Ghostbusters The Video Game

"Bustin' makes me feel bored."

I would give the Wii version of this game a 9 but sadly the portable version of GBs doesn't live up to its older brothers on the Wii (nor the 360 and PS3 for that matter).

The play is starkly different as you lead the Ghostbusters as a group of four as opposed to the console version's new recruit. The game tries to play itself off as more of an action RPG, but generally fails. You will be entertained when it starts, leading your team with the stylus through levels like the Sedgwick Hotel. Trapping ghost is simple enough as you spray them with your beam until they stop moving. Then with a press L and a tap of the stylus, your trap is released and the ghost is captured.

Where GBDS fails is in the ability to make this process entertaining in the long term. In the station, you can research new technologies as well as make new products. The problem is, for the most part, these items are superfluous. Early in the game your team will be able to easily overpower most Ghosts. The same is true of the leveling system which offers lots of option, but little real effect to the game.

Missions are divided into story missions and side missions. All missions start with you driving to one of the 6 or 7 locations in the lousy representation of New York put up for you. This appears to be here just to extend the game. The driving controls are awful and driving in the city is boring. You can catch roaming ghosts with a car top blaster, but usually the ghost isn't near your destination. Since you are under a time limit to get to each mission start, you generally will never fight the ghosts. You can also fight them in a free drive mode, but again, it is so painfully boring to drive, there is no incentive to do it.

Side missions are atrocious. Either you have to catch all ghost, close all portals, save a few people or collect artifacts. Same 4 missions, same 5 or so locations. Uggghhh. Making it worse is the fact that many of the capture all ghost missions will only involve one ghost. Spend two minutes driving, fight ghost for 8 seconds, back to firehouse. Yeeessshhhh.

Story missions fare better with more enemies and more complex locations. However, the game can get bogged down in some fairly obtuse puzzles and an annoying habit of making certain characters look at certain things. If the wires are broken, Winston has to look at it, if it is a book, it has to be Ray, if it is scientific, it is Egon etc etc. Boss battles are sadly not much different than fighting regular ghosts for the most part. One entertaining exception of destroying a T-day float stands out however.

The story is basically incomprehensible if you haven't played the console versions. With no voice acting, the experience loses quite a bit.

You will probably start out having fun with GBDS, but long before it is over, you will be bored to tears. Take a pass and get the console versions.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 08/12/09

Game Release: Ghostbusters The Video Game (US, 06/16/09)