Ghostbusters (NES)

Ghostbusters
Developer: Bits Laboratory Publishers: Tokuma Shoten (JP), Activision (US) Platform: NES Released in JP: September 22, 1986 Released in US: October 1988 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article

An appalling conversion of the computer game, the NES Ghostbusters is notorious for its poor presentation, badly-designed mechanics, areas that weren't an issue in the other ports, and a super-hard and grueling staircase sequence which prevents almost all players from reaching the final boss fight and finishing the game.

At least it has a pretty okay rendition of the Ghostbusters theme. Too bad it plays throughout the entire game.

GHESTBUSTRES!

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Unused Graphics

While the third item in this picture is unused, the first two do appear in the game, but only for 2 frames. They can appear inside random doors of the Zuul Building, accompanied by the "gas filling up" sound effect when you collect them. The "P" gives you 1 more hit point, while the second icon gives you 3 more. The second icon resembles the Tokuma Soft logo seen on the Famicom version's manual, but it only appears as one half in the game, so it was probably meant to be mirrored.

Two sprites for a happy ghost, and what looks like a small flag with an "S", stored during the final boss. The palettes are unknown.

Unused	Used

If the two Ghostbusters cross the streams as they're trying to catch ghosts, then they will appear to explode... then immediately turn back to normal and walk away, unharmed. This is very likely a mistake, considering the "explosion" sprite is just the individual parts of the stream but miscolored, and there is an unused falling sprite directly below these tiles. This fallen sprite is probably what was supposed to be used.

Touching a ghost inside the Zuul Building will cause the Ghostbusters to fall, but that uses a different sprite. Touching a ghost on the outside streets does nothing.

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan	US

The Japanese version simply says "PUSH START BUTTON", while the US version replaces the text with "LICENSED BY NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC." The text even flashes.

Copyright Screen

Japan	US

• "INC." was added to the end of "COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES".
• The "CO.,LTD." text for the Tokuma Shoten copyright was kept on the same line in order to make room for additional copyrights to Activision and Nintendo of America. Strangely, the Family Computer is still mentioned in the US release.
• The Japanese version refers to the developer as "Workss", but the US version refers to them as "Bits". Additionally, the copyright year was updated.

Shop

Japan	US

The shop in the Japanese version is called "Shop Workss", in reference to the game's developer. This answers the AVGN's question of who is providing the Ghostbusters with their equipment - the game developers!

Ghost Alarm Resale Value

In the Japanese version, it's possible to earn enough money to enter the ZUUL Building early by buying and selling the Ghost Alarm over and over again as its purchase price is lower than its resale value. This oversight was fixed in the US version.

Missing Ending

The Japanese version doesn't show the ending and credits as a result of the wrong CHR-ROM page being loaded. Instead, beating the game produces a blank screen that lasts for about a minute, eventually followed by the text "りり" (riri) scrolling onto the middle of the screen.

Game Genie code PAXKKLAA will fix the ending:

This text is only slightly different from the US version's ending, with the latter correcting "grate" to "great". Still doesn't make it true, mind you...

Other Differences

• During the driving segments, the Japanese version has you avoiding two cars at a time, which was reduced to just one for the US release.