List of Ghostbusters video games

The list of Ghostbusters video games covers many titles and gaming systems, and encompasses the history of the Ghostbusters media franchise since the original film's release in 1984.

Ghostbusters (Activision)

Ghostbusters is a licensed game produced by Activision based on the movie of the same name. It was designed by David Crane, produced by Brad Fregger, and released for several home computer platforms in 1984, and later released for various video game console systems, including the Atari 2600, Sega Master System and NES.

Ghostbusters (Activision) on the Commodore 64 (1984).

Most versions of the game have a similar basic format to the initial Commodore 64 and Atari 800 game, which Crane wrote in six weeks. He based it in part on an incomplete game called Car Wars featuring armed automobiles in a city; this led, for example, to the "ghost vacuum" on the Ecto-1, something not present in the film. Activision obtained the license early in the film's production, and most of the game was finished by the time Crane watched the film. While pleased with the game, Crane later stated that he regretted not being able to include a better victory screen.^[1] The last week of development was spent on the opening screen which plays the Ghostbusters theme song.^[2] The game was later ported to the Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Atari 2600.

The game starts with a choice between four drivable cars, and the player must stock up on equipment and make money to complete their objectives. Upon completion of the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, Sega Master System and MSX versions of the game, a code was provided that allowed the player to start a new game with the amount of money accumulated by the end of the previous game. This allowed accelerated progression in the new game. The game varied in some respects depending upon which platform it was played; the Sega Master System version (1987) added an on-foot shooting gallery level with different animations, while the NES version (1988), ported by Japanese developer Bits Laboratory, made the action sequences considerably more difficult, had lower graphical resolution and provided a different ending. The new ending in the NES version is full of spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes:^[1]

This ending text can also be seen on a monitor in the Firehouse in Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

Reception
Review scores Publication Score CVG 33/40[3] Crash 60%[4] Sinclair User 7/10[5] Your Sinclair 8/10[6] Home Computing Weekly [7] ZX Computing 6/10[8] Sinclair Programs 40%[9]

Antic in May 1985 called Ghostbusters "the first adaptation to capture both the feel and the theme of the movie on which it is based ... most enjoyable to play".^[10] Edge in 2007 called Ghostbusters "dauntingly good", noting that despite the action sequences expected of a licensed title, the game was a "polished, intelligently-paced", strategic business simulation.^[1] Ernie Hudson said, "My kids really hated [the Commodore 64 game]. They thought it sucked."^[11] In 1985 it and The Print Shop were reportedly the two most widely pirated Commodore 64 programs.^[12] II Computing listed Ghostbusters eighth on the magazine's list of top Apple II games as of late 1985, based on sales and market-share data,^[13] and it was Activision's best-selling Commodore game as of late 1987.^[14]

The Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions of the game was included on the 1986 compilation They Sold a Million 3,^[15][16] along with Fighter Pilot, Rambo and Kung-Fu Master. The game was also released on The Story So Far Volume IV in December 1989, and Hollywood Collection in December 1990. It knocked Daley Thompson's Decathlon from the top of the UK Spectrum sales chart.^[17]

The NES version was created in association with Works (later changed their name to Bits Laboratory).^[18] This version was panned by critics, gamers and fans alike for its monotonous gameplay, sloppy controls, and lack of connection to the original film. An enhanced remake of the Spectrum version was released as freeware for the PC in 2006.^[19]

The Real Ghostbusters arcade game

The Real Ghostbusters (Data East) on the Arcade (1987).

The Real Ghostbusters was an arcade game based on the cartoon series of the same name released by a Japanese game company, Data East in 1987. The game was later ported to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. Up to three players can control members of the Ghostbusters. The characters are only differentiated by the colors of their uniforms, no effort is made to identify them, although the game's cabinet art shows the characters from the cartoon. The game has a total of 10 levels. In Japan the game is known as Meikyū Hunter G (迷宮ハンターG, Labyrinth Hunter G), but bears little resemblance to the western version as it did not use the Ghostbusters license. It supports only up to two players, makes no mention of the Ghostbusters, equips the players with different weapons, many of the monsters are different and has completely different level designs from the western version.

The Ghostbusters fight off hordes of nightmarish creatures with energy guns which reduce the monsters to harmless ghosts which can then be captured with beams from their proton packs. Power-ups available included stronger basic shots, a force field that makes the Ghostbuster invincible for several seconds, and an item that summons Slimer to throw himself in the way of attacks.

The game went to number 2 in the UK sales charts, behind Run the Gauntlet.^[20]

Ghostbusters II video game

Ghostbusters II is the title of a video game released for several home computer and console systems. The game is loosely based on the film of the same name.

Computer versions

The home computer editions were published by Activision; each edition is essentially similar, with changes in the quality of graphics and sound. However, the DOS version is completely different from the other ones, having been developed by a different company, Dynamix with game design by Doug Barnett.

Most versions of the game feature several arcade sequences based on the film: Van Horne: the player controls Ray Stantz as he is lowered into an air shaft of the disused Van Horne subway system to collect a sample of slime. He is armed with his proton pack and other weaponry with which to defend himself against the myriad of ghosts that attack: some will collide or grab him and cause damage, while others will attempt to cut his rope. The player must collect the three segments of the slime scoop, as well as ammo and health, during the descent. Journey to the Museum: the Statue of Liberty has been brought to life by "mood slime" and is marching toward the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the player controls a floating fireball (generated from the Statue's torch) which fires horizontal shots and must be used to protect the Statue from swarms of ghosts. Impacts from ghosts (or regeneration of the fireball) uses up precious slime, though it can be replenished from destroyed ghosts. Showdown in the Museum: the player controls the four Ghostbusters individually, armed variously with proton packs and slime dispensers, in an isometric 3D level. The four heroes must rappel into the Museum and fight Janosz, Vigo the Carpathian, and finally a possessed Ray, in order to save the world. Some versions also feature a sequence based on the courtroom fight against the ghosts of the Scoleri Brothers.

The DOS version of the game is entirely different. It begins with the Ghostbusters battling the Scoleri Brothers in the courtroom scene from the film. At the firehouse, players can choose to capture ghosts in variation locations from the film for money or gather samples from the river of slime and test it to develop the positively charged slime. If a Ghostbuster fails to capture a ghost or falls into the river of slime, he is captured and must be rescued from Parkview Hospital.

Once players have earned $55,000 from capturing ghosts, and collected and correctly tested 3 slime samples, they can then take control of the Statue of Liberty and navigate it through the streets of New York in order to reach the museum. A map that comes with the game is required to find the correct route. In addition, it is necessary to avoid crushing cars, and also to beat the clock, as the statue is maneuvered.

Once the museum is reached, the player breaks in from the roof and finds Vigo strutting about out of his painting. He won't attack, but can be zapped to weaken him for the upcoming battles. Once the clock reaches midnight, Vigo returns to his painting and attacks with rapid fireballs, where one hit will kill a Ghostbuster. Janosz will also run about the room; shooting him, or the painting while he is in front of it will reflect the proton beam back at the Ghostbuster and kill it instantly. Once Vigo has been weakened enough, Janosz will collapse and Vigo will emerge from the painting as a giant head and fire rapid fire balls again. The proton pack will turn into a slime blower, and Vigo must be hosed down until he is defeated; when he is close to death, he will become covered in pink slime. Upon defeat, the painting of Vigo will change to one of a smiling Slimer holding a baby in the clouds.

The victory scene shows all four Ghostbusters emerging from the Museum, waving and dancing for the cheering crowd awaiting outside.

Computer Gaming World praised the Statue of Liberty sequence, and called the graphics "nice", but overall gave Ghostbusters II a mixed review because of its combination of brief story length and lengthy replays needed to master the game.^[21]

Activision NES version

Activision's NES edition of the game is a single-player side-scrolling game where the player controls a Ghostbuster through various stages based on the film, making their way to the museum before time runs out. Two levels involves riding around in the heroes' famous car and another level requires the player to control the Statue of Liberty, shooting fireballs. The game was noted for being exceptionally hard to complete.

New Ghostbusters II

A version of the game was released in Europe and Japan for the NES and Game Boy, titled New Ghostbusters II, developed by HAL Laboratory. It is more of a straightforward action game than the Activision game. The Game Boy version was released in America without the New label.

Atari 2600 version

Activision made a version of the game for the Atari 2600 in 1989, late in the console's market lifespan. Activision never released the game. British game company Salu released the game in Europe under its name in 1992, after Atari had already ended support for the 2600 system. Licensing issues have prevented this version of the game from being included on the Activision Anthology collections, along with a few other titles.

Ghostbusters (1990), Mega Drive/Genesis

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.

The Ghostbusters are down on their luck due to lack of ghost activity, when suddenly several calls begin to pour in from around the city, including the eventual reappearance of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (although dialogue indicates it is not the same one from the movie). After each case, a piece of a stone tablet is collected. The three Ghostbusters piece together the mysterious tablet, inadvertently opening a portal to "the evil world" and releasing a horde of ghosts. In the end, though, the Ghostbusters manage to defeat Janna, the God of Darkness, and retrieve a mystical gem from the evil world. They combine the gem with the tablet to close the portal, and save the city.

The Real Ghostbusters (1993), Game Boy

The 1993 The Real Ghostbusters game was developed by Kemco and published in North America by Activision for the Game Boy. In it, the player played as Peter Venkman. The game is based on Kemco's Crazy Castle franchise and features similar puzzle-oriented gameplay. This game was released in Europe as Garfield Labyrinth and in Japan as Mickey Mouse IV: Mahou no Labyrinth (ミッキーマウスIV 魔法のラビリンス, lit. "Mickey Mouse IV: The Magical Labyrinth"), which features different characters and licenses for both versions.

Extreme Ghostbusters series

Extreme Ghostbusters

Extreme Ghostbusters was released on April 2, 2001 by Light and Shadow Productions for the Game Boy Color.^[22] It was originally thought to be intended for multiple consoles and the personal computer.^[22] It includes four playable characters including Kylie, Garett, Roland, and Eduardo. Each character has unique gameplay attributes and may be chosen at any point in the game. Set in New York City, players must defeat and either capture or destroy ghosts.^[22]

Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1

It is a Game Boy Advance video game based on Extreme Ghostbusters. The half-human/half-demon Count Mercharior has kidnapped Roland and Garett, two key members of the Ghostbusters team. The remaining team members, Eduardo and Kylie, immediately set off to find them, determined to capture the ghosts who have come to invade the city. The game was a combination platform and shooter game with some races, using a top-down perspective. There were 12 platform levels and four regions.^[23]

Extreme Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Invasion

A video game that is similar to Time Crisis. Players would choose from one of the four Extreme Ghostbusters and play through various missions set in New York. It can be used with gun con. There are two kinds of shots that can be fired, using a proton cartridge like what is seen in the show. There is a standard mini proton shot, similar to a bullet fire, that uses 1/10 of cartridge, or a proton beam, which uses 5/10 a proton cartridge. There are 3 game modes; Adventure, Training, and Replay.

Ghostbusters (2006), mobile

A top down puzzle game was released in 2006 for cell phones on Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Cingular (now AT&T) networks. The story revolves around the Ghostbusters being hired by a millionaire tycoon to rid his home of ghosts, but the story does not go beyond that with no cut scenes or dialog during the game. Ultimately, Ghostbusters mobile was panned critically due to its extreme length (over 100 rooms to enter), plain gameplay design (gathering colored keys, pushing statues, activating switches), and no real references to any of the original Ghostbusters characters or movies, besides the opening theme music.^[24]

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (2009)

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a video game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and PC. The game was originally slated for an October 2008 release. ZootFly began independently developing the game in May 2006 but hit a "bump in the road" with regard to the Ghostbusters copyright in July 2006.^[25]Vivendi Universal acquired the rights to make the game, which was developed by Terminal Reality for the PlayStation 3, PC and Xbox 360, and by Red Fly Studios for the Wii, DS and PS2.^[26] Harold Ramis has said that he and Aykroyd, in addition to contributing to the game's script, did voiceover for the Ghostbusters video game.^[27] It was released on June 16, 2009 for the U.S, June 19, 2009 for EU on the PlayStation formats (due to a publishing deal by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe), and November 2009 for other formats in the EU, though the US Xbox 360 version of the game is region free, it can be played on any Xbox 360 console.

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (2011)

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is a video game for download for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC. It is a sequel to Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast (2012)

Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast is a location-based augmented reality mobile game launched by XMG Studio in August 2012 available for sale in the iTunes App Store.^[28] The exclusive prototype of Ghostbusters: Paranormal Blast was previewed at PAX East 2012.^[29] The game was also promoted at Comic-Con 2012. The game allows users to take the perspective of a Ghostbuster, catching ghosts in their own cities.

Ghostbusters (2013), mobile

Ghostbusters is a mobile game available for download from Beeline Interactive. Players start out with three new Ghostbusters in Michelle Ying, Tara Fitzpatrick, and Michael Prince. A fourth Ghostbuster, Joel Holowinsky, is available for purchase with money earned in game. Others can also be purchased, including Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, and Ray Stantz, for 50 power cores each (which cost real world money). The game has three types of Ghostbusters: 1) Wrangler - used to weaken ghosts, 2) Blasters - used primarily for their offensive capabilities, and 3) Scientists - used primarily for healing Ghostbusters. The story centers around the male student that Peter Venkman kept shocking during his ESP "experiment" at the beginning of the first film. The man is contacted by a mysterious force promising him a way to get vengeance against Peter. The game instantly flashes forward to after the second film, where we see that the man now is a ghost with telepathic powers. He takes over a 50 story building where each floor serves as a separate level for Ghostbusters to defeat.

Ghostbusters Pinball (2014)

Ghostbusters Pinball is pinball game released in 2014 for mobile and developed by FarSight Studios.^[30]

Lego Dimensions (2015)

The crossover toys-to-life game Lego Dimensions developed by Traveller's Tales features content based on both the original Ghostbusters and its 2016 remake. A "level pack" includes an additional level that recreates the events of the original film and adds Peter Venkman as a playable character, with the unlockable ability to play as the other three Ghostbusters. A "story pack" offers an extended six-level story campaign retelling the events of the 2016 film, and includes a playable Abby Yates, who can also be used to play as the other three Ghostbusters. Additional "fun packs" add Slimer and Stay Puft as playable characters.

Ghostbusters (2016)

On April 14, 2016, Activision announced a new Ghostbusters video game for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC^[31] The game will be developed by California-based FireForge Games.

Ghostbusters: Slime City (2016)

On April 14, 2016, Activision announced a new a game called Ghostbusters: Slime City for mobile phones.^[31]

Ghostbusters: Slime City, is an upcoming mobile game based on the Ghostbusters movies. It is expected to be launched in July 2016. The game will be launched along with Ghostbusters video game.^[32][33] The mobile game, Ghostbusters: Slime City, lets players be a Ghostbuster member and save New York City from new threats, and collect powerful ghosts to rise to the top of the leaderboards. Players can upgrade their own headquarters and complete jobs around the city for new weapons and rewards.^[34]

References

External links

• Movie Game Database
  • Ghostbusters II
• Ghostbusters Doom
• Ghostbusters at CPC WIKI

Extreme Ghostbusters

• Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 29, 2004)
• Magic Pocket page Contains Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 info