Trivia
Development
From
Brad Fregger, Producer of
Ghostbusters:
The game developers at Activision would often take the afternoon off to see a new movie that was exciting to us. One day we all decided to see Ghostbusters on the opening day. After the movie David Crane (Pitfall and Pitfall II) announced that he was going to do the game. As a founder of Activision, he had the power to get the wheels in motion and within a week we we're beginning development.
Crane had already been working on what would become the game, and made a beta version with the driving and franchising elements, but it wasn't until getting the
Ghostbusters license that he had a setting for those game elements.
The title screen sing-a-long feature of the computer version was not added until the week before the game was finished.
License
Like the cartoon based on the movies, Activision was not allowed to use the likeness of the actors that performed in the movie.
Music
The game title music and speech based on the original theme music from the movie written by
Ray Parker Jr.
NES version
The NES version of the game differs in a few ways from its computer counterparts. First, the driving sequences feature a "zoomed out" perspective, meaning that the Ghostbusters car is smaller on the screen and that there is more road to manuver over. Also, gone is the ability to purchase different vehicles (which was in all versions of the game). By contrast, there are more items to buy and equip from the shop than other versions. Finally, the NES version features a unique Temple of Zuul sequence at the end of the game where the Ghostbusters must slowly climb the stairwell of the building to the rooftop, avoiding the touch of enemy ghosts that fly around.
Winston Zeddmore
Interestingly, the game does not portray, or even reference, Winston Zeddmore – Ernie Hudson's character in the film, and the sole black Ghostbuster. He does later appear in the game version of
Ghostbusters II.
Awards
- Happy Computer
- Issue 02/1986 - #4 Best Game in 1985 (Readers' Vote)
Information also contributed by
BurningStickMan,
Garcia,
Scott Monster and
WildKard
