Ghouls 'n Ghosts

The graphics look better on this one though. The sprites and backgrounds look better, and the colors are brighter. The controls are easy because they are the same, and they are responsive. The story is the same, with Lucifer kidnapping your princess again. Despite its ludicrous difficulty, it is a lot of fun to play.

Directions:
You play Arthur, a knight on a mission to save his girl from the evil Lucifer (Loki). Battle your way through five levels, defeating each boss, to make it to his chamber. Along the way you will meet several foes, mostly undead creatures (ghouls and ghosts, thus the name).

The evil wizard will try to turn you into a lady, a baby, a duck, or an old man. Kill him as soon as you see him, before he gets a chance to fire his spell.

There are several weapons available in the game:

Lance
Arthur begins with this weapon. It moves in a straight line across the screen. The Lance's magic power is a lightning spell, which causes Arthur to fire lighting bolts to his left, right, and directly above himself.

Dagger
The dagger behaves like the lance, but it is much faster, and Arthur can throw three at once, instead of just two. The Dagger's magic causes Arthur to create a mirror image of himself for a short time, which will follow Arthur's every move. This can be used to attack twice as fast as normal.

Torch
Arthur lobs a torch a short distance in front of himself, which burns the ground for a short period of time. Generally considered a difficult weapon to use effectively. The Torch's magic causes four fireballs to encircle Arthur and spread out.

Axe
The axe travels very slowly, but it can cut through enemies, allowing you to attack multiple enemies at once. Arthur can only throw a single axe at a time. The Axe's magic causes explosions to erupt in the area near Arthur.

Sword
The only non-projectile weapon. Arthur simply swings the sword in front of himself. To make up for its short range, the sword is twice as powerful as Arthur's other weapons. The sword's magic causes a dragon to appear and attack enemies.

Discus
The discus is similar to the Lance, but if you kneel while throwing it, it will hug the ground, which is useful on hilly terrain. The Discus' magic makes a mirror appear directly in front of Arthur, which will protect him, and damage any enemies that come in contact with it.

Psycho Cannon
The Psycho Cannon can only be obtained on Arthur's second time through the game, and it is the only weapon that can defeat Lucifer. He can find it by opening a treasure chest while wearing the gold armor. Arthur throws a blast of magic directly in front of himself. The attack's range is dependent on what armor Arthur is wearing. If he's in his boxers, the range is extremely short, while it's more respectable when he's wearing gold armor. Additionally, with the gold armor, it can destroy enemy projectiles. The strength of the Psycho Cannon depends on how close Arthur is to an enemy when he uses it. If Arthur attacks from close range, it is easily the most powerful weapon in the game.

There are also items that are carried on the back of enemies. The baddie will have a basket on his back, and if you kill him, it's contents will fall onto the ground. It can contain many different things, but they all equal extra points for Arthur. Keep an eye on the time limit too, because if it runs out, it will mean a death for Arthur.