#22: Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Capcom, NES, 1986/1989)

In a less than thirty second animation, our hero, Arthur, is shown enjoying a picnic with his girlfriend, Princess Prin-Prin (yes, really), when a demon swoops out of the sky and whisks her away, and Arthur immediately dons his armour and heads out to confront the hostile world that awaits him. Ghosts ‘n Goblins is not the first game we’ve covered to employ this damsel in distress trope as motivation for its hero, of course, but it marks the point where its usage starts to feel completely egregious. It doesn’t just use the trope, it absolutely exemplifies it. You could not make a more stereotypical video game opening cutscene if you tried.