Avenging Spirit

Avenging Spirit, also released in Japan as Phantasm, is a scrolling platform shoot-em-up originally released in 1990. After a criminal syndicate kidnaps his girlfriend and kills him, the hero’s spirit is summoned by her father to rescue her and earn his final rest.

Players begin by choosing one of four enemy characters to possess. When a possessed body is defeated, the hero can transfer into a nearby living enemy—except for bosses—at the cost of spirit energy. If no suitable enemy is nearby when the current body dies, the game ends.

The quest spans six stages and requires collecting keys on stages 2, 5, and 6. With all three keys, the hero can unlock the girl’s cell during the final part of Stage 6, possess her, and help her escape. Without them, he must confront the syndicate leader alone, leaving her behind when the base is destroyed.

Game details

• Developer: C.P. Brain
• Publisher: Jaleco
• Genres: Action, Arcade, Platform, Platform / Fighter Scrolling
• Platforms: Arcade, Final Burn Alpha Neo, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S