Is Grabbed by the Ghoulies, underrated?
Grabbed by the Ghoulies was the very first Xbox game developed by Rare, the iconic company
who created the beloved Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie games.
It even says so right on the box.
But backing up just a bit, Rare was on fire during the 90’s with a very strong portfolio.
So strong in fact, Microsoft bought them in 2002, which was quite the coup at the time.
Rare then moved Grabbed by the Ghoulies from the GameCube to the Xbox.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, the game was met with mixed reviews.
IGN gave the game a 7 out of 10 stating, “Simply put, the game is very repetitive, and there
aren't any landmark moments or climaxes to diversify the gameplay in any significant
matter.”
GameSpot scored the game a 6.5 out of 10 noting, “It's a haunted mansion romp that looks
and sounds really impressive, but it's ultimately marred by repetitive, overly simple punch-and-kick
gameplay that's compounded by the game's lack of length.”
Finally, Game Informer magazine gave the game a 4.5 out of 10 proclaiming, “One of the
stupidest, most disappointing games of all time.”
So, is Grabbed by the Ghoulies really this underwhelming?
Let's dive in.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies opens with some interesting cut scenes taking place in a story book, laid
out like an animated comic.
The characters themselves have no voices, much like an old Nintendo 64 game, instead
make some grumbling sounds followed by text.
The text includes a prompt to press the A button, which keeps the story moving.
Long story short, a pair of teenagers, Cooper and Amber appear to be caught out in a storm.
Rather than get wet, they decide to take refuge in an old haunted mansion.
The keeper of said mansion, Baron von Ghoul, then kidnaps Amber and it's up to Cooper to
save her.
We have a hero, we have a villain, and we have a mission, it just doesn't get better
than this.
Once inside the mansion, we learn the basics of the gameplay, including the main gimmick.
Rather than pressing buttons to attack, you actually move the right analog stick towards
enemies and Cooper will attack.
What isn't immediately obvious is you can actually hold the analog stick and Cooper
will perform a standard 3-hit combo.
Now, I was apprehensive about this control scheme at first, because it eliminates any
sort of multi-button combo and even some the precise timing found in similar games, but
it actually works just fine.
In some ways it is superior to traditional 3D brawlers as you'll never have to worry
about being locked onto the wrong target.
Simply move the right analog stick and you'll quickly start attacking whichever threat you
chose.
Early in the adventure, we also learn the mansion is currently inhabited by a full staff,
and for some inexplicable reason, they are all helpful and sympathetic to Coopers' cause.
They'll offer up ranged weapons as well, including a Soda Gun and Water Pistol.
These work just like the attacks, by holding the analog stick in the direction of an enemy.
They will run out of juice though, so you'll have wait a few moments for them to recharge.
You can use them as a melee weapon too, which is nice.
Speaking of melee weapons, another terrific feature in Grabbed by the Ghoulies is how
a ton of different objects can be used as weapons.
Be it brooms, logs, boards, chairs, you name it, it can probably be picked up and used
as a weapon.
These do have limited uses, but do more damage than the standard kicks and punches.
Coming into Grabbed by the Ghoulies, I wasn't sure what to expect.
Given Rare's history, I assumed this would be some type of adventure title with light
platforming elements and perhaps some puzzle solving.
There is even a map, suggesting you might need a map to get where you are going.
But this couldn't be further from the truth.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is basically a 3D beat-em-up.
The map isn't necessary at all, as all of the doors in a room are locked until you've
completed an objective.
Even then, only the door leading forward is opened.
At first, this is simply defeating all of the enemies in a room, or perhaps finding
a key.
The key may be hiding in a crate or box, or one of the other dozen things which are completely
destructible in a room, or perhaps an enemy.
After clearing the objective, a door opens and you progress.
Again, this is exactly how classic beat-em-ups work, where you can't progress until clearing
the enemies.
I actually rather like this approach myself, as wandering around a giant mansion trying
to find a key, and corresponding door, just isn't my idea of fun.
Especially when the combat is this fluid and entertaining.
But, back to the story.
Eventually you find Amber and free her, but she gets transformed into a hideous monster
by Dr. Krackpot.
From here, another one of those helpful inhabitants offers some assistance, provided you can run
off and grab the three ingredients needed to create a cure.
From here, Grabbed by the Ghoulies offers some new environments, including farm inspired
set-pieces and a lighthouse.
The difficulty ramps up nicely as well.
New requirements are added to clear an area, including only taking out certain types of
enemies, having a set limit of attacks, being limited to just weapons, and many other combinations
of rules and limitations.
This really mixes up the gameplay, forcing you to come up with some type of strategy
and resource management, rather than simply holding the right joystick.
Failing to abide by the rules, results in Death.
Literally.
Death serves two purposes, killing you in one hit, and killing the ghoulies in one hit.
This can be very helpful as some enemies are a real pain to take out.
The mummies for example, can only be defeated by fire.
And, there isn't always fire available.
This hunchback looking thing can only be damaged by attacking his face.
The Vampire is invulnerable when in the coffin.
Utilizing Death can be invaluable, and adds more depth to the gameplay.
Yet another wrinkle in the gameplay is all of the power-ups.
These can boost your attack power, increase your hit points, and even make Cooper run
faster.
At first these seem pretty random, but as Grabbed by the Ghoulies progresses you'll
find they start to add a layer of strategy to the gameplay.
For example, grabbing the one-hit-knock-out allows you to take down any foe in a single
hit.
If you combine this with a projectile weapon, you can take down multiple enemies before
they get close enough to attack.
Another neat trick is grabbing the freeze power-up, which freezes enemies.
You can then perform the one-hit KO on the problem ghoulies, and once they unfreeze,
they all die.
Pretty cool.
In another section, defeating all of these haunted picture frames seems all but impossible
in the 15 hits allotted.
However, there is a power-up hiding in one of the items allowing you to dish out additional
damage, expanding the mileage available with your 15 attacks.
Here in the farmyard, you may notice a mission complete can early on.
However, you'll want to save it for when things get heavy.
After a seemingly impossible objective is presented, work your way back to this hidden
can and you've completed the mission.
I love all of the little nuances of the gameplay and items, and I can't stress enough how these
really help keep the ultra-simple controls from feeling repetitive and boring.
So, after collecting all the ingredients needed for the potion to cure Amber, something goes
ary and Amber instead completes her transformation into a Ghoulie.
This acts as a boss battle of sorts, and Amber is a formative boss.
You'll have to utilize all of the items at your disposal to take her down.
After finally knocking her out, the helpful cook arrives with a corrected potion and things
turn back to normal.
From here, instead of just leaving the mansion, Cooper agrees to free all of the children
Baron von Ghoul has locked up and scattered about the property.
But first you have to find three rhymes.
Much like the ingredients section earlier, this is another romp through most of the environments
in the game.
As expected, the difficulty is again ramped up and I found myself dying with increased
frequency.
The challenges and limitations are a lot trickier; often times you aren't allowed to even take
a hit without a visit from our old pal Death.
Some trial and error creeps its way into the gameplay as well.
Often times you'll need to destroy everything in a room to figure out where the power-ups
are, and which are useful in a given situation.
While I'm not the biggest fan of trial-and error, it was rewarding to find the perfect
combination of items and attacks to make it through a room.
Unfortunately, the increased difficulty does bring out one of the biggest issues found
in Grabbed by the Ghoulies, the camera.
For the most part, the camera does a great job not getting stuck.
You can also pan it left and right using the analog triggers.
Unfortunately, this game has absolutely no control options.
I'd prefer to have these triggers inverted, like a first person shooter, but you can't.
And since an inverted look axis is basically ingrained in my brain at this point, I found
myself fighting the camera throughout the entire adventure.
You might be quicker to adapt.
So after finding all three rhymes it's finally time to take on Baron von Ghoul, who has the
key needed to free all of the kidnapped children.
This is effectively the final boss, and requires you to utilize everything you've learned up
to this point.
First, you have to attack the Baron when he isn't looking at you.
This will cause him to drop his weapon, which you then need to pick up.
Next, you need to hit the Baron when he isn't flashing red.
You can only damage him when he isn't red, and you can only damage him with his own staff.
It's a tricky procedure too, as he is faster than Cooper.
But its possible to grab some speed power-ups as well keep him cornered.
After three hits, the staff breaks and the process repeats.
After wearing him down, he'll equip himself with a ridiculous airplane getup.
The propellers here are deadly and if you get trapped in a corner, consider yourself
a goner.
Still, once you get the pattern down, it's easy to land a few hits.
Finally, as the Baron is a softy, he gives Cooper a soda canon, which makes this fight
a whole lot easier.
Simply dodge his attacks, take out the Ghoulies, and you'll have defeated him after a few tries.
It's a satisfying boss for sure, but is not actually the end of the adventure.
After confiscating the key, you have one final gauntlet to complete, freeing all of the children.
This must be done in 13 minutes, and there are no checkpoints or saves.
Normally I hate timed levels like this, but I finished it with a minute to spare on my
very first try, so no biggie.
After freeing the locked up children, there is a brief section where you take control
of the cook to take out some imps, suggesting perhaps there were more areas like this cut
from the game.
Clear this and the adventure finally comes to a close with Amber and Cooper leaving the
mansion.
And then of course, the credits roll.
Wrapping things up, we have to talk about the graphics.
As one would expect from a Rare title, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a gorgeous game.
The art direction is fantastic.
The characters and enemies all have a cool flat look to them, matching the storybook
motif.
The environments have a lot more texture to them, and offer a nice contrast to the characters.
It's almost like a classic animated feature, where the background is a detailed painting
and the characters themselves much more flat.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is technically awesome as well, and the texture work here is some
of the best found on the 5th generation consoles.
Everything is very sharp and detailed, and nothing has that blurry effect when a low
res texture is stretched out too far.
Perhaps most impressive is the lighting.
Despite the animated appearance, Grabbed by the Ghoulies feels alive.
Every single light source affects the environment with some amazing shadows.
These too are all razor sharp and nothing looks glitchy or out of place.
There is just no other way to put it, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a stunning looking game.
This level of technical expertise is carried over into the soundtrack.
The eerie compositions fit the haunted mansion theme perfectly, enhancing the spooky, yet
cartoony, atmosphere.
There really isn't much else to say here, Rare had a knack for composing some brilliant
background music, and that tradition carries here in Grabbed by
the Ghoulies.
Finally, there a few other gameplay elements to talk about before wrapping up.
In addition to attacking and item utilization, there are a few different scares you must
avoid.
First are these quick time events.
Simply press the correct buttons to proceed.
The second type actually happens during the combat.
Various ghosts will appear, or items will come to life, where you have to avoid the
giant red projectile they will emit.
If you fail, Cooper gets scared and is pretty much useless for a bit.
Next, there is one collecting element.
In each of the 100 areas is a book and collecting 5 books will unlock a challenge level.
If you complete all 20 challenges, you will unlock Amber as a playable character.
As I'm not one for hide and seek, I didn't bother with this, but it's a cool addition
for the completionist types.
So, with all of that out of the way, we arrive where we started.
Is Grabbed by the Ghoulies, underrated?
Now, I don’t know what critics and gamers were expecting in 2003, but playing this in
2016 I have to say this is way underrated.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a terrific, refreshing, brawler.
I have quite a few 5th generation beat-em-ups, and this stands way above a majority of them.
First, I don’t find the gameplay all that repetitive.
Sure using a twin stick setup for this style game is definitely unconventional, but it
works just fine offering a very smooth experience.
Next, the items aren’t just thrown in to try and avoid being repetitive, but rather
an integral part of the experience.
Discovering what they all do, and learning quickly which to avoid, is a ton of fun.
It isn’t always obvious how to best utilize items, but is insanely rewarding to discover
new tricks.
The final third of the game really forces you to use your noodle to tackle hordes of
Ghoulies with some pretty tough restrictions.
Finally figuring out some of the tougher challenges is very satisfying.
I don’t mean to criticize the critics from 2003, we’re all entitled to our own opinion,
but how can one complain a game is too repetitive, and then complain it’s too short?
That doesn’t make any sense.
It took me around 7 hours to get through this, though this can be trimmed down to 4 hours
with repeat playthroughs or more skill.
And for my money, 4 hours is about right for a 3D beat-em-up.
Honestly, outside a lackluster camera, I really don’t have any complaints.
Grabbed by the Ghoulies is an insanely polished game, mechanically and artistically, and is
exactly what you would expect when you hear the name Rare.
At the end of the day, Grabbed by the Ghoulies is oozing with style, is fantastic to play,
has an awesome difficulty curve, offers plenty of depth, is easy on the ears, beautiful to
look at, easy to control, and most importantly, offers an immensely rewarding and satisfying
beat-em-up experience.
Time has certainly been kind to Grabbed by the Ghoulies, and this is a must-own for your
Xbox of choice.