Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is a side-scrolling platform game with reduced emphasis on run and gun and more on platforming.[2][3] As in the predecessor Ghosts 'n Goblins, the player takes the role of the knight Arthur, who must save Princess Guinevere and rid the kingdom of the Ghoul Realm which is revived under a spell of Emperor Sardius (known as Samael in the Japanese version), who has kidnapped Guinevere in the Phantom Zone.[4] The game has four difficulty settings (easy, normal, difficult, and professional), and the player can set up to nine lives.[5] However, there are also only six continues.[2]
In each of the eight levels (named Quests), four of them consisting of two sections, Arthur, has a time limit to fight ghouls before defeating a Foul Guardian that protects the gate to the next stage.[1][6][2][7] The first five Quests (The Dead Place, The Rotting Sea, Vermilion Horror, The Ghoul's Stomach, and The Deep Chill) take place in a variety of locations, such as graveyards, abandoned ships on sea, flame-filled caverns, and locales consisting of ice and snow.[1][8] The final three Quests (The Castle of the Emperor, Hallway of Ghouls, and The Throne Room) are areas of Sardius's castle.[1] Parts of the environment, such as earth ground lifting caused by earthquakes, blizzards, heavy sea waves, and avalanches, are also threats to Arthur.[3] Ice Wall, the second section of the fifth level, depicts Arthur scaling a rotating palace as in Nebulus (1987).[1][9]
Arthur starts in the Steel Armor with a lance.[10] If he gets hit by an enemy or projectile, he loses his armor and is reduced to his underpants; getting hit again results in the loss of a life.[7] An ability not present in previous series entries is the double jump, which allows Arthur to leap, then jump again when in mid-air.[7] Although there is no control of momentum during a single jump, Arthur can change direction through a double jump.[11] Other weapons can be picked up along the way, such as a faster-speed knife, hatchets, cross bows, daggers, and torches with short arcs that explode on contact.[2][7][8] However, only one can be held at a time.[12] Like in Ghouls n' Ghosts, hidden treasure chests can be found for weapons, armor upgrades, and bonus points. Chests have unwanted deadly traps, and an magician, the Conjurer, transforms Arthur into one of four weaker forms temporarily: a baby, a girl, a seal or a wasp.[13][14] Chests only appear when moving through specific areas of the screen.[15]
Bronze and Gold armor is collectable. A bronze armor equips Arthur with a Weapon of Enchantment, a more powerful version of the weapon he's holding, such as flamed lances, lightning bolt daggers, and even more fiery torches.[16][9] A gold armor, a new feature for the series, provides him the enchanted weapon plus a Moon Shield, which protects him from one hit and only works while standing still, and magic that can power up his weapon even more.[10][7][17]
Sticking with tradition, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts must be defeated twice; after beating the last Foul Guardian before Sardius in the first playthrough, Guinevere informs Arthur that he cannot kill Sardius without a mysterious weapon named the Goddess's Bracelet, for which Sardius captured the Princess because she once wore it.[14][18] The Goddess's Bracelet must be found in the second playthrough and used to beat Sardius
