Ghostbusters II (NES video game)

Ghostbusters II

North American box art
Developer(s) Imagineering
Publisher(s) Activision
Designer(s) Dan Kitchen
Composer(s) Mark Van Hecke
Platform(s) NES
Release date(s)
  • NA April 1, 1990
  • EU December 9, 1990
Genre(s) Platformer
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution 4-megabit cartridge

Ghostbusters II is a 1990 video game for the NES, developed by Imagineering and published by Activision, based on the film Ghostbusters II. Synthesized version of songs from the film, Ghostbusters Theme and "Higher and Higher" are featured in the game.

In Europe and Japan, HAL Laboratory released their own Ghostbusters II game called New Ghostbusters II.

Gameplay

Activision's game is a single-player side-scrolling game. Generally, the player controls a ghostbuster as he explores levels based on the film. The character's goal is to make his way to the museum before time runs out. Two levels involve riding around in the heroes' famous car. In another level the player controls the Statue of Liberty, shooting fireballs. The ghostbuster character is armed with unlimited supplies of slime that can be shot out of a cannon and ghost traps.

The game is noted for being exceptionally hard to complete for several reasons. The time limit and a complete lack of health bar for the character put constraints on survival. In addition, in some levels, the display scrolls to the left, which forces the player to make quick decisions. In addition, the player must successively complete the final level four times to reach the game's conclusion. The game also lacks a standard pause feature, contributing to the game's overall challenge.

References