Thoroughly wretched, Ghosts 'n Goblins is the prime example of when nostalgia seems to make flaws disappear.
The scrolling could be called choppy on its best day, and the game feels very stuttering as a result. The music is extremely annoying, being a ten-second loop that plays over and over. Oh, sure, it changes on the third level, but it's as grating as the last. And it also changes on level five, but that's irrelevant, since you won't make it that far.
The hero, Arthur, starts in a graveyard, immediately swarmed. The mechanices are horrid, as Arthur cannot change direction after he leaves the ground, leading to many collisions with enemies on the way down. Also, he's armed, and can pick up various weapons on the ground. However, they're all similar, and no matter which kind you have, Arthur just throws it in front of himself in the hopes that it doesn't strike air.
While you're getting used to the controls, you've probably died already. No matter what, when hit Arthur is immediately stripped of his armor. After that, it's death. Avoid every enemy, jump over every pit, brave every obstacle if you will, but two hits from the boss and you gotta do it all over again. Always. Health powerups are so rare they probably shouldn't exist.
Let's not forget the "brilliant" level design. How about those guys who guard the ladders in the second level? More often than not, they hover EXACTLY where you need to climb to, making it impossible to not be hit as you try to do so. Even if they decide to leave for a little bit, the second you stop climbing they immediately charge and kill you. This enemy takes about 15 hits of any weapon to die.
You're going to need a lot of luck if you plan on getting anywhere. Every level has a very strict time-limit that allows no time for you to plan out your next move. This isn't a fun kind of time limit; rather, it's the type where you die in the same spot hundreds of times, and you know that you'll just die again and get more pissed off.
Enemies like Firebrand make this easy to understand. Firebrand flies above you, making him very difficult to hit. Also, he swoops and attacks every couple of second which is nearly impossible avoid unless you're standing in EXACTLY the right spot. Until you've already been hit, though, there's no way to know what that position is. Firebrand takes surprisingly few hits to kill, but doing so usually wastes precious time anyway. Back to the beginning of the level.
Though what pisses me off the most is its twist ending. After defeating the final boss, it's going to be a happy reunion, right? Wrong. Mysteriously and without reason you're sent to the beginning of the game (not the level, but the entire piece of crap game) and told to "GO AHEAD DAUNTLESSLY! MAKE RAPID PROGRESS". In non-Engrish terms, you have to complete the entire game over again. I'm almost tempted to spoil the ending here just so you don't have to play this game, but I'm feeling a bit generous. Let's just say it has MORE Engrish involved.
And what about the requirements to even reach the final boss's room. If you get to the end of the sixth level but don't have a cross equipped, you're sent to the beginning of the fifth level. Why the fifth? Now you have to go through two more stages all over again, while hoping that you come across a cross on the way. What about the absurdly fast platforms in the fourth level and the extensive memorization required? Or in level three when two Firebrands simultaneously chase you? Or the anticlimactic boss battles, which are the only things in this game disappointing in the difficulty? Or the glitchy appearance of enemies and their tendency to disappear after going offscreen? Or suddenly appearing onscreen? Don't let nostalgia blind you to what this game really is. It's not fun; it's an exercise in human tolerance. It's not legitimately challenging; just impossible. Nearly unplayable as a result, and even if it were more reasonable it'd still be a mediocre platformer. Don't come close to this game. I know I won't.