Tamashii no Mon Dante no Shinkyoku yori

Gate of Souls ~ From Dante's "Divine Comedy" (魂の門 ~ ダンテ「神曲」より, Tamashii no Mon ~ Dante no Shinkyoku yori) is a side-scrolling adventure game with platforming elements. Developed by Koei, it was released on Japan in 1994. 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 of this game is Kou Shibusawa who is credited under the name Eiji Fukuzawa. The composers who arranged the music are Hiori Wakakuwa, Masumi Ito, and Yoshiyuki Ito.

Gameplay
Right from the start, players assume the role of Dante as he finds his way within the depths of Hell. He is guided by Virgil who offers him 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. However, because the crucifix is limited to short-range strikes, learning to fight cautiously while predicting the enemy's own attack patterns to avoid them is a must in order to survive.

If Dante's health bar is fully depleted, the game ends with his death. Players may choose to reload their last save or repeat the stage with only half of their remaining life left. Some items can also be used to recover health. 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 (who have their own health bar unlike regular enemies).

The game also incorporates role-playing elements such as interaction with the inhabitants of Hell, the collection of various items, etc. These features reveal hints regarding the player's objective and help flesh out the story in general. Sometimes, crossing through specific areas may trigger a scene which describes important events from the novel such as Dante's meeting with Virgil or his encounter with the gatekeeper of Hell.

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 where each level below is more horrific than the last.
 * Gate of Hell
 * Limbo
 * Tempests of Lust
 * Marsh of Gluttony
 * Mountain of Greed
 * The Styx
 * City of Dis
 * Valley of Violence
 * Malebolge
 * Cocytus