Ghostbusters was published by Sega and developed by Compile for the Mega Drive/Genesis on June 29, 1990. It is unrelated to the earlier Activision game (though their name still appears in the copyright screen), and is instead a run and gun game in which the player takes control of squat cartoon representations of three of the four Ghostbusters from the movie, with the noticeable absence of Winston Zeddemore. Four levels are available initially; after they are completed, a fifth level is unlocked, followed by a sixth and final level. Each level contains a number (usually two) of mid-bosses known as "middle ghosts"; after a middle ghost is defeated, it turns into a small green ghost which can be captured for extra money by luring it over a ghost trap. Between levels, money can be used to buy powerups, such as a 3-way shot or recovery items.
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The graphics and audio are good, and this game deserves props for using the license in a different way to the others in the franchise. It's short, but it's very hard, and the respawning enemies are a pain in the tuchus. The map is all but useless, so good luck getting around the platform strewn levels blind. The absence of Winston is also noticeable, but you can do yourself a favour and check out BillyTime! Games' special edition hack which adds him, plus a whole host of quality of life stuff.
BANGER GAME,
The best for me are the bosses; their designs are just straight-up cool, and I also love how they change colors the more damage you deal to them! It's a super clever idea!
Sadly, the last two levels drag on forever and leave a bittersweet feeling, but the first stages are pretty neat.
The best for me are the bosses; their designs are just straight-up cool, and I also love how they change colors the more damage you deal to them! It's a super clever idea!
Sadly, the last two levels drag on forever and leave a bittersweet feeling, but the first stages are pretty neat.
A classic platformer that licences the Ghostbusters IP for a pretty difficult and drawn out experience with a handful of bells and whistles that don't really make up for the dull and unimaginative level design.
You can play as any one of the three core ghostbuster characters, and while they vary by speed and health the speed difference isn't very noticeable and the health difference is so Ray is the obvious choice. You can then pick one of the four levels to start in but this freedom is also undercut because the difficulty curve and firepower needed to tackle the harder levels means there is a 'best' order to go in if you don't want to get slimed.
Each level is pretty unimaginatively themed with two kinds of house, a fire level, an ice level, and a spooky castle. While the graphics are decent for the time and some of the effects are iconic, the level designs themselves don't have much rhyme or reason - though the free roaming aspect and being able to leave the level to visit the shop does have a proto-metroidvania feel to it.
Unfortunately the controls are stiff and when combined with strict 5-way shooting (no down or down diagonals) leaves you relatively vulnerable against tanky small foes with high mobility. The same few enemies are also reused so it feels like you're getting hit by cheap shots from start to finish. The bosses meanwhile have an interesting variety of designs but very simple repetitive attack patterns and the strategy to defeat them is not intuitive so don't expect to beat this in a single run unless you're using save states.
Defeated and captured bosses / mini-bosses will net you extra cash for upgrades and while the alternative weapons offer some variety, the limited energy means you only really want to pull them out against the bosses they're effective against. The shields also deplete energy so I would just always avoid using them, which is a shame because they are fun and ease the burden of the annoying pest enemies in the halls that slow down gameplay.
Overall much of the game is phoned in, clearly a decent bit of the budget went to the IP, music, and artwork which left the levels, enemy, and boss designs limited. There's maybe one level too many as the game drags on towards the end, and the bosses tend to be a bit slow and tedious. Enjoyable with save states but the original recipe is only fun for the dedicated fan.
You can play as any one of the three core ghostbuster characters, and while they vary by speed and health the speed difference isn't very noticeable and the health difference is so Ray is the obvious choice. You can then pick one of the four levels to start in but this freedom is also undercut because the difficulty curve and firepower needed to tackle the harder levels means there is a 'best' order to go in if you don't want to get slimed.
Each level is pretty unimaginatively themed with two kinds of house, a fire level, an ice level, and a spooky castle. While the graphics are decent for the time and some of the effects are iconic, the level designs themselves don't have much rhyme or reason - though the free roaming aspect and being able to leave the level to visit the shop does have a proto-metroidvania feel to it.
Unfortunately the controls are stiff and when combined with strict 5-way shooting (no down or down diagonals) leaves you relatively vulnerable against tanky small foes with high mobility. The same few enemies are also reused so it feels like you're getting hit by cheap shots from start to finish. The bosses meanwhile have an interesting variety of designs but very simple repetitive attack patterns and the strategy to defeat them is not intuitive so don't expect to beat this in a single run unless you're using save states.
Defeated and captured bosses / mini-bosses will net you extra cash for upgrades and while the alternative weapons offer some variety, the limited energy means you only really want to pull them out against the bosses they're effective against. The shields also deplete energy so I would just always avoid using them, which is a shame because they are fun and ease the burden of the annoying pest enemies in the halls that slow down gameplay.
Overall much of the game is phoned in, clearly a decent bit of the budget went to the IP, music, and artwork which left the levels, enemy, and boss designs limited. There's maybe one level too many as the game drags on towards the end, and the bosses tend to be a bit slow and tedious. Enjoyable with save states but the original recipe is only fun for the dedicated fan.
A lack of sober difficulty balancing makes this a rough first taste-test, but once you sink your teeth in and spend that sweet $3000 check on your first new weapon, it all makes so much sense.
This Game Makes You Feel Like A Ghostbuster.
This Game Makes You Feel Like A Ghostbuster.
It's ok. The final level is really long and boring, but I enjoy some of the replayability via different characters and upgrades.
Could've been great, but unfortunately its design is very samey.
Could've been great, but unfortunately its design is very samey.
A game I wish I liked more. The controls are kinda stiff and the levels have much to be desired. The music is not very good but it does include a lot of boss fights. This game looks better when someone else plays it, rather than yourself. Definitely the best ghostbuster game north america got for a few decades though.