Ghost Lion

Ghost Lion, known in Japan as White Lion Densetsu: Pyramid no Kanata ni (ホワイトライオン伝説 ―ピラミッドの彼方に―), is an RPG developed and published by Kemco in 1989 for the Famicom and NES. The game is very loosely based on a movie, Pyramid no Kanata ni: White Lion Densetsu, and features several characters with the same names.

The graphics and sprites have a similar style to that of the early Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games. The player controls a young woman named Maria who is looking for her parents, who went missing some years prior on a search for the legendary white lion. While searching the last known place where they were seen, Maria falls into a river and awakens in a fantasy land. There, using her wits and a group of friends she can summon into battle, she must find a way back to her world, discover where her parents have gone and confront the white lion.

While the game is primarily a traditional 8-bit JRPG, it does depart from the norm in several respects. Instead od "Level", "HP", and "MP", stats are referred to as "Hope", "Courage" and "Dream". Rather than increasing your level by gaining experience from battles, Hope can only be increased by finding Hope Fragments scattered around the world. This creates situations where portions of the game are perpetually difficult until fragments can be located, as the player cannot simply grind until their stats rise to a sufficient level.

To fight, Maria must go into her inventory and use the item or weapon she wishes to use against the enemy. She can also summon one of her allies, performed by activating the items they are linked to. For instance, the warrior Moja who helps Maria with physical attacks is linked to a Spear she begins the game with, while the magic-user Twana is summoned with a lamp and can cast an assortment of spells. There are a total of 11 of these summoned allies, some of which are monsters.

Plot
Ghost Lion begins when a ghostly White Lion attacked Maria's village. A hero appeared and drove the lion away, but Maria's parents wanted to find out where the Lion came from and what its purpose was. They set out on a journey, and never returned. The player takes control when, one day, Maria decides to go look for them. As she begins her journey, a bridge gives way beneath her, and she is washed away by a strong river current. She awakens in a strange new world and must find her lost parents and a way home, while looking for the mysterious White Lion.