About this game
Avenging Spirit is a 1992 Game Boy action platformer developed by C.P. Brain and published by Jaleco, ported from Jaleco's 1991 arcade game. The player controls a ghost whose girlfriend has been kidnapped by a criminal organization. The core mechanic is ghost possession: unable to interact with the physical world directly, the player must possess enemy characters — gangsters, soldiers, karate fighters — to borrow their bodies and combat abilities. Each possessed body has limited health, and when it expires, the player must quickly find and possess a new one before their ghost form runs out of time.
Key Features
Ghost possession mechanic: the player inhabits enemy bodies to gain their weapons and abilities. Wide variety of possessable enemies — each with distinct weapons (guns, swords, flamethrowers, magic) and movement abilities. The ghost form has a rapidly depleting timer — possession is urgency-driven. Multiple stage types with branching paths. Boss encounters requiring strategic possession choices. Rescue mechanic: at certain points, the girlfriend can be partially rescued depending on possessed enemy type.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Avenging Spirit's ghost possession mechanic was unusual in 1992 — the concept of controlling an enemy's body to gain their abilities predated the widespread use of ability-copying in action games. The Game Boy version condensed the arcade experience onto the handheld while preserving the core possession loop. The game remains a cult favourite among Game Boy collectors for its creative concept and the breadth of distinct enemy body types available for possession, each with meaningfully different gameplay implications.
Tricks & Tales
Avenging Spirit features a mechanic rare even by today's standards: the quality of the player's rescue of the girlfriend is directly affected by which enemy types were possessed during the run. Certain enemies are considered 'better' possessions from the girlfriend's perspective, and completing stages in specific enemy bodies affects the ending. This early example of possession-based gameplay influenced later games exploring similar concepts. The Game Boy version is a faithful conversion of the arcade original, preserving the possession variety and multiple stage routes.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released in Japan as Phantom (ファントム) and in North America as Avenging Spirit in late 1992. The game was not widely marketed and is less commonly found than major Nintendo-published Game Boy titles. Loose carts are more common; complete boxed copies are harder to find.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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