Avenging Spirit

Avenging Spirit, known in Japan as Phantasm (ファンタズム), is a 1991 2-player platform arcade game developed by C.P. Brain and published by Jaleco.

Avenging Spirit
Promotional flyer for Avenging Spirit
Developer(s)C.P. Brain[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
Publisher(s)Jaleco[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5]
Platform(s)Arcade
Game Boy
iOS
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseArcade
Game Boy
  • JP: November 6, 1992
  • NA: December 1992
  • EU: 1992
iOS
  • WW: December 14, 2010
Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • WW: July 29, 2022
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single player, Up to 2 players, alternating turns
Arcade systemJaleco Mega System 1-B

Plot

During a walk with his girlfriend, the player is ambushed by agents of a mysterious crime syndicate who take his girlfriend away and shoot him to death. Now, as a wandering spirit with the ability to possess most others, he is summoned by his girlfriend's father (who researches ghost energy) and is given a mission to save her from the mysterious crime syndicate that holds her hostage, enabling the player to rest in peace.[1]

Screenshot of Avenging Spirit

Coincidentally, the crime syndicate is also researching ghost energy, and they kidnapped the girl in an effort to force her father to cooperate with them. The player must fight through six stages to infiltrate the evil syndicate's base, collecting three keys on stages 2, 5, and 6. If the player has all three keys upon reaching the final leg of Stage 6, he can open the girl's cell and possess her to help her fight her way out. If not, he must abandon her and face the syndicate's leader alone. After the syndicate's leader is defeated, the base blows up, and the player ends up on a grassy field as his spirit's power fades. If the player fails to save the girl she presumably dies in the explosion and he expects to see her in the afterlife as he fades away. If the player does save her, she approaches the field, and the player expresses a wish for her future happiness as he vanishes.

Gameplay

Players can possess one of four characters with unique abilities at the start of the game, but the library of enemies expands and changes with each level. Players either attack or possess enemies, collect power-ups, and defeat bosses to advance.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Avenging Spirit on their July 1, 1991 issue as being the seventeenth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.[2]

Sinclair User called Avenging Spirit a "superior action game with a rather odd scenario." They praised the longevity of the game but admitted that it had a steep learning curve that might not appeal to more casual players.[1] British gaming magazine The One reviewed Avenging Spirit in 1991, stating that it "isn't destined to be a classic", but it has "originality and nice touches".[3]

Ports and re-releases

On December 14, 2010, DotEmu SAS released an iOS port of the game.[4] The Game Boy version was re-released on the Nintendo 3DS eShop's Virtual Console download service in Japan on June 7, 2011 and was released worldwide on August 11, 2011. A re-release developed by Shinyuden and City Connection and published by Ratalaika Games for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Evercade was released on July 29, 2022.[5]

Notes
  1. iOS port handled by DotEmu SAS.
  2. 2022 re-release developed by Shinyuden and City Connection.
  3. iOS port published by DotEmu SAS.
  4. Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console release published by Hamster Corporation in Japan.
  5. 2022 re-release published by Ratalaika Games.

References
  1. "Coin Ops: Avenging Spirits Review". Sinclair User. No. 113. July 1991. p. 39.
  2. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 406. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 July 1991. p. 29.
  3. "Arcades: Avenging Spirits Review". The One. No. 34. emap Images. July 1991. p. 83.
  4. Jordan, Jon (14 December 2010). "DotEmu kicks of the iPhone release of 17 Japanese arcade classics with possession battler Avenging Spirit". www.pocketgamer.com. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  5. "Avenging Spirit Coming to Consoles, Evercade on July 29 - Hardcore Gamer". hardcoregamer.com. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
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