Ghostbusters review - Sega Megadrive
There's something strange in the neighbourhood, and someone's called the Ghostbusters - the only ones who can save the city from an epidemic of spooks and ghoulies. Three of the four heroes are here: Raymond, Egon and Peter, and each has his own strengths and weaknesses. The object is to clear each level by catching rogue ghosts, which earns cash rewards with which to buy more equipment and weapons. Bombs, for instance are a must; as the characters only have a couple to start with, it's worth purchasing more so those nasties can be blown sky-high! The 'Busters can crouch, jump and fire to get through the hordes of spirits. Each level is ended with the obligatory major baddie, whose weak spot must be discovered and exploited. Next up is a section where the hero attempts to grab a ghost with his positron-collider gun and trap it in a ghost trap. This is tricky, as the ghost doesn't stay still - and it has to be zapped very near the trap.
The Films - 1984 saw the release of Ghostbusters, the spoof action movie starring Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. The knockabout comedy, excellent effects and catchy theme music made it an instant hit both here and the States. The sequel was released last Christmas but was not nearly as popular, despite the presence of Sigourney Weaver once again.
What the Mean Machines staff thought
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The whole Ghostbusters phenomenon seems rather stale and boring these days, and I'm afraid the game suffers in the same fashion. It has its good points - I like the graphical style and the intro screens are rather attractive. However, the gameplay is too limited to make this an essential Megadrive purchase: jumping around zapping cute spooks soon becomes a little boring. Still, there are some neat touches in there, such as the two shops that let you increase your options, and a pleasant reproduction of the theme music. Despite these factors however, I can't honestly recommend this game.
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Retrospective comments
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I was always amazed that Sega didn't push this title more when it was released - OK, so Ghostbusters was falling out of fashion at the time, but Nintendo enjoyed considerable success with their versions, and they weren't half as good as this game. The graphics are goregous, and the super-deformed characters are bursting with life. The gameplay probably isn't as exciting as it could have been, but the inventive boss designs make up for it. A bit of a forgotten classic, and one every self-respective Megadrive platform fan should seek out. |
Have your say about this review
luke - 31 Oct 2008, 03:25 GMT
I loved this game as a kid and still do...
I love the graphics and the music
download a GENS emulator and then download this rom
Tris Wicks - 11 Nov 2008, 01:39 GMT
I still find this as playable and mesmerizing as way back when. What a tidy little platform romp :)
Anon - 16 Feb 2009, 08:57 GMT
I had the Mega Drive game as a kid (I'm 21 now, the game is long gone) and I watched the first film last night. It rekindled my love and now I'm trying desperately to get it back! I've found I can get the console, Sonic, 2 controllers and GhostBusters for about £40, bargain!
Dan - 19 Feb 2009, 13:56 GMT
Not an amaizing game by any means, but one I went through a fair few times and enjoyed. Remember blitzing the high score for it in C&VG so must've played it long enough to get to a decent standard.
Jonny - 22 Nov 2009, 19:09 GMT
Just re-played this today for the first time in years and it still brings a smile to my face! Particularly like the fact that it misleads the player into thinking there are only four levels! Great game!
Jaz's Sheep - 28 Sep 2010, 10:49 GMT
Is it me, or does Matt's review totally miss the point? A good game's a good game, regardless of what's fashionable. Glad he left early doors.
