES: There is always a relatively huge delay before the magic spell is fired after spotting any magician; you can kill them with ease quickly for the points and simply avoid the spell. Spells? What spells on the NES.
-2-
Arcade/NES: Plants (Green Monsters) can go into an arcade-exclusive rapid-fire mode. On NES they'll shoot once per second max, but in the arcade, they can belt out 3 in a second. They also shoot right when they open their mouths, whereas in NES, they show you their open mouth for at least a full second or more before shooting, a dead giveaway.
-3-
Arcade/NES: The moving platform between 1-1 and 1-2 is half the size as in NES, and behaves more erratically. Sometimes it stops before reaching shore and turns back unexpectedly! On the NES, it moves to each shore without fail, no funny stuff, EVER.
-4-
Arcade: The Forest Ghosts can fire multiple times on a single pass, in addition to unpredictable, erratic flying. They can even shoot backwards!! That is, a Forest Ghost can be flying away from you out of the screen, but you're still not safe in the Arcade. It can instantly turn its head just to fire multiple shots, and then just as quickly turn back and THEN leave the screen.
NES: Forest Ghosts have a very straightforward, readable pattern on NES where they can only take one shot at you per pass, going forward.
-5-
Arcade: The last green monster of the level actually requires crouching to reach with a weapon... his position is not the usual spot. This is strange, but will catch you if you're not sharp with his rapid-fire shots.
NES: You never have to duck to hit a green monster (plant), not even the last one which isn't weird or different in any way from the usual tame, give-away-one-shooters of the NES version.
LEVEL 2
-1-
Arcade: No extra armor (health) in the Big House. Nothin'.
NES: Extra suit of armor hidden in the Big House. Though it's position at the top-left is inconvenient to seek out, it's a good fall back to collect if you take damage early in the level.
-2-
Arcade: Big Man can walk right through solid walls (wild). You can't be cheap anymore.
NES: Big Man can't walk through walls, so you simply lure one from opposite a wall and abuse use your weapon to kill them cheaply (we've all done it).
-3-
Arcade: The lower right Big Man (last one before leaving) will NOT allow you to kill him early. He'll never walk left for your free kill. This means you have a tricky ladder negotiation waiting at the end of the house, every time.
NES: You can abuse said Big Man long before you reach the section, nerfing any final challenge to the house.
-4-
Arcade: Blue ravens can actually change their flight pattern JUST to nail you, if you try ducking and such. You can not count on reading the flight pattern in the arcade; you have to kill these guys to be safe or they'll go up/down a few extra pixels to teach you a lesson.
NES: The Blue ravens have a fixed pattern. You see one swoop, you know how they'll move precisely throughout the screen and can often be ducked closely without sweating it.
LEVEL 3
-1-
Arcade: The tower enemy fires instant shots when it awakes!!! No looking at which face appears, like on NES. He fires instantly meaning you better stand further back and pay attention; there is absolutely no cue.
NES: Either top or bottom face emerges, you get to choose how you'll avoid, then it fires a shot. Weak...
-2-
Arcade: First Red Arremer isn't still, but flying and ready to swoop. No free shots at the beginning, it's a battle the moment you spot him.
NES: First Red Arremer is perched still.
LEVEL 4
-1-
Arcade: Those moving platforms knock you off! They are really, really weird in the arcade game. You have to learn their strangeness of they'll be throwing you into pits.
NES: The moving platforms are basic platforms that you stand on, and they take you places. They cannot decide to push you off, or any such madness.
-2-
Arcade: The entire bridge is lined with flames, every few steps!!! Even the Red Arremer battle takes places with flames on the ground that you must be really careful of.
NES: Thee flames were sparse and kind of a joke to maneuver around. No flames at boss battle.
LEVEL 5
-1-
Arcade: That Red Arremer is triggered when you climb the ladder, you can't avoid it. You're vulnerable.
NES: You don't trigger the Red Arremer climbing the ladder. You climb and it's vulnerable.
-2-
Arcade/NES: Not only do you have to deal with randomly spawning Forest Ghosts as you contend with Big Men. There are Blue Demons spawning in the arcade game all the way up there too, absent on NES.
-3-
Arcade: The Big Man just before the moving platform ride makes a point of not leaving the ladder, making this an insanely difficult section with Forest Ghosts, Blue Demons, and the Big Man.
NES: The Big Man up there moves for you to conveniently dodge. No Blue Demons up there. This is a non-section in terms of difficulty lol.
-4-
Arcade/NES: The arcade version has no extra armor hidden, like on the NES. This time, it hurts.
-5-
Arcade/NES: Satan is just in another world of tough in the arcade version! Holy crap. In NES, as long as he's not too low you can ALWAYS safely duck under his swoop after getting shots in. You can thus easily 'tame' the beast and beat him comfortably. In the arcade, that swoop will smash you and you can't duck! You have to try to fake him for the whole fight, jumping to change your position, to survive. He can even swoop on an upwards diagonal if you try funny stuff. Oh and the swoop is faster, too.
LEVEL 6
-1-
Arcade: There are TWO UNICORNS together at the start of the stage!!! TWO!
NES: One.
-2-
Arcade: Due to what I described about Satan's extended powers in the Arcade, the boss battle is truly Hell... you'll have to make use of the environment to stand a chance.
NES: You can duck under one, you can duck under both. No ingenuity with platforms, strategic falls, etc required.
LEVEL 7
-1-
Arcade/NES: The Devil has a smaller hit window (literally just the eyes of the lower face). This requires practicing the timing. Also, you cannot stand out of his flames' path while attacking like on NES (joke) but rather have to jump them since they seem to come at a more shallow angle. |
