Ghosts 'n Goblins is a Capcom platformer that debuted in Japanese arcades as Makaimura on 5 September 1985 and reached North America and Europe in October 1985. It was directed by Tokuro Fujiwara, with Toshio Arima as programmer and music by Ayako Mori. Fujiwara developed it alongside Commando and named Devilman as a major influence on its horror tone; the Red Arremer enemy is reportedly named after Arima, whom it resembled.
The game is famous for its difficulty. The player dies after two hits, every level has a time limit, and after Astaroth falls the whole game must be played again on a higher difficulty to reach the true ending. The Famicom version, programmed by Micronics, came out on 13 June 1986 as the first Famicom game on a 128 KB cartridge, and the NES release sold 1.64 million copies worldwide.
The arcade version later returned on Wii Virtual Console Arcade and, in 2021, in Capcom Arcade Stadium.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Ghosts 'n GoblinsTaito handled the North American arcade release | Arcade | October 1985 | Taito | 1 |
| NA | Ghosts 'n Goblins | NES | November 1986 | Capcom | 1 |
| NA | Ghosts 'n GoblinsEU 2000-08-24 | Game Boy Color | Jan 20, 2000 | — | 1 |
| NA | Ghosts 'n GoblinsVirtual Console (NES version); PAL 2008-10-31; later on 3DS (2012) and Wii U (2013) Virtual Console | Wii | Dec 10, 2007 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | 魔界村Makaimura | Arcade | Sep 5, 1985 | Capcom | 1 |
| EU | Ghosts 'n Goblins | Arcade | October 1985 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | 魔界村MakaimuraFamicom; programmed by Micronics; first Famicom game on a 128 KB cartridge | NES | Jun 13, 1986 | Capcom | 1 |
| EU | Ghosts 'n GoblinsCommodore 64, Commodore 16 and Amstrad CPC versions also 1986 | ZX Spectrum | June 1986 | — | 1 |
| JP | 魔界村MakaimuraPC-8801 and FM-7 | Other | July 1987 | ASCII | 2 |
| EU | Ghosts 'n Goblins | NES | Mar 23, 1989 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | 魔界村MakaimuraWonderSwan | Other | Jul 22, 1999 | Bandai | 2 |
| JP | 魔界村MakaimuraFamicom Mini series (Famicom version) | Game Boy Advance | May 21, 2004 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | 魔界村MakaimuraVirtual Console Arcade (arcade version); PAL 2011-01-07, NA 2011-01-10 | Wii | Nov 16, 2010 | Capcom | 1 |
| WW | Ghosts 'n Goblinsalso Android | iOS | Mar 15, 2017 | Capcom | 1 |
| WW | Capcom Arcade Stadiumarcade version inside Capcom Arcade Stadium; Steam version of the collection from 2021-05-24 | Switch | Feb 18, 2021 | Capcom | 2 |
Also known as: 魔界村 JP2Makaimura JP2Capcom Arcade Stadium: Ghosts 'n Goblins WW3
Box art by region
JP 魔界村
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
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GameplayFamicom/NES
The Famicom version does not loop endlessly like the arcade game: after the second round it ends in a game over, although continuing from the title screen starts a harder run.2
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GameplayFamicom/NES
Boss weaknesses changed on the Famicom: the cross does not work on the Cyclops, the spear does not work on the Dragon, and neither the spear nor the axe works on Satan.2
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Bug fixArcade (first release)Arcade (revision)
The first arcade release had a bug that allowed a pattern for endless play. A revised version fixed it and slightly lowered the difficulty, and the Wii Virtual Console Arcade release reproduces that revision.2
Where to play legally today
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Steam Purchase
Reception
Ghosts 'n Goblins was the ninth highest-grossing arcade game of 1986 in the US and the tenth highest-grossing table arcade game of 1986 in Japan. The home computer versions made it the sixth best-selling game of 1986 in the UK, and the NES version sold 1.64 million copies worldwide.1
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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