Daimakaimura

n/a

Daimakaimura
System(s): PC Engine SuperGrafx, Virtual Console (Wii)
Publisher: NEC Avenue
Developer: Alfa System
Licensor: Capcom
Developer(s) of original games: Capcom
Original system(s): Arcade (Capcom CP System)
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code JP 1990-07-27 ¥10,80010,800 NAPH-1008 JP ▼ 2009-02-03 600pts600
Non-NEC versions Arcade Amiga Amstrad CPC Atari ST Commodore 64 Master System Mega Drive X68000 ZX Spectrum

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Daimakaimura (大魔界村) is an arcade game by Capcom and sequel to Makaimura. It was ported to the PC Engine SuperGrafx in 1990. In the West it is known as Ghouls'n Ghosts, though this version of the game was not originally released outside of Japan.

Story

Three years after the events of Makaimura, the Great Demon King Lucifer (大魔王ルシフェル) has returned and raised even more powerful and vicious monsters to haunt the denizens of the peaceful kingdom. When Sir Arthur (アーサー) arrives to the scene, the castle has fallen and the princess is missing. He must now journey to the Demon World to free her.

Gameplay

Daimakaimura is a side-scrolling action platform game played as the knight, Arthur, who must restore souls stolen by the evil Lucifer (including that of his lover, Princess Prin Prin). He must make his way through multiple macabre rounds, fighting undead and demonic creatures, with a boss at the end that guards a door to the next stage. Though it is considered a classic, the game is notoriously difficult because of the constant waves of enemies and traps, with Arthur only having a couple of hit points with which to resist them.

Arthur moves with ← or → and kneels with ↓. He jumps with Ⅰ. He attacks by throwing a weapon with Ⅱ. Initially, he throws lances, but he acquires different weapons during the journey (which replace his equipped weapon). Multiple weapons can be thrown consecutively (though the exact number depends on the type of weapon equipped). Arthur can attack while standing, kneeling, or jumping. He can attack directly upwards with ↑+Ⅱ; while in midair, he can attack directly downwards with ↓+Ⅱ. He climbs ladders with ↑ and descends them with ↓.

Arthur can pick up a variety of weapons and armor throughout the stages to help him in his quest. Finding the gold armor allows him to charge up his weapon by holding Ⅱ to release a powerful magical attack. Each weapon has its own special attack.

Arthur begins the game wearing a suit of plate armor. When he is injured, his armor falls off, leaving him wearing only his underwear. If he is injured without his armor, he turns into a skeleton and loses a life. Each stage has a checkpoint partway through where Arthur is revived if he has passed it; otherwise, he must restart the stage from the beginning. Every stage also has a time limit, and Arthur dies if the time limit expires. Arthur starts with his armor again after losing a life. The game ends if the player runs out of lives.

Weapons

	槍 (Lance)
	The initially equipped weapon. Throws lances straight ahead. Up to two lances can be out at a time. The special ability sends lightning bolts directly upward and toward each side.
	大鎌 (Scythe)
	Throws axes at an upward angle. The axes penetrate through multiple targets, but only one axe can be out at a time. The special ability creates a big burst of fire around Arthur.
	ソード (Sword)
	The only melee weapon. It lacks the range of the other weapons but does twice as much damage. The special ability releases Thunder Dragons into the air that fly around the screen.
	ナパーム (Napalm)
	Drops a concoction that burns blue flames along the ground. The special ability shoots four fireballs that whirl around the screen.
	円盤 (Disc)
	Throws a discus forwards. When thrown from a kneeling position, it skids along the ground. Up to two discuses can be out at a time. The special ability is conjuring a magic mirror that shields Arthur from enemy attacks.
	ダガー (Dagger)
	Throws a dagger forwards. Up to three daggers can be out at a time, and they fly faster than lances. The special ability is creating a temporary mirrored version of Arthur who duplicates his movements. This double can damage enemies but cannot be damaged.
	サイコキャノン (Psycho Cannon)
	The strongest weapon in the game (but the only that does not have a special ability). Shoots fireballs, though they cannot travel the full length of the screen before dissipating. The fireballs neutralize enemy projectiles and explode after hitting an enemy. These explosions can damage multiple enemies. This item is collected from the goddess in the first round on the second playthrough if Arthur is wearing the gold armor. If it is lost, it can be found again as long as Arthur is wearing the gold armor. It is needed to fight the final boss.

Items

	Treasure Chest
	Treasure chests occasionally erupt from the ground. This can sometimes be triggered by jumping in a certain spot. By firing his weapon at the chest, Arthur can uncover a weapon, armor, or an evil magician that changes Arthur into an elderly man (if he is unarmored) or a helpless duck (if he is wearing armor).
	Big Jar
	Big jars are carried by some enemies and contain an item.
	Weapons
	Changes Arthur's weapon.
	Red Armor
	Collect for 200 or 500 bonus points.
	Silver Armor
	Restores Arthur's armor.
	Magic Armor
	Upgrades Arthur's armor to a set of gold armor that gives him the ability to perform special charged abilities with his weapons.
	Key
	Dropped after defeating the boss at the end of each round. Opens the gate leading to the next round and restores Arthur's armor (if lost).
	1-Up
	Gives the player an extra life.

Rounds

Goddess

To defeat the game, Arthur must complete rounds 1 through 5 twice.

When reaching the entrance to Lucifer's chamber at the end of round 5 on the first playthrough, the Archangel Michael (ミカエル) appears and informs Arthur that he cannot defeat Lucifer without first receiving the magic power from the Goddess of Battle (たたかいのめがみ) in the village.

Arthur is then taken back to the first round. If he has the gold armor, the next treasure chest contains the goddess, who gives him the Psycho Cannon weapon. To enter Lucifer's chamber, Arthur must have this special weapon equipped. Otherwise, he is sent back to the beginning of round 5.

	処刑場 (Execution Grounds)
	火炎の村 (Village of Flames)
	ランクル男爵の塔 (Baron Rankle's Tower)
	クリスタルの森 (Crystal Forest) / 腐海魔境 (Sea of Decay)
	ルシファーの城 (Lucifer's Castle)
	Lucifer's Chamber

History

Legacy

This version of the game would see a re-release on the Wii's Virtual Console alongside the Mega Drive version, though while the Mega Drive version would become available in other regions the SuperGrafx version remained a Japanese exclusive. The game saw another re-release on all regional models of the PC Engine mini, making it the first time this particular version was available outside of Japan.

Digital manuals

• 

  PC Engine mini JP manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Daimakaimura/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

PC Engine SuperGrafx, JP
Cover
Card File:Daimakaimura SG HuCard JP Manual.pdf Manual Jewel Case

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 3b13af61 MD5 fc0053c0c050353b87886b1b89349168 SHA-1 edc8f7d2233c92ebd309ac804527c461851a4b63	512kB	1990-03-17	Card (JP)

References

Sega Retro has more information related to Ghouls'n Ghosts

Ghosts'n Goblins games for NEC systems
Makaimura (1987) | Daimakaimura (1990)