Valis: The Fantasm Soldier
Introduction
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier was originally developed and published by Telenet Japan for Japanese home computers in 1986, before reaching the Genesis in 1991 through a port handled by Riot in Japan and Renovation in North America. The game follows Yuko Asou, an ordinary schoolgirl chosen to wield the legendary Valis sword and defend the dream world of Vecanti from the demon lord Rogles, fighting through side-scrolling action stages that blend platforming with sword-based combat against a cast of fantastical monsters. Its anime-inspired visual style and story-driven presentation, including still-image cutscenes between stages, was a notable departure from the more purely mechanics-focused action games common on early home computers and consoles, helping establish a template that later Valis sequels would continue to build on. The Genesis port carried over the same aesthetic sensibility, giving Western players their first taste of a series that had already built a following in Japan across several computer platforms. Valis: The Fantasm Soldier is remembered today as an early example of narrative-forward action gaming and the foundation of one of Telenet Japan’s most enduring franchises.
↑ = up
→ = right
↓ = down
← = left
Z = A Button
X = B Button
A = X Button
S = Y Button
Q = L Button
E = R Button
Shift = Select
Enter = Start
