Cursed Castilla

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: Included in Locomalito Arcade Legends along with Super Hydorah)

Cursed Castilla (AKA Cursed Castilla EX) is an Action-Platformer that was very clearly inspired by Capcom’s Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series, which is evident in everything from its weapon system, its level design, and even the main character’s appearance.

Visually, this is a spot-on imitation of the look and sound of this sort of game, and this game specifically has the feel of something that could have been a long-lost entry in the Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series released on the Sega Genesis – not only do the visuals feel much like the games on that console, but the sound effects and music absolutely nail the unique sound that Genesis games had.

As for the gameplay, this game is thankfully not as punishingly difficult as the Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series is infamous for being, though it’s definitely still a challenging game. Overall, I’d say the gameplay here is quite good, and this game even does a few things that set it apart, such as the ability to actually aim your weapon upward or downward, and passive power-ups that slightly enhance your abilities until you take a hit.

However, I will say that when it comes to imitation, this game forgets the golden rule of “copy the best” by patterning the game after the earlier titles in the series instead of the series’ best game, Super Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts – that game’s expanded power-ups and double-jump are not here, and it’s a shame, because a game more in that vein would have been fantastic.

Still, as Action-Platformers go, Cursed Castilla absolutely nails the nostalgia perfectly, and pairs it with solid action. Fans of challenging old-school 8-bit and 16-bit games, and especially fans of the Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series should definitely give this one a look.

tl;dr – Cursed Castilla is an Action-Platformer that perfectly copies the look, sound, and feel of the classic Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series while bringing a few of its own unique gameplay elements. Like those games, this game has solid gameplay, but presents a formidable challenge. It’s just a shame that this game chose to copy the earlier games in the Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins series instead of the series’ pinnacle, Super Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts. Still, for what it aims to be, Cursed Castilla absolutely hits its mark.

Grade: B

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