Two years later and Capcom, now more closely aligned with Nintendo following conversions of Final Fight and Street Fighter II, released Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts exclusively for the SNES. Not to be confused as simply a 'super' version of Ghouls 'N Ghosts, this third game in the series features brand new levels and the addition of a double jump for Arthur. There's a review of the SNES version here.
The music and sound effects also suffer, as the GBA can't quite match the SNES for fidelity. The soundtrack isn't as rich or orchestral, even though the actual compositions are the same; equally, sound effects are quieter with less 'oomph' and rather rasping in comparison.
However, it's not all bad. Rather than just a straight conversion, Capcom was kind enough to add in a new 'arrange mode'. Initially exactly the same as original mode, the addition of two further unlockable route choices at the end of each stage provides the differential. Having a powered-up Arthur upon defeating the stage boss dictates whether you are able to access the top, bottom, or middle routes. For example, finish the first stage with Golden Armour to access the top route – a more difficult version of the default next stage, this is the choice for players with something to prove. If Arthur is wearing Bronze Armour or higher, you can select the middle route.
A welcome change is the ability to pick up the Ultimate Weapon (required to access and defeat the final boss) during the first play through in arrange mode. In basic terms, this means you don't need to complete the game twice to reach the true ending, a first for the series and much needed relief for those wanting to reach the conclusion.
Being a handheld title, Capcom also saw sense to include a save option. This made the game much more user friendly when playing in ten minute chunks on the bus, but it can't be seen as a plus point on Wii U as all Virtual Console games allow for save states.