Ghostbusters (1984 video game)

Last updated
Ghostbusters
Gb box cover.jpg
Developer(s) Activision
James Software (CPC, ZX)
Bits Laboratory (NES)
Compile (Master System)
Publisher(s) Activision
Tokuma Shoten (Famicom)
Sega (Master System)
Designer(s) David Crane
Programmer(s) Adam Bellin (C64)
Robert McNally (Apple)
Glyn Anderson (Atari 8-bit)
Robert Rutkowski (MSX, PCjr/Tandy)
Dan Kitchen (2600)
Composer(s) Russell Lieblich (C64, Apple)
Tadashi Sou (NES)
Tohru Nakabayashi (Master System)
Series Ghostbusters
Platform(s)
Commodore 64
Release
October 26, 1984
  • Commodore 64
    • NA: October 26, 1984 [1]
    • EU: Late 1984
    ZX Spectrum
    • EU: Late 1984
    MSX
    Late 1984
    Apple II
    Atari 8-bit
    PCjr/Tandy 1000
    • NA: August 23, 1985 [3]
    Atari 2600
    Amstrad CPC
    NES/Famicom
    • JP: September 22, 1986
    • NA: October 1988
    Master System
    • NA: May 1987
    • PAL: October 1989
Genre(s) Action
Mode(s) Single-player

Ghostbusters is a licensed game by Activision based on the film of the same name. It was designed by David Crane and released for several home computer platforms in 1984, and later for video game console systems, including the Atari 2600, Master System and Nintendo Entertainment System. The primary target was the Commodore 64 and the programmer for the initial version of the game was Adam Bellin. All versions of the game were released in the USA except for the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions, which were released only in Europe, and the MSX version, which was released only in Europe, South America, and Japan.

Contents

In 1984, after the film Ghostbusters had been launched, John Dolgen VP of Business Development at Columbia Pictures approached Activision International president Gregory Fischbach and offered to license the game rights to Activision without specific rules or requests for the design or content of the game, only stipulating that it was to be finished as quickly as possible in order to be released while the movie was at peak popularity. Activision was forced to complete the programming work in only six weeks in contrast to their usual several months of development time for a game. Activision had at the time a rough concept for a driving/maze game to be called "Car Wars", and it was decided to build the Ghostbusters game from it. Both the movie and the game proved to be huge successes [4] with the game selling over two million copies by 1989. [5]

Gameplay

The city grid (C64) C64 Ghostbusters.png
The city grid (C64)

The player sets up a Ghostbusters franchise in a city whose psychokinetic (PK) energy levels have begun to rise. At the start of the game, the player is given a set amount of money and must use it to buy a vehicle and equipment for detecting and catching ghosts. They must then move through a grid representing the city, with flashing red blocks indicating sites of ghost activity.

When the player moves to a flashing block, the game shifts to an overhead street view and they must drive to the site, attempting to vacuum up stray ghosts if the vehicle is equipped to do so. Upon reaching the site, the player must maneuver two Ghostbusters to guide a Slimer ghost into position to be drawn into a trap. Successfully doing so awards money, but each failure causes the PK energy level to jump and incapacitates one of the player's three team member characters.

The player must return to the Ghostbusters headquarters at intervals to empty the traps and/or revive any incapacitated team members. As the game progresses, the player must also keep free-roaming ghosts from reaching the temple of Zuul for as long as possible; each one that does so adds to the PK energy level. The ghosts occasionally merge to form the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, who will attempt to trample a city block. Stopping such an attack earns a bonus, but each failure to do so deducts money.

If the player has not earned more money than the total spent on equipment when the PK energy level reaches its maximum of 9999, the game ends immediately. Otherwise, the player must guide at least two Ghostbusters past Mr. Stay Puft in order to destroy the temple of Zuul. The game ends afterward, with the player earning a reward if successful.

The player is given an account number upon successfully completing the game. Entering this number at the initial screen allows the player to start a New Game Plus with the cash balance from the end of the previous game, enabling the purchase of more expensive equipment.

Development

Prior to Ghostbusters, David Crane was one of the co-founders of Activision, and became a star at the company with games like Pitfall! . [6] The film was still in production when game development began. [6] Tom Lopez, the Vice President of Activision's product development acquired the license for Ghostbusters to adapt into a game. [7] [8] Lopez went to the game design group[ specify ] saying the game would have to be made in six weeks, opposed to the normal nine months. [8]

Crane had been building his own game titled Car Wars which already featured resource-allocation segments where players could buy different armaments' for their cars based on money the earned on levels. Columbia Pictures had no specific suggestion of what the game should be, but provided the film's script and some story boards. [8] Crane applied content from the film into the game, replacing guns, missiles and rocket launchers with more appropriate weapons that the Ghostbusters would use. [8]

Unlike Crane's earlier games which were predominantly developed by himself, Ghostbusters was made by a larger game design team, including game art made by Hilary Mills, sound effects and music by Russell Lieblich, and an intro sequence developed by Garry Kitchen, Dan Kitchen and Alex Demeo of Activision's East coast division. [6] Crane would later explain that his philosophy on creating a game on a licensed property was a game that would work within the theme of the license and to avoid making a game that borrows the look and feel of the original work, and thus applied this to turning Car Wars into Ghostbusters. [8]

The next weeks had the team working around the clock. [8] Graphics in the game were developed by character artist Hillary Mills after Crane suggested he needed a variety of images, from animals, insects and treasures, and it took a long time to get ghosts that properly resembled ghosts on an 8-bit system. [9] Midway through development, Crane felt it was important to add digitized speech to the game and decided to add quotes from the film together with a crowd chanting "Ghostbusters!" to capture the spirit of the film. [10] Crane does not recall who did the digitized voice in the Ghostbusters game, but had vague memories of walking down the hall from his office getting five or six people to all yell "Ghostbusters!" [11] The music in the game was developed by Russell Lieblich, based on Ray Parker, Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" theme, and is accompanied by the lyrics to the song in the game. Crane passed the task of creating a bouncing ball sing-a-long to Garry Kitchen and his game designers, which was added to the game at the very last minute. [9] [12] Crane also wanted to have a different victory screen. Crane said "I expected players to be disappointed with it. Sadly, to really beef that one sequence would have taken memory and artists time away from the main game." [9] The game initially was going to have more elements such as when capturing ghosts, different enemies would show up with different solutions on how to deal with them. The game would also have had more accessories for the vehicle. [12]

Crane recalled that it would have been a better game with more development time, but also that it would then not have been such a financial success. Crane spent most of the time ensuring the game had a proper beginning, middle and end and, during final development, predominantly focused on fixing bugs. Crane said, as he does with all his games, he "spent every hour that the schedule allowed tweaking the game, and it came out OK in the end. I could have done a lot more, but in the final analysis it seems to have been enough." [13]

Ports

In 1985, the game was ported to various other systems with little input from Crane. He stated that "By the time a game is being ported to other platforms, the designer of the original game has long since moved on to another original project. This is exactly what happened with Ghostbusters." [8] In 1985, versions for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Atari 2600, and Atari 8-bit computers [14] were released. [8] In a retrospective overview of Edge , the publication stated that most ports had a "patchy nature". [15] Certain elements of the game are lost in later ports while others add elements. These include the Master System version which adds on-foot shooting gallery sequences and loses some animations, while the Nintendo Entertainment System version had a different ending and was described by Edge as having "graphics so primitive it becomes hard to follow most of what's going on." [15]

Reception

Critical response

Antic in May 1985 called Ghostbusters for Atari 8-bit fun to play, describing it as the first adaptation to capture the feel and theme of the movie on which it is based. [24] Ahoy! stated that the Commodore 64 version "incorporates a surprising number of elements" from the film, with audio even better than the "excellent visuals". [25]

From retrospective reviews, Edge in 2007 called Ghostbusters "dauntingly good", noting that despite the action sequences expected of a licensed title, the game was a "polished, intelligently-paced strategic business simulation". [26] Retro Gamer discussed the original game stating that it remained "an enjoyable (if aged) title to play." [12]

Reflecting on the game in 2006, Crane said "The game was a good one, but not my best work ever." [12] Ghostbusters actor Ernie Hudson said that his kids hated the Commodore 64 version of the game, believing that it "sucked." [27] The NES port and its gameplay were negatively received. [28]

Sales

Mat Allen of Retro Gamer described Ghostbusters as a massive financial success on the Commodore 64. [29] Ghostbusters topped the monthly UK software sales charts for three months in early 1985, from January to March. [30] [31] [32] Released before the film in the UK, [33] it went on to be the UK's fourth best-selling home video game of 1985. [34]

In 1985, it and The Print Shop were reportedly the two most widely pirated Commodore 64 programs. [35] In II Computing, Michael Ciraolo applied Billboard's charts and the market share of certain computers to compile the most Apple II games by October 1985. Ghostbusters placed at 8th. [36] By late 1987, it was still Activision's best-selling Commodore game. [37]

The Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions of the game were included on the 1986 compilation They Sold a Million 3, [38] [39] along with Fighter Pilot, Rambo and Kung-Fu Master . The game was also released on The Story So Far Volume IV in December 1989. It knocked Daley Thompson's Decathlon from the top of the UK sales chart. [40]

In 1988, Mastertronic re-released the Amstrad, Commodore, Spectrum and Atari computer versions of Ghostbusters on their Ricochet label and it went on to become their most successful budget re-release, selling over 450,000 copies. [41]

Legacy

Several film and television licensed games came out for the Commodore 64 following the release of Ghostbusters. A retrospective review noted releases like Street Hawk, Knight Rider, Highlander and Miami Vice were described by Retro Gamer as "cynical cash-ins" having little to do with their respective shows. [42] [7] Crane commented on this stating there is usually no interest in licensing a film until the film itself would generate some actual excitement, and once the film releases, its excitement can only last so long and the all these tasks have to be fit into a compressed schedule, in which a game's programming and design suffers. [7]


Related Research Articles

Andrew Nicholas Oliver and Philip Edward Oliver, together known as the Oliver Twins, are British twin brothers and video game designers.

<i>The Way of the Exploding Fist</i> 1985 video game

The Way of the Exploding Fist is a 1985 fighting game based on Japanese martial arts developed by Beam Software, by a team consisting of Gregg Barnett, Bruce Bayley, Neil Brennan and David Johnston. Originally developed on the Commodore 64 and published in June 1985 by Melbourne House, ports were made for Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Commodore 16.

<i>Rescue on Fractalus!</i> 1985 computer game

Rescue On Fractalus! is a space combat simulator video game created by Lucasfilm Games. It was originally released in 1985 for the Atari 8-bit computers and Atari 5200 console, then ported to the Apple II, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Tandy Color Computer 3, and Commodore 64. The player flies a space fighter near the surface of a planet, with the goal of rescuing downed pilots. The terrain is generated via fractals, from which the eponymous planet and game title are taken.

<i>Little Computer People</i> 1985 video game

Little Computer People, also called House-on-a-Disk, is a social simulation game released in 1985 by Activision for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Apple II. An Amiga version was released in 1987. Two Japanese versions were also released in 1987, a Family Computer Disk System version, published in Japan by Disk Original Group (DOG) a subsidiary of Square, and a PC-8801 version.

<i>Ballblazer</i> 1985 video game

Ballblazer is a futuristic sports game created by Lucasfilm Games and published in 1985 by Epyx. Along with Rescue on Fractalus!, it was one of the initial pair of releases from Lucasfilm Games, Ballblazer was developed and first published for the Atari 8-bit computers. The principal creator and programmer was David Levine. The game was called Ballblaster during development; some pirated versions bear this name.

<i>Summer Games</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Summer Games is a sports video game developed and published by Epyx based on sports from the Summer Olympic Games. Released in 1984 for the Commodore 64, it was ported to the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit computers, and Master System.

<i>Pitfall II: Lost Caverns</i> 1984 video game

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns is a video game developed by David Crane for the Atari 2600. It was released in 1984 by Activision. The player controls Pitfall Harry, who must explore in wilds of Peru to find the Raj Diamond, and rescue his niece Rhonda and their animal friend Quickclaw. The game world is populated by enemies and hazards that variously cause the player to lose points and return to a checkpoint.

<i>Cauldron</i> (video game) 1985 video game

Cauldron is a video game developed and published by British developer Palace Software in 1985 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC home computers. It contains both platform game and horizontally scrolling shooter sections. Players control a witch who aims to become the "Witch Queen" by defeating an enemy called the "Pumpking".

<i>Spindizzy</i> 1986 video game

Spindizzy is an isometric video game released for several 8-bit home computers in 1986 by Electric Dreams Software. It combines action and puzzle video game elements. Players must navigate a series of screens to explore a landscape suspended in a three-dimensional space. Development was headed by Paul Shirley, who drew inspiration from Ultimate Play the Game games that feature an isometric projection.

David Lowe, also known as "Uncle Art", is a British composer known for his work on computer games from 1985 to 1998.

<i>Bruce Lee</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Bruce Lee is a platform game written by Ron J. Fortier for Atari 8-bit computers and published in 1984 by Datasoft. The graphics are by Kelly Day and music by John A. Fitzpatrick. The player takes the role of Bruce Lee, while a second player controls either Yamo or alternates with player one for control of Bruce Lee.

<i>Rambo</i> (1985 video game) 1985 video game

Rambo is a 1985 video game based on the film Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). The game was designed by David Collier and Tony Pomfret with the ZX Spectrum version converted by Platinum Productions.

<i>Superman: The Game</i> 1985 video game

Superman: The Game is a 1985 video game designed by Fernando Herrera and published in the US by First Star Software for the Commodore 64. For European release, Superman was ported the Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit computers, BBC Micro, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Jack the Nipper</i> 1986 video game

Jack the Nipper is a video game by Gremlin Graphics released in 1986 for ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and MSX. It was followed by a sequel, Jack the Nipper II: In Coconut Capers.

<i>Grand Prix Simulator</i> 1987 video game

Grand Prix Simulator is a racing game developed by The Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and Atari 8-bit computers. The ZX Spectrum conversion was done by Serge Dosang. The game was endorsed by Ayrton Senna's 1986 Formula One teammate Johnny Dumfries.

<i>The Real Ghostbusters</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

The Real Ghostbusters is a 1987 shoot 'em up arcade game developed and published by Data East. It is loosely based on Ghostbusters. In Japan, Data East released it as a non-Ghostbusters arcade game under the title Meikyuu Hunter G. In 1989, Activision published The Real Ghostbusters for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OCP Art Studio</span>

OCP Art Studio or Art Studio was a popular bitmap graphics editor for home computers released in 1985, created by Oxford Computer Publishing and written by James Hutchby.

<i>Ghostbusters II</i> (computer video game) 1989 video game

Ghostbusters II is a 1989 action game based on the film of the same name. It was published by Activision for various computer platforms. British studio Foursfield developed a version for Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum, which also got ported to the MSX by New Frontier. It features three levels based on scenes from the film. Dynamix developed a separate version for the DOS, also based on the film. The non-DOS versions were praised for the graphics and audio, but criticized for long loading times, disk swapping, and the final level. The DOS, Commodore 64 and Amiga versions were the only versions released in North America.

References

  1. ↑ "Ghostbusters (Registration Number PA0000290824)". United States Copyright Office . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "1985 Index" (PDF). Computer Entertainer . Vol. 4, no. 10. January 1986. p. 6.
  3. ↑ "Ghostbusters (Registration Number PA0000278161)". United States Copyright Office . Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ↑ "Richard Camfield - Retro Gamer". Retrogamer.net. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Advokat, Stephen (August 31, 1989). "Movies hit a smaller screen". Detroit Free Press . p. 19. Retrieved October 25, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 Mott 2007, p. 102.
  7. 1 2 3 Retro Gamer 2006, p. 57.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Retro Gamer 2006, p. 58.
  9. 1 2 3 Retro Gamer 2006, p. 60.
  10. ↑ Retro Gamer 2006, p. 59.
  11. ↑ Retro Gamer 2014, p. 63.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Retro Gamer 2006, p. 61.
  13. ↑ Retro Gamer 2006, pp. 58–59.
  14. ↑ Bernstein, Harvey (1985-05-01). "Product Reviews: Ghostbusters". Antic . Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  15. 1 2 Mott 2007, p. 103.
  16. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  17. 1 2 "Complete Games Guide" (PDF). Computer and Video Games (Complete Guide to Consoles): 46–77. 16 October 1989.
  18. ↑ "Software Reviews: Ghostbusters". Computer & Video Games . No. 42 (April 1985). 16 March 1985. pp. 29–35 (31). Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Ghostbusters". Ysrnry.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  21. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  22. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  23. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  24. ↑ Bernstein, Harvey (May 1985). "Ghostbusters". Antic. p. 81. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  25. ↑ Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (April 1986). "Think Fast! Action-Strategy Games for the Commodore 64". Ahoy!. pp. 41–45. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  26. ↑ Mott 2007, p. 101.
  27. ↑ Ellie Gibson (10 July 2008). "Eurogamer: Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson Interview". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  28. ↑ "Fan-made Hack Remasters and Improves Original NES 'Ghostbusters' Game". 9 January 2020.
  29. ↑ Allen 2006, p. 37.
  30. ↑ "Software Top 30". Commodore User . No. 17. February 1985. p. 15.
  31. ↑ "The Software Top 20: General Chart". Commodore User . No. 19. April 1985. p. 48.
  32. ↑ "Gallup Chart". Computer Gamer . No. 1. United Kingdom: Argus Press. April 1985. p. 14.
  33. ↑ "I'm Afraid of No Ghosts..." Crash. Christmas Special 1984/85. No. 12. 13 December 1984.
  34. ↑ "News Desk: Exploding Fist tops Gallup 1985 charts". Popular Computing Weekly . 20 March 1986. p. 4.
  35. ↑ Peterson, Cheryl (August 1985). "Editorial". Ahoy!. p. 5. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  36. ↑ Ciraolo 1985, p. 51.
  37. ↑ Ferrell, Keith (December 1987). "The Commodore Games That Live On And On". Compute's Gazette. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  38. ↑ "They Sold a Million 3". Spectrum Computing. Retrieved 2023-06-16.
  39. ↑ "They Sold a Million 3 for Amstrad CPC (1986) - MobyGames". MobyGames. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  40. ↑ "World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer". Worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  41. ↑ Anthony Guter. "Mastertronic Style". www.guter.org. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  42. ↑ Retro Gamer 2006, p. 56.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.