Phantasm

Phantasm © 1991 Jaleco.

Phantasm is a scrolling platform shoot-em-up in which game's hero is ambushed by a criminal syndicate, who kidnap his girlfriend and shoot him dead. The hero's spirit is summoned by his girlfriend's father and given a mission to save her from the mysterious syndicate that now holds her hostage. Only then can he rest in peace.

At the start of the game players choose to possess one of four enemy characters to begin their quest. When the possessed body is killed, providing there is a living enemy nearby (other than that of a boss) the player can possess them and continue playing. Each time this is done, it costs the player 'spirit energy'. Should the hero die when there are no enemies close by for the player to possess; the game is over.

The hero must fight his way through six stages to infiltrate the syndicate's base, collecting a key on stages 2, 5, and 6 as he progresses. If he has all three keys upon reaching the final leg of Stage 6, the hero can unlock the girl's cell, possess her and help her to fight her way out of the base. If not, he must abandon her and face the syndicate's leader alone. Once the syndicate's leader is defeated the base blows up, so with the latter option, the girl is not saved.