Ghostbusters

"Good Movie, Not So Good Game"

****May Contain Some Spoilers****

Ghostbusters is a great film that was released way back in 1984. It was the most successful movie of 1984, with it's highly original and imaginative story, awesome special effects, a cool cast, and tons of classic and memorable scenes. Although I prefer the sequel, Ghostbusters II, Ghostbusters was still a great film and is probably my second favorite movie next to GB2. However, it sure is a shame that this game doesn't receive the classic status of the film.

The story of Ghostbusters is quite poor. While the movie had an excellent and very well-written story, this game, sad to say, does not. The story has you as a Ghostbuster with three fellow 'Busters to help you. It is your job to Exterminate pesky Poltergeists all over New York City with all sorts of high-tech weaponry that was built exclusively for Paranormal combat. Weapons range from the Proton Pack, Ghost Trap, Ghost Vacuum, Sound Generator, and more. Hopefully you'll make good use of those weapons, because Sumerian God Gozer has plans to destroy the World. Gozer is picking up energy that is strengthening her by feeding of the Psycho Kinetic Energy (PKE) of the city. It is your job to defeat Gozer by 'Busting Ghosts, earning money to get better and more powerful weaponry, and get to the Shandor Building Gozer resides at before the PKE reaches 9999. Pretty flatly written and it sounds like something out of a Kids film. The movie's story was, as I stated earlier, great, but not here. It's just so poor and flat, and is loosely based on the movie's story.

But the gameplay is the main problem. It just ain't fun. You have to drive the Ecto-1 all over the city and it's not fast enough and runs out of fuel way too quickly. Also, if you happen to hit a car, get ready to pay a fine, and if you hit a Ghost, expect to lose some more fuel to make getting to your destination even harder.

The Ghostbusting sequences are totally disappointing and dull. You only have like 10 minutes or so to 'Bust some Ghosts with the Proton Pack (which while kicked a lot of butt in the movie, is just plain lackluster here). You'll then attempt to try to Trap the Ghost(s) and take 'em to the Ghostbusters Headquarters, and keep on 'Busting some more until you have enough money to earn more effective weapons and defeat Gozer and the infamous Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Very boring and dull, and the GBs move at an unbearably slow pace, and many times if you fail to 'Bust Ghosts, a lot of the blame could be on the speed of the GBs.

The game is very hard and quite frustrating as well. Before you reach Gozer, you have to climb loads and loads of stairs that lead to the Rooftop that Gozer resides at. Sounds simple? Don't take it for granted, because there a LOT of Ghosts roaming the stairways and if you get hit three times by them (unless you have some special armor), Game Over! Throw in incredibly slow and tedious controls and lame scenarios.

The graphics are very bad too. The Ghostbusters where green suits, blue backpacks, and have orange faces and green hair. Huh?!?!?! Since when did the Ghostbusters become Oompa Loompas?!?! Besides having amazingly atrocious character designs, the Proton beams are very poor as well (they look like a line of diamonds) and the Ecto-1, I won't even go there.

But, the game isn't without it's good sides. It's got cool (though very repetitive) music that is quite groovy, and the game may start out pretty fun at first, but within the first 10 minutes, you'll want more excitement and entertainment.

With a poor story, bad controls, awful graphics, and an insanely difficult mode of play, Ghostbusters is passable at best. It's not terrible, just strictly below-average.

5/10. Pray that a new Ghostbusters game gets released soon and is a lot more fun and replayable than this utter Slime.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 04/13/01, Updated 04/13/01