Ghouls 'n Ghosts 1989 By: Capcom

Overview:

Ghouls 'n Ghosts is a sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins, which is one of the most difficult games ever made. This installment is no different, harder than ever. There are some neat features added. The gameplay is just like its predecessor. You must save the princess by fighting your way through the levels with a boss at the end of each one.
The graphics look better on this one though. The sprites and backgrounds look better, and the colors are brighter. The controls are easy because they are the same, and they are responsive. The story is the same, with Lucifer kidnapping your princess again. Despite its ludicrous difficulty, it is a lot of fun to play.

Directions:

You play Arthur, a knight on a mission to save his girl from the evil Lucifer (Loki). Battle your way through five levels, defeating each boss, to make it to his chamber. Along the way you will meet several foes, mostly undead creatures (ghouls and ghosts, thus the name).  

There are some new features in this installment. First, you can press up while you fire and Arthur will shoot up. You can also press down and fire while jumping, and he will shoot down. Secondly, they added a suit of gold armor you can find. Also, Arthur can jump around randomly to try and discover hidden treasure chests. Treasure chests can contain a suit of armor, a weapon, or an evil wizard. There are two kinds of armor, grey and gold. The grey armor is the one that you start with. It gives you one hit point. If you get hit once, it will be gone, leaving you naked and vulnerable to another attack that will mean the death of Arthur. The gold is magic. It doesn't give you any more hit points, but it will give your weapon its magic ability.
The evil wizard will try to turn you into a lady, a baby, a duck, or an old man. Kill him as soon as you see him, before he gets a chance to fire his spell.
There are several weapons available in the game:
Lance

Arthur begins with this weapon. It moves in a straight line across the screen. The Lance's magic power is a lightning spell, which causes Arthur to fire lighting bolts to his left, right, and directly above himself.
Dagger

The dagger behaves like the lance, but it is much faster, and Arthur can throw three at once, instead of just two. The Dagger's magic causes Arthur to create a mirror image of himself for a short time, which will follow Arthur's every move. This can be used to attack twice as fast as normal.
Torch

Arthur lobs a torch a short distance in front of himself, which burns the ground for a short period of time. Generally considered a difficult weapon to use effectively. The Torch's magic causes four fireballs to encircle Arthur and spread out.
Axe

The axe travels very slowly, but it can cut through enemies, allowing you to attack multiple enemies at once. Arthur can only throw a single axe at a time. The Axe's magic causes explosions to erupt in the area near Arthur.
Sword

The only non-projectile weapon. Arthur simply swings the sword in front of himself. To make up for its short range, the sword is twice as powerful as Arthur's other weapons. The sword's magic causes a dragon to appear and attack enemies.
Discus

The discus is similar to the Lance, but if you kneel while throwing it, it will hug the ground, which is useful on hilly terrain. The Discus' magic makes a mirror appear directly in front of Arthur, which will protect him, and damage any enemies that come in contact with it.
Psycho Cannon

The Psycho Cannon can only be obtained on Arthur's second time through the game, and it is the only weapon that can defeat Lucifer. He can find it by opening a treasure chest while wearing the gold armor. Arthur throws a blast of magic directly in front of himself. The attack's range is dependent on what armor Arthur is wearing. If he's in his boxers, the range is extremely short, while it's more respectable when he's wearing gold armor. Additionally, with the gold armor, it can destroy enemy projectiles. The strength of the Psycho Cannon depends on how close Arthur is to an enemy when he uses it. If Arthur attacks from close range, it is easily the most powerful weapon in the game.
There are also items that are carried on the back of enemies. The baddie will have a basket on his back, and if you kill him, it's contents will fall onto the ground. It can contain many different things, but they all equal extra points for Arthur. Keep an eye on the time limit too, because if it runs out, it will mean a death for Arthur.