Play Avenging Spirit Online

I picked up Avenging Spirit on the Game Boy back in 1991, a game from Jaleco that always felt a little different from the usual platformers of the time. It had a darker, almost grimy aesthetic that stood out on the green-hued screen, more concerned with urban alleys and seedy bars than colorful fantasy worlds. It was one of those titles that didn't get a ton of attention but left a strong impression if you gave it a chance.

You play as a ghost, trying to save your girlfriend from kidnappers. The core mechanic is possession; you fly around as a spirit and can take over almost any enemy you encounter, from thugs with guns to sewer mutants that spit projectiles. Each host body has its own health bar and unique attack, so you're constantly swapping to adapt to new threats. The goal is to fight through each side-scrolling stage, screen by screen, to reach the boss. It's not an easy game; you die quickly if your host is defeated and you can't find another in time. The constant need to jump into new bodies keeps the pace frantic and unpredictable. It feels tense and strangely liberating, never quite settling into a single way to play.