By Joseph "Skull Vault" Walter
It was such an enthralling beat-'em-up experience, thanks to not just its satisfying gameplay, but also the many weird (and even surreal) events that occurred in each level, such as facing off with mutant animals or getting knocked out and battling through a truly bizarre dreamworld.
It took us years to finally beat it (thanks to the help of my Mom as Lisa!), but even after the credits rolled, my favorite moment, out of all the creative and unusual sequences, remained the same as it was since I was a youth: Level 3, the Graveyard.
What stuck out to me the most, though, was the level's end. In fact, I dare say it haunted me.
The path itself is opened up by an old man and a suit-wearing grunt, two of the game's most basic enemies. They both run in from off screen, retreating in terror from real ghosts, who look pretty dang mad.
While your character(s), along with the blue-suited grunt, are able to make the escape from these ghastly foes, the old man isn't so lucky. He trips and falls, while the phantasms lock the escape route. Then, they swarm the helpless old man, killing him.
For some reason, these ghosts always freaked me out. Sure, the zombies were supernatural, but they didn't feel as supernatural as these clearly malevolent spirits. They could also be beaten.
The ghosts, on the other hand, could not. There was no stopping them on their path to wrathful vengeance.
This whole thing just fascinated me as a youth. For reasons unknown, the Springfield cemetery is clearly and obviously haunted, and there are consequences for disturbing the already unsettled spirits... a lesson that old man learned in the most chilling way imaginable.