Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection: Tips and tricks

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection is the remake of the classic run-and-gun platformer with tons of new features and the same brutal difficulty the series is famous for. While it may be easier to tear your hair out and smash the best controller than it is to complete some of these levels, we have some tips and tricks that might save you (and your controller) a headache. Here are some tips and tricks for Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: Keep moving to survive

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection's medieval setting and weaponry might make you think that this game should be played at a slower, more calculated pace — but it's actually the opposite. Enemies are a constant threat, especially on higher difficulties. Most times, clearing a screen of enemies will only lead to more enemies emerging. Play Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection like any other shooter, which means keep running and keep shooting.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: Collect every Umbral Bee you see

Umbral Bees are mystical bees that can be exchanged for powerful magic, so make sure you collect them when you can. They vanish quickly, so try to grab them as soon as they appear. Don't worry about losing your Umbral Bees when you die either, the Umbral Bee will stay collected, even if you die immediately after grabbing it.

Once you've got enough bees, head to the Umbral Tree and exchange the bees for magic. The magic is no good against bosses (all except one spell, that is) but they usually offer powerful, screen-clearing magic that'll help you regain your composure when things start getting too hectic.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: Watch out when you restart

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection wants to make you suffer, and it'll do so during the game and even while navigating the menus. Checkpoints have mercifully been added to the game, allowing you to restart at the start of a new area, as well as at the Banner of Rebirth, a temporary checkpoint found throughout the area. Great, right? Well, here's how they get you. If you die and are raring to jump back into the game, don't mash any buttons. The game defaults to Retry Area, rather than Retry from Banner of Rebirth. This dirty trick will cause lots of accidental restarts and very intentional heartache.

I accidentally restarted my entire run through an area more times than I'm willing to admit, so impatient gamers will have to slow down unless they want to accidentally restart their progress. Anyone playing on Squire or Page difficulty don't have to worry about this sly trick, however.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: Always grab the knife

Throughout Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection, you'll come across many different weapons, each with their own pros and cons. You can't hold more than one weapon, though, so picking up a new weapon will immediately discard your old one. While there are certain bosses that may benefit from using a certain weapon, I found that the dagger was always the best overall weapon. It's faster than the lance and has great range, and it doesn't require you to get too close, like the Hammer or Shield. It also doesn't have a peculiar arc like the Holy Water or the Crossbow. If you find a weapon you like, make sure you avoid any other weapon drops. Just because a weapon is there, does not mean you need to pick it up.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: How to get the true ending

Older players may already know this, but you can't actually get the real ending in Ghosts n' Goblins until you beat the game twice. Once through the normal set of areas, and again through the shadow levels. In Ghost n' Goblins Resurrection, you can only get the true ending by collecting all 17 Demon Orbs in the game. This means not only do you have to complete every level and defeat every boss, but you'll also need to complete every Hell Hole, the challenge rooms that appear in every level throughout the game.

In order to find the stage's Hell Hole, you have to find a Black Chest hidden in the level. Opening that chest will reveal an enemy inside. Kill the enemy and you'll hear a sound effect confirming that the Hell Hole is open. Now, you'll have to find the Hell Hole hidden in the area. It's also impossible to get this done on Page difficulty, so don't even think about cheesing your way to the true ending.

Like the Umbral Bees, your progress is saved after you complete a Hell Hole. So once you find it and complete it, you can immediately quit the stage. Completing a Hell Hole will give you a nice golden suit of armor though, which powers up your attacks and allows you to take an additional hit, useful for boss encounters.

Going through this ordeal also unlocks the Armory, which allows the player to select two different sets of armor, the Armory Armor and the Cast Armor. The Armor Armor is a fiery red and gives Arthur permanent access to the game's weapons, while the Cast Armor removes cooldown on all spells, as well as makes Arthur totally immune to damage.

Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection tips and tricks: Not every spell is the same

Spending Umbral Bees on magic is a good way to get ahead in the game, but not all magic is the same. These abilities are definitely the most helpful, so make it your business to unlock these.

• Kitted Out – The Kitted Out spell allows Arthur to carry more than one weapon. This is great when a particular weapon is better suited for handling a stage gimmick. Keep the Dagger on hand, and keep anything else as a secondary weapon.
• Quick Cast – A passive spell that drastically reduces the charge time for spells. This makes the few useful active spells, well, actually useful.
• Doppelganger – The Doppelganger spell creates another Arthur that will assist you in battle. This means you'll be able to double, or even triple your damage.
• Armormend – This spell takes 30 Umbral Bees to unlock, but it's worth it. Basically, this spell repairs Arthur's armor. If he's naked, he'll earn a new suit of armor and if he's already armored, he'll get Golden Armor.
• Resurrection – This spell gives you a random chance of not dying whenever you die. Cool, right? The only downside is that it's random, so it won't work every time.

Do you have what it takes?

These are some tips and tricks to make your journey through Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection a little bit easier. The game is hard and there's no way around it, but these tips might help you last just a little longer on the battlefield. Ghosts n' Goblins Resurrection might not be perfect, but its crushing difficulty and charming, picturebook visuals should impress fans of the series, and it definitely one of the better 2D platformers available on the Switch, so long as you can stomach the difficulty.