Ghosts'n Goblins (World? set 1)

Capcom’s Ghosts'n Goblins, released in arcades in 1985, throws players into the challenging role of a knight on a quest to rescue Princess Guinevere from an army of demons. As Arthur, you must battle through multiple scrolling stages filled with hordes of enemies like zombies, skeletons, and giant spiders. The game presents a side-scrolling perspective, demanding precise jumps and strategic use of weapons— initially just your armor and a shield—to overcome the relentless onslaught. Two players can team up for cooperative play, though both will face increasingly difficult waves of enemies and tricky platforming sections. Progress requires mastering Arthur's limited moveset and learning enemy attack patterns to survive. A rare prototype version of this game exists without the usual title screen logo, and is rumored to be even more punishing than the standard release. Ghosts’n Goblins spawned a long-running series that would see numerous sequels and ports across various platforms both inside and outside of Japan, beginning with Ghouls'n Ghosts.