The classic spook license now haunts SEGA...

IT'S always a rather pleasant surprise when a film tie-in turns out to be a good game. Such was the case with the original Ghostbusters game, released way back in 1984. Activision, the company responsible for the title, chose to concentrate on the more obvious action sequences from the film rather than worrying too much about a subtle plot. This approach seems to have worked well.

The game on the Sega plays much the same as it did on the original computer versions. You begin with a small amount of cash with which you can buy a basic ghostbusting vehicle and equip it with the essential pieces of equipment needed to go out and bag ghosts. Once you have kitted up, ifs time to drive off and nab some nasties.

In the first section of the game proper you are presented with a map of the city. The Gatekeeper and The Master of the Key are both wandering around. If they happen to meet and make their way to Zuul, then things start getting nasty. Meanwhile, you guide your ghostbusters symbol around the streets touching the ghosts before they accumulate and form Marshmallow man.

In the second section of the game in which you have an overhead view of your ghostbusting vehicle driving through the streets. You must avoid other traffic, while sucking up the passing ghosts with your ghost vacuum. Once you arrive at the infested building you enter the section of the game which actually requires some sort of skill. Here you must manoeuvre your ghostbusters with their ghost trap and Ion beams to capture all of the ghosts floating in front of the building. If you fail to trap them all you will be slimed. Ugh. Your ultimate aim is to build up enough points to enter Zuul before the city's PK energy gets too high. Then you can sneak past the Marshmallow man for your final confrontation with Gorza.

The appeal of Ghostbusters really lies in the sheer variety of the gameplay, even though some of the sections are ridiculously simple. As an added attraction, the better you do, the more complex and useful the equipment you can buy. This feature is likely to keep you coming back to the game, even after you have played it several times.

Laurence Scotford

£27.95 cart OUT NOW

GRAPHICS

7

IQ FACTOR

5

AUDIO

5

FUN FACTOR

8

ACE RATING

725

Predicted Interest Curve

A varied game with reasonable staying power. You'll take a while to really get into the swing of it.

Rating

73

Reviewer

ACE magazine

Region

UK

Scans

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