Cursed Castilla (Maldita Castilla EX)

My summary: a beautifully done homage to classic 80s arcade games like Ghosts 'n Goblins or Willow, with a couple of flaws. Maldita Castilla EX is not just one of those games inspired by 80s arcade games (like the ones I mentioned), it very much plays and feels like an [b]actual[/b] 80s arcade game. It's very hard, but not from the beginning. The first few levels are actually quite easy but some of the later ones are very, very tough. You'll die a lot, and like in GnG you don't resurrect on the spot, but you have to go back to the previous checkpoint instead. But you came here because you like GnG, so you were expecting that, weren't you? And you have unlimited continues so you play, die, play again, memorize the levels, and you can eventually finish it in a few hours. The music is good and the graphics are beautifully made. I also liked that the whole story, locations, bosses, etc., are inspired by Spanish myths and legends... It's a remarkable game and I recommend it to any GnG fans, but there are two things that I didn't like. The first one is the weapon system. You start with a sword and you can change it in one of the few chests available in fixed locations in some areas. But when you open them you don't just get a random weapon. Instead, you can select any of the weapons from the game, and if you lose a single life you get the sword again. I found this mechanic quite odd, especially because in this game you die a lot so when you get a different weapon it's usually not for long. The other thing that you lose when you die is your secondary object (usually a power-up), which is more understandable, although there's a problem with that that I'll mention in the next paragraph. The other thing that I didn't like is that in order to get to the last level (and I don't mean the last boss, I mean an actual full level with several sections) you need to collect five items called Moura's Tears. Those are hidden in the previous levels, but not always in a way that you would find them by exploring every little corner. Some of them require you to perform certain non-obvious actions, so I would recommend just checking a guide. What's worse, one of the tears is located at the very end of a section where it's easy to die, but in order to get it you need an item that you can only find in the [b]previous[/b] section, so if you die you lose that item. In order to get the tear you are forced to quit the game, and from the main menu restart the whole level (not just the section with that item) from the beginning. I think this is unnecessarily frustrating, it's fine for an optional achievement for proficient players, but you actually need that in order to get to the last level (which, again, is a complete level and not just an extra boss). Anyway, the game is pretty good so I still recommend it. If you like the games that inspired it, you'll like this one too.

Well made but I'm too old for this s**** For people who missed being abused by Ghost'n'Goblins.

i was about to rate it a 9/10, but then later in the game theresa stage that completely ruins everything. its a silly maze punishment thing where if you take the wrong door, you get sent back to repeat the level. absolute insanity, i dont know why the developer decided to do that. i ended up quitting the game because i couldnt get the sequence. i still recommend the game though because im old and this game brings nostalga of the arcades and consoles from the early 90's. theres many familiar sounds taken right out of arcade classics and megadrive games, and when i recall them, it tickles my nostalga, and brings back memories of when the world was still a great place and i had no worries in life.

Великолепный аркадный экшн в духе Ghost n Goblins. Очень хорошо задизайненная игра, которая каждую минуту подкидывает новые геймплейные ситуации.

This game tickles me in a way that I don't always enjoy. I like the music, I like the visuals, I like the Spanish mythology, I like the gameplay. However, there is one big problem I have with this game: Things that are awful on purpose are still awful. For example, laying out your levels to be obnoxious instead of challenging is a bad idea, even if the material you are referencing did the same thing. Cursed Castilla wears its' 'Ghosts and Goblins' inspiration on its's sleeve and there's nothing wrong with that. The issue comes when the game steps on the same landmines that GnG did for the sake of faith to the inspiration. Bottom line, be prepared to die. A lot. But if you can stick it out, you actually feel pretty good about getting good. You've got to make sure to stick it out, though, because this game is GOING to piss you right the hell off with its' horse balls. If you can muscle through that, it's a fun little platformer that you can sink a few hours into. I believe in you. Go get 'em, champ.

The presentation on this one is quite nice (especially the Genesis-esque soundtrack) but the difficulty of the game often borders on the verge of cruel -- which is appropriate for a game inspired by Ghouls and Ghosts, but that doesn’t mean I have to find it fun. 4.5/10

Jogo muito bom, para quem já jogou ghouls'n ghosts fica expert nesse jogo.