I have fond memories of hours spent playing Activision’s 8-bit, movie-inspired title Ghostbusters on my Apple II as a kid. Some of you out there surely share these fond memories. And so, it was with high hopes that I awaited the release of Ghostbusters for the iPhone after Sony Pictures Television’s announcement of the forthcoming game early this year. The game has arrived and, as my earlier post indicated, it has slimed the App Store.
But sadly, not in a good way.
Ghostbusters for the iPhone sounded pretty meaty. As we posted back in March, Sony indicated an iPhone version of the game was on the way, alongside the the X360 / PS3 / Wii release, and that it would feature a storyline written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and would effectively serve as the third installment of the big-screen ghost-hunting story, according to Aykroyd. Voice roles from most of the movie actors were promised, as well.
This appealing description may apply to the home console version of the game (which I’ve spent no time with), but it definitely does not apply to Ghostbusters for the iPhone, which is a port of the mobile version.
In short, Ghostbusters for the iPhone is basically Magnetic Joe 2 [App Store], but with lesser graphics and choppier animation. Though it does feature a dash of Ray Parker Jr….
The goal of the game is to use your proton packs to move a ghost through various mazes from start to finish, ultimately trapping it in the ghost trap at level’s end. The game features all five NY boroughs and three play modes that are unlocked based on skill: Adventure (standard play), Time Attack, and Ghost Fever (limited ammo), as well as a novelty collect-the-Ghost-Cards mechanic. The player must avoid slime covered walls and pedestrians to prevent the ghosts from taking over the city.
If you have an ’80s Ghostbuster poster framed in gold on your wall, you might enjoy the home console version, but even the most diehard fan will be haunted (in a bad way) by this release. Spectral goodness, this is not.
App Store Link: Ghostbusters, $4.99
