Shaman King: Master of Spirits, much like the anime and manga that it’s based upon, is centred on the character Yoh Asakura and his battles to become Shaman King. It was first released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004, by Konami.

Master of Spirits is a Metroidvania-style game, with platforms, jumping, sword swipes, and enemies galore. Your goal is to stop the Guardian Demons being resurrected by a gang of rogue shaman, and to do that you must collect a number of useful spirits along the way. Equipping and using these spirits can give you the edge in battle, especially as health is hard to come by throughout most of the game.

As “Yoh” you must fight your way through various short, scrolling, interconnected levels, defeating enemies with your sword and collecting any spirits that come your way. As the map opens up you can move through any location you’ve already completed to reach other routes. Occasionally you’ll encounter a boss or a sub-boss fight as the story moves along.

Shaman King: Master of Spirits is an excellent handheld action game with well-animated characters and appealing backgrounds. The sword-slashing and platforming action is refined and feels good, and the traps and puzzles are generally well thought-out. I highly recommend it if you like Metroidvania-type games.

A direct sequel, called Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2, was released in 2005.

More: Shaman King: Master of Spirits on Wikipedia