Tamashii no Mon Dante no Shinkyoku yori

Tamashii no Mon Dante no Shinkyoku yori (魂の門 ダンテ「神曲」より, Literally: Gate of Souls ~ From Dante's Divine Comedy) is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming elements. The game's events are a distilled portrayal of the Divine Comedy, an epic poem created by Dante Alighieri depicting his journey through the nine circles of Hell to reunite with his childhood love, Beatrice.

The producer is Eiji Fukuzawa and hyym is the main music composer. Musical arrangers are Hiori Wakakuwa, Masumi Itō, and Yoshiyuki Itō.

Gameplay
Players assume the role of Dante as he finds his way within the depths of Hell, they are guided by Virgil who offers advice and a crucifix filled with divine power. This crucifix is used as a melee tool to slay demons and other monstrosities blocking the way. The weapon itself can also be charged (displayed by the power bar) to increase its overall potency. Players must also learn to fight cautiously while predicting the enemy's attack patterns to avoid them in order to survive.

The game ends if Dante dies. Players may choose to reload their last save, repeat the stage with half health, or quit the game. Some items can also be used to recover health, but these should only be used sparingly. Though Dante can jump or slide his way out of numerous platforms and obstacles, he cannot proceed to the next level without accomplishing given tasks or defeating certain bosses.

Role-playing elements are also incorporated such as interaction with the inhabitants of Hell, the collection of various items, etc. These features also reveal hints regarding the player's objective and help flesh out the story. Sometimes, crossing through specific areas may trigger a scene which describes important events from the novel.

Stages
The stages in Gate of Souls are from the first part of the Divine Comedy which focuses on Dante's journey throughout the medieval underworld.
 * Gate of Hell
 * Limbo
 * Tempests of Lust
 * Marsh of Gluttony
 * Mountain of Greed
 * The Styx
 * City of Dis
 * Valley of Violence
 * Malebolge
 * Cocytus

Related Media
A soundtrack CD for the game was released in 1992.