The VC Advantage: Take a key for coming in!

by JC Fletcher { Aug 29th 2007 at 6:00PM }

The Internet has made it easy to find cheats for games, but we miss the tips pages from game magazines, when the discovery of a new code could inspire you to go back to an old game. These codes aren't exactly new, but oldness is the essence of the Virtual Console! We're bringing back the classic codes every week on The VC Advantage.

The Ghouls 'n Ghosts games are famous for being extraordinarily difficult. They punish you with dastardly enemy placement and unavoidable attacks in the middle of jump arcs, providing a need for memorization unseen in modern gaming, outside of the shmup genre. Nobody has ever completed a Ghouls 'n Ghosts game, and leading scientists estimate that it will be over four million years before humanity develops a Red Arremer-sensing lobe in the brain, leaving us ill-equipped until then to aim javelins at flying demons.

Don't be fooled by Internet bravado. Anyone claiming to have completed one of these games is lying, in an attempt to overcompensate for the fact that they break into embarrassing crying fits thirty seconds into the first level. With those poor souls (pretty much everybody) in mind, here are codes for the two available Ghouls 'n Ghosts games on the VC.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts (GEN):
Slow Motion: Dialing down the tempo may be just what you need to help you time your jump over fifty zombies. Alternately, it could just make the animation of your armor flying off that much more agonizing. Either way's good. To access slow-motion, at the title screen, press up, A, down, A, left, A, right, A. Once you're in the game, pause, hold B, and then release pause.

Invincibility: At the title screen, when the message to "Press Start Button" appears, press the following buttons: A, A, A, A, up, down, left, right. A sound will indicate successful input, at which point you should hold B and press start, then hold C and press start.

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES):
Level Select: In the options menu, leave the cursor on "Exit." On controller 2, hold L and start, and then press start on controller 1.

[Codes via GameFAQs, Neoseeker, image via Insert Credit, from the cancelled Ghouls 'n Ghosts Online]

Tags: capcom, ghoulsandghosts, superghoulsandghosts, vcadvantage

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jay @ Aug 30th 2007 1:25AM

Me and a friend made it like 4 levels into Super Ghouls and Ghosts - to this fire level where you have to jump on these tiny platforms. You have to have a brain surgeons nerve and precision to make those jumps. We tried for 2 hours and never made it. On the bright side, I can now tell people I know what hell looks like. It's hot, with tiny platforms, precision jumping and werewolves that spit fire.

Leonidas @ Aug 29th 2007 11:42PM

Having just downloaded it, I can confirm that it takes nearly an hour to beat the first level.

Its gotta be as bad as Ninja Gaiden.

Almadi @ Aug 30th 2007 7:24AM

I'm currently on my 200th try on the end of level 3.

I actually call the game 'Groundhog day'. And I imagine Arthur being played by Bill Murray.

David Wright @ Aug 30th 2007 8:04AM

Noobs!!

I completed it easily, I am a god.

Oh wait I'm dreaming again, ^"£$##@*& ghouls & ghosts!!!!

AARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

UpIrons @ Aug 30th 2007 10:14AM

My brother and I played this on the Genesis when it came out. He got as far as the last level but never was able to defeat the final boss. I got as far as the second to last level but I could never get past the floating platforms with blue birds that were programmed to knock you off. We both finished Ninja Gaiden so this is definitely the hardest game ever!

Devine @ Aug 30th 2007 10:37AM

I got to the "first" ending of Super Ghouls 'n' Ghosts (where you have to go all the way back to the beginning)...when I realized I'd have to do it all again AND beat a final boss (who'd no doubt kill me the first eight times I made it that far) to "finish" the game, I shut it off and never started again.

James @ Aug 30th 2007 10:56AM

I remember when I beat Super GnG for SNES back in middle school, for the first and only time. Once you get through the first time, the second is a lot easier, because the Bracelet makes all the enemies a lot easier to deal with. When I actually got back to the last guy, and won the second time, I was so pumped/surprised, I wanted to take a picture of the ending screen -- unfortunately, my only camera (being a kid and all) was one of those flat black Kodaks that takes the weird film cartridge that looks like a miniature telephone handset (significant Googling turns up that I'm referring to an "Instamatic" with "110" film), and I didn't have any at the time. Pretty disappointing.

I seem to recall that it usually took over an hour to get through the Mode 7 "stomach" level. Man, memories -- I'm positive I could *never* do it again...