"Phantom Fighter", 1988, NES. (Part II)

Turns out that like Hydlide and 8 Eyes, Phantom Fighter had an HD version of its ad! It contains, well, everything that the comic book version had, but more so! The lightning-nails are starker, the pom-poms atop the phantoms' hats less comically nippular and their long, flowing pearl necklaces less comical. (Not un-comical, but ... less so. Actually, the earlier ad didn't feature the necklaces at all!) There is additional detail on the background phantom's garment and in the little building in the background. Also, there is additional promotional copy!

These zombie phantoms get even bigger and stronger as your skill improves. (But don't worry -- you've got some magic of your own.) You'll be challenged by some tricky questions. Ghosts, puzzles, and dialogue make this kung Fu challenge more unpredictable.

Zombie phantoms? So, uh, are they phantoms who were bitten by zombies or what? Challenged by tricky questions: before you enter the lair of the phantom king, an arcane spectral mathematician asks -- a train leaves Montreal westbound going 250 km/h, while a train leaves Calgary going eastbound going 200 km/h... Unpredictable? I doubt the ghosts add that much -- re-skin a brawler and the results remain pretty repetitive. Does dialogue mix things up? Conversation trees might result in less predictability, but I don't think those came around until Indy and the Last Crusade.

OK, not much commentary to offer up here, but when I find a better version of territory I've already covered, I do like to add the upgrade to the record presented here.