Capcom's 1985 arcade game about the knight Arthur, who loses his armor and fights in his underwear after a single hit, arrived on the NES in 1986 through a port handled by Micronics. The trip to the 8-bit machine brought choppy animation and flickering sprites, but the core idea survived: a demon has kidnapped the princess, and Arthur must cross graveyards, forests, towns and caves to save her.
The difficulty is the main thing people remember. Jumps have fixed arcs, enemies respawn, and the weapon Arthur picks up replaces his current one, which can leave him stuck with a poor choice like the torch. The last boss can only be fought with a certain weapon, and finishing the game once sends the player back to the beginning to do it all again for the true ending. Few NES games are as unforgiving, which has made it a reference point for hard games.
Tips for Ghosts 'n Goblins
Keep the dagger or lance if you have it; the torch and axe are much harder to use.
Commit to jumps only when you are sure, since you cannot steer Arthur in mid-air.
Take note of where weapons appear so you can avoid picking up the wrong one.
How to Play Ghosts 'n Goblins
Click Play Now to launch Ghosts 'n Goblins directly in your browser — no downloads or plugins needed. Z jumps, X throws the current weapon, and Down crouches. Enter pauses. You can also connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for a more authentic feel.
Save states let you save your progress at any point. Create a free account to sync saves across devices. Press F11 for fullscreen mode.
To play Ghosts 'n Goblins, simply hit the "Play Now" button on this page. The game loads instantly in your browser using an embedded emulator — no plugins, downloads, or setup required.
Is Ghosts 'n Goblins free to play?
Ghosts 'n Goblins is free to play here on RetroVault.GG. We believe classic games should be accessible to everyone, so there's no cost to jump in.
What console is Ghosts 'n Goblins for?
Originally a NES game, Ghosts 'n Goblins can now be played directly in your browser here on RetroVault.GG with no setup needed.
What genre is Ghosts 'n Goblins?
Ghosts 'n Goblins is a action, platformer game. It was made for the NES.
Can I play Ghosts 'n Goblins on my phone?
You can play Ghosts 'n Goblins on any mobile device with a modern browser. The game adapts to your screen size with on-screen touch controls.