Ultimate Ghosts 'n' Goblins

But some things never change, and Fujiwara is far too attuned to his game's appeal to think we'd ever want them to. The nefarious wizard still lurks in his outer dimension, crossing over at the most inconvenient times to turn you into a chicken, grasshopper, crone or skeleton, while the default jumping mechanic is rooted in tradition, committing you to whichever trajectory you chose when you left the ground.

Zealously grabbing weapons as they materialise remains the novice mistake (the mortar weapons are as pitiful as ever), and boss encounters revel in trouncing the ill-prepared.

Above: You've been turned into a chicken! Oh, the humiliation...

Ultimate has had the stamp of approval held over it now for longer than we'd expected, but it's clear that an easily-upset framerate is all that's keeping it aloft. When it finally falls and sets production lines in motion, it's hard to imagine anyone begrudging the delay.

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