Ghostbusters

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Crowded around the small TV with my step brothers, taking turns with the three-button controller, we dove headfirst into the world of supernatural pest control.

The Ghostbusters theme was immediately recognizable, and we were already huge fans of the movies, so getting to actually play as Venkman, Stantz, or Spengler felt like stepping into the films themselves.

What hooked us wasn't just the license though, it was the progression system. Being able to earn money, purchase new equipment, and upgrade our ghost-catching arsenal gave the game a sense of advancement that many early Genesis games lacked.

Each playthrough felt slightly different depending on which Ghostbuster we chose and how we spent our hard-earned cash on better gear.

But going back to it years later. One thought took over. Where is Winston?!

Ghostbusters on Genesis delivers exactly what you'd expect from a supernatural extermination simulator.

The game smartly focuses on the business side of ghost hunting, starting you off with limited equipment and forcing you to strategically purchase upgrades between jobs.

You'll navigate through various spooky locations, responding to calls and building your reputation while managing resources.

As you start a new game, you have to choose your Ghostbuster and use them for the entire play through. Ray is slow, but can take the most hits. Egon is fast, but is the weakest of the three. And Bill Murray’s Venkman is the most balanced of the three.

The absence of Winston feels weird though. If this was based off the first film, I could kind of see that being okay since his character doesn’t appear until so late in the film. But this game came out after the second film was released, was an original story and came out years after The Real Ghostbusters cartoon had been on the air.

Winston was firmly established as the fourth Ghostbuster by this time and his absence is felt.

The visual presentation captures the eerie atmosphere perfectly with detailed 16-bit sprite work and backgrounds that fit that level’s theme.

Each location has its own personality, from an apartment that has frozen over to burning mansions, all rendered in Genesis's rich color palette that makes everything look appropriately ominous.

The game occasionally introduces new mechanics to shake things up. In the fire level, for example, the entire stage is shrouded in darkness, forcing the player to purchase night vision goggles just to see what’s going on. 

The character sprites are instantly recognizable as the movie Ghostbusters, even with their somewhat cartoonish proportions.

Combat mechanics revolve around your proton pack and various types of weapons. You have a standard projectile weapon that shoots like a gun. When fighting the mini bosses and defeating them, you switch to the iconic proton beam from the films to capture and lead the ghost into a trap.

Different weapons handle various ghost types more effectively, encouraging experimentation with your loadout.

There’s a fire weapon for the ice ghosts and a bubble weapon that can capture easier enemies and instantly remove them from the screen.

These come at a cost though. Your character has an energy bar and slowly drains as you use these weapons. Thankfully, you can enhance this bar with purchases between levels.

The controls feel responsive most of the time, allowing precise aiming when cornering ghosts into your traps.

However, some encounters can be frustrating when enemy attacks knock your character backward, sometimes right off platforms or into hazards. This design choice turns challenging battles into cheap deaths that feel unfair rather than skill-based.

The progression system remains the game's strongest element. Earning money from successful jobs and investing in better equipment creates a satisfying gameplay loop.

The music perfectly complements the spooky atmosphere with haunting melodies that build tension during ghost encounters, while sound effects deliver satisfying proton pack zaps and spectral wails that showcase the Genesis sound chip beautifully.

Of course the game’s intro starts with the infamous Ghostbusters theme that perfectly sets the mood.

The games options allow you to set the difficulty and modern players shouldn’t have too many issues with the game. Once you learn the boss patterns, you can progress pretty quickly and beat the game in about an hour.

Special mention to BillyTime! Games and their team in making a special edition mod of the game years later, including a physical release for collectors. In this version, they thankfully added in Winston.

Justice for Winston!

Along with the 4th ghostbuster finally being playable, they added other characters such as Rick Moranis’ Louis Tully, a new harder difficulty mode, alternate uniforms and cheats.

Despite its flaws and the glaring omission of Winston, Ghostbusters succeeds at capturing the essence of the franchise in interactive form.

It's a solid licensed game that stands on its own merits rather than relying solely on brand recognition.

The atmosphere still holds up, the progression system remains simple but engaging. Losing progress due to knockback deaths never stops being annoying, but there's something undeniably charming about suiting up and cleaning up New York's supernatural problem.

For fans of the franchise, this early Genesis game deserves some recognition. It may not be perfect, but it's a genuine attempt at translating movie magic into 16-bit form, complete with original storylines that expand the Ghostbusters universe rather than simply retelling the films.

I highly recommend tracking down the special edition version and giving it a try. It’s a mod, made by fans for fans. There’s a lot of love in this version and getting a new genesis game 30 years after the console released is pretty cool and worth celebrating.

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