Ghosts, Ghosts. And more ghosts. They've decided to come out in full force. And they've picked your city to show their stuff in. So who you gonna call?
Selecting NEW GAME START - Use this selection for your very first game. Or when you wish to enter new intials.
To enter your initials, use the ARROWS to position the cursor, then press BUTTON 1. Do this twice. Once for each letter of your initials.
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Selecting CONTINUE START - Select this when you already have a bank account with money in it. First enter your initials as described above. Then enter your account number in the same way you entered your initials.
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Busting ghosts is tough. You have to have the right wheels, the right tools, and a heck of a lot of nerve. That's why they've picked you to run the business.
You'll start out with $10,000 in your bank account. You'll have to use part of this money to purchase all the things you'll need.
Then, you'll be given a map of the city. Whenever ghosts enter one of the buildings, the building will blink. And you'll have to make tracks to get there as fast as you can.
Once you reach the building, you'll use your Ion Beams to trap the ghosts. When you get all of them, the scene returns to the map and you start looking for ghosts all over again.
Sometimes you'll have to return to headquarters. To pick up a new man. To recharge your Ion Beam. Or to empty your ghost traps.
When the Marshmallow Man enters the scene, you'll have to drop everything and confront this monstrous mess. Sneak your men past him to enter the temple of Zule.
Once you've entered Zule, you'll have to climb the stairs – attacking Roamers as you go – and try to make it to the top.
There, at the top of Zule, you'll have one last assignment. Destroy Gorza.
With Gorza's power depleted, the rest of the ghosts will also be powerless. The city will return to normal. And your name will go down as one of the city's greatest heroes.
The following illustration shows you the control points on your SEGA SYSTEM control pad. Throughout this instruction book we will refer to these controls by the names indicated in this illustration.
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Busting ghosts is big business. And, like any big business, it requires big bucks.
At the beginning of the game you can borrow up to $10,000 - to use for purchasing cars and equipment. You'll be given your own bank account. And every time you bust a ghost, money will be added to your account.
Remember to write down your account number. You'll need it the next time you start a new game.
You're a Ghostbuster. Armed with a souped-up car, special ghostbusting equipment and lightning reflexes.
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And you're after those ghosts. Who are armed with flying dishes, slime, laser beams, and the ability to become invisible at will. Here's who's who in the world of ghosts:
Good ghostbusters must be familiar with the tools of the trade. And they must know which equipment is the most important to obtain when funds are limited.
Here's what you can buy with your hard-earned money. But remember, fancy equipment is no substitute for a quick eye and a steady hand.
ECONOMY – Holds up to six tools. Very light. Slips a long way when hit. $2,000
HEARSE – Holds up to nine tools. Medium weight. Slips some when hit. $4,800
COMMON – Holds up to eleven tools. Heavy. Only slips a little when hit. $6,000
SPORTS – Holds up to eight tools. Very heavy. Hardly slips at all when hit. $12,000
How to choose your car.
How to drive your car.
Use the ARROW CONTROLLER.
PK ENERGY DETECTOR – Lets you know ahead of time when a building you're near is going to be hit by ghosts. The color of the building will change to purple. $400
MARSHMALLOW SENSOR – Tells you if the Marshmallow Man is coming to a building near you by changing the color of the building to white. $800
IMAGE INTENSIFIER – Ghost images become clearer. $800
SUPER PK ENERGY DETECTOR – Works just like the regular PK ENERGY DETECTOR, only better. Because it works for the entire city. No matter where you are. $1,200
SUPER MARSHMALLOW SENSOR – Works just like the regular MARSHMALLOW SENSOR. Except that you don't have to be near the building. $2,000
GHOST VACUUM – Use this to scarf up stray ghosts while you're driving. $600
GHOST BAIT – Use it to attract ghosts to your area. And to prevent them from uniting to form a Marshmallow Man. The good thing about this stuff is that you can use it over and over – up to five times. $400
GHOST TRAP – You can use this to capture ghosts. Then you've got to take it back to headquarters to empty it. $500
HIGH CAPACITY TRAP – Works just like the regular GHOST TRAP. But you can capture three times as many ghosts before you have to empty it. $2,500
LASER CONFINEMENT SYSTEM – With this handy little item you don't have to keep running back to headquarters every time you fill your traps. The ghosts will automatically enter LASER CONFINEMENT and your traps will be perpetually empty. $8,000
SUPER ION BEAM – This makes your ghost-killing Ion Beams last a lot longer. $3,000
GHOST PARALYSIS SYSTEM – Use this to slow the ghosts down. $3,500
TURBO CHARGER – Because this makes your car run faster, you can get to the scene of the crime much faster. $4,500
SUPER GHOST VACUUM – A souped-up version of the regular GHOST VACUUM. $3,200
DEFENSIVE WALL – This is a great item for dire emergencies. Place it in the middle of the road to keep ghosts, gatekeepers and key masters from passing through. But use it wisely. Because it only works once in each game. $1,500
How to choose your equipment.
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How to use your equipment.
Press BUTTON 2.
In the portion of the map, you'll notice THE SHOP. It's always open. So if you wish to purchase any equipment mid-game, just go to THE SHOP.
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From time to time throughout the course of the game, you'll need to return to Ghostbusters Headquarters. You'll find it in the lower left-hand portion of the map.
Return to GHQ when:
As more and more ghosts infiltrate the city, they raise the level of PK (Psycho-Kinetic) energy. So keep an eye on the PK ENERGY LEVEL METER (located in the upper left-hand section of the screen). It will give you a good idea of who's winning. You or the ghosts.
As the PK energy goes up, the meter will change from blue to yellow to red. The following events cause the PK level to increase:
GHOSTBUSTERS is actually four games in one. Each one requires a little different strategy. Slightly different skills. And a thorough knowledge of your controller.
Search your map for blinking buildings. When you see one, head for it.
Once you get to the building:
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Busting Ghosts
If you have more than $10,000 at the time the PK energy meter turns to red, you'll go on to confront the Marshmallow Man.
In order to get into the temple of Zule, you'll need to sneak at least two out of three ghostbusters past this gargantuan guard. Here's how to do it.
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Using all eight positions of the ARROW CONTROLLER, maneuver your men, one by one, past the Marshmallow Man.
NOTE: Don't try to go through his legs. It's impossible. Go for the sides instead.
The stairs leading up to Zule are infested with nasty ROAMERS. They'll try to slime you. And even throw plates at you. Don't let them.
If you get even one of your players to the top of the stairs, you'll be able to go on to confront Gorza.
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To move your players:
Use all eight positions on the ARROW CONTROLLER.
To shoot ghosts with your Super Ion Beam:
Congratulations! You've made it to the last leg of the job. Now all you have to do is destroy Gorza. Which is easier said than done. Here's how to do it:
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In each of the above sections of the game, the rules for ending the game are a little different.
In the 1st Part – The game is over when the PK ENERGY METER turns red and you don't have more than $10,000 in your account.
In the 2nd Part – The game is over when two ghostbusters have been touched by the Marshmallow Man.
In the 3rd Part – The game is over when three ghostbusters are touched by ROAMERS or SLIMERS or hit by flying plates.
In the 4th Part – the game is over when all three ghostbusters have been killed. This can happen in any of the following ways:
In GHOSTBUSTERS, your "score" is added to – or subtracted from – your bank account. Here's how it works:
Money added to your account:
Money subtracted from your account:
(See Car and Equipment, page 8.)
See the main page for Ghostbusters