This page explains in detail the interactions between the Ghosts 'n Goblins series and the Higemaru series.
Higemaru Makaijima: Nanatsu no Shima Daiboken[]
December 1987
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Higemaru
Several characters from Ghosts 'n Goblins make an appearance in one of the islands from Higemaru Makaijima. This crossover appearance is likely in reference to the name of the game, as "Makaijima" (Demon World Island) is similar to Ghosts 'n Goblins' Japanese name "Makaimura" (Demon World Village).
Hebi Island[]
Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins as an NPC character
One of the seven islands the player needs to explore as part of the game is Hebi Island (Snake Island). This island only features a single building, a large 8-floors tall stone tower the player has to travel through. Right at the entrance of the tower, one can find Ghosts 'n Goblins protagonist Arthur standing next to it. He warns Momotaru that monsters from Ghosts 'n Goblins have been sealed within the tower, and so he must be careful.
The enemies found inside the tower have sprites based on the NES port of Ghosts 'n Goblins, using very similar appearances with minor differences. The following enemies are present:
- Zombie (named "Zonbi" in the game's credits), the most basic enemy faced in stage 1 of Ghosts 'n Goblins. They are identical to their NES look, with the exception of having black hair instead of blue.
- Blue Killer, a small blue and red demon enemy that appears in stage 2, 4 and 5. They have slight palette changes from the original, where they looked a lot more blue.
- Cyclops (named "Cyoclops" in the game's credits), the stage 1 boss here serving as the boss of Hebi Island. His sprite is almost identical, save for wearing shoulder pads and extra detailed arm and leg bands. The Cyclops has an original fireball attack made for this game.
A third enemy in this area called Fire Fly has a similar sprite style, but it is an original enemy not featured in Ghosts n' Goblins, and the area environments are of a generic nature and don't reference anything in particular from Ghosts 'n Goblins either.
Final Boss[]
Devil the Red Arrimer, final boss of the game
The game's secret final boss is revealed to be a Red Arremer, the infamous red demon enemies that appear in all games of the series. Named Devil the Red Arremer ("Devil the RedArymer"), in the story he's referred to as the Sea God, who has control over the seven islands. After obtaining a set of special items and following a long process to find his boss room, the player can fight him in an underground room on J.Knife Island, where he is found inside a gold statue on its center.
Unlike other enemies the Red Arremer has a more detailed sprite from the one in the NES port, presenting him a bit bigger, with large black wings and fangs peering out of his mouth. The Red Arremer attacks by moving around and shooting fireballs, which is the usual strategy they use in Ghosts 'n Goblins. While a difficult fight, finding the secret item "Satan Sword" will end the battle instantly, as the sword takes care of him in a single, automatic strike.
License[]
Copyrights for both series are held by Capcom.