Avenging Spirit is worth a look if you enjoy unusual arcade games: its defining twist lets the hero possess enemies and use their abilities. Reviews of the 2022 re-release praise that hook and its colorful retro presentation, but also point to cramped framing and dated design. It is a better fit for curious retro fans than for players seeking modern polish.
What is Avenging Spirit?
Avenging Spirit is a 1990s arcade platform-action game. Its story begins with the protagonist murdered by agents who kidnap his girlfriend; he returns as a spirit to rescue her. The central mechanic is possession: take control of one of four characters with different abilities, then attack or possess enemies, collect power-ups, and fight bosses. Nintendo’s official description presents the Switch edition as an arcade legacy title: Nintendo’s Avenging Spirit listing.
Ratalaika Games lists City Connection as the developer and July 29, 2022, as the re-release date. The publisher listing identifies support for one to two players: Ratalaika Games’ Avenging Spirit page.
What do the reviews say?
The cited reviews agree that possession gives the game a distinctive identity, but their scores and criticisms are individual judgments—not a single consensus rating.
#1 Best Overall
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| Outlet | Score | What the review emphasizes |
|---|---|---|
| Retro 101, August 30, 2022 | 6/10 | Praises possession, varied enemies, and bright presentation; criticizes how little of the playfield the camera shows. |
| Tech-Gaming, August 3, 2022 | 72% | Highlights possession, four difficulty settings, and rewind at two speeds; criticizes the lack of historical context and supplemental material. |
| Pure Nintendo, as listed by GameFAQs, 2022 | 65 | Individual score reproduced in GameFAQs’ review listing. |
| TouchArcade, as listed by GameFAQs, 2022 | 60 | The excerpt criticizes the arcade version’s execution and missing online leaderboards while acknowledging options in the port. |
These scores use the outlets’ own scales and should not be read as a combined rating. The common decision point is whether the possession concept and arcade feel outweigh the limited view and older design choices.
Is Avenging Spirit worth playing?
Yes, if you are curious about a retro action game built around taking over enemies, and you can enjoy its arcade-era constraints. The varied abilities give the possession mechanic room to stand out, while the bright presentation helps preserve its old-school appeal. If restricted framing or dated design quickly frustrates you, the cited reviews suggest this is less likely to be a satisfying pick. The reviewed release is most suited to players who value an unusual hook over contemporary refinement.
Rank #2
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What does the Switch release include?
Nintendo’s US listing specifies TV, tabletop, and handheld modes, one-to-two players on one system, American English, an ESRB rating of Fantasy Violence and Mild Blood, and an 80 MB file size. These are details of the US listing, not a guarantee of availability or terms in every region; check your regional store for current information: Nintendo’s US Switch listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does the Game Boy version compare?
A Game Boy version exists; MobyGames lists Game Boy among the game’s platforms: MobyGames’ Avenging Spirit catalogue entry. That confirms a separate platform version, but does not establish how its controls, screen framing, or presentation compare with the Switch re-release. Current cartridge stock, condition, and prices are also not established, so treat a search for a physical copy as a collector hunt rather than a guaranteed purchase.
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