List of Ghostbusters Video Games - Ghostbusters (Activision)

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.

Most versions of the game had a similar basic format to the initial Commodore 64 and Atari 800 game, which was written in eight months and later ported to the Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and MSX. The game was made in such a short time by incorporating portions of a game named "Car Wars" that was already in production. The game was in production concurrently to the movie. The last week of development was spent on the opening screen which plays the Ghostbusters theme. The game starts with a choice between 4 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 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 Micronics, made the action sequences considerably more difficult, had lower graphical resolution and provided a different ending. The new ending in the NES version was full of spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes:

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

Ernie Hudson said, "My kids really hated . They thought it sucked."

The Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions of the game was included on the 1986 compilation They Sold a Million 3, 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.

The NES version was created in association with Works (later changed their name to Bits Laboratory). An enhanced remake of the Spectrum version was released as freeware for the PC in 2006.