Published by
Activision, Inc.
Developed by
Activision, Inc.
Also For
Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MSX, NES, PC Booter, SEGA Master System
HEY! ANYBODY SEEN A GHOST?
Matter of fact, yes. Many, many ghosts are right now winging their way to
the infamous spook central. And only you can avert a disaster of biblical
proportions. To save the city you must make it to the top of the Temple of
Zuul. This can only be accomplished after you’ve caught many ghosts, earned
more money than you originally started with, and side-stepped constant
danger. Now go ahead. Show ’em how they do it downtown.
GHOSTBUSTERS FRANCHISE
To begin your Ghostbuster franchise, you will need to go through a series
of screens selecting the equipment for the franchise. When you leave the
Ghostbusters logo screen by pressing ENTER, you will enter the first
franchise selection screen. The computer will print out a message in
English, when it first stops, you should enter your name, last name first,
and press ENTER. The computer will then ask you in English if you have an
account.
If you have an account:
Enter the letter Y, and press ENTER. At this point the computer will ask
you what your account number is, and you should enter that number. The
computer will then go on to the vehicle selection screen, and the amount
you have in your account will be displayed in white numbers on the screen.
If you do not have an account:
Enter the letter N and press ENTER. At this point the computer gives you
$10,000 as a start-up account, and you proceed to the vehicle selection
screen.
GHOSTBUSTING VEHICLE SELECTION
You know are presented with the option of four different vehicles to use
during the game. You may either view any of the cars by pressing the space
bar on your Spectrum, pressing the number of the car you wish to view, and
pressing ENTER; or you may purchase any of the cars simply by pressing the
number of the car you choose, and pressing ENTER.
The four cars which are available are as follows:
1. The compact, with a cost of $2,000, carries five items of cargo and has
a top speed of 75 miles per hour.
2. The 1963 hearse costs $4,800, carries nine items of cargo, and has a
top speed of 90 miles per hour.
3. The station wagon costs $6,000, carries 11 items of cargo, and has a
top speed of 110 miles per hour.
4. The high performance car costs $15,000, carries seven items of cargo,
and has a top speed of 160 miles per hour.
When you have decided which car you want, and have purchased it, you will
move on to the equipment selection screens.
EQUIPMENT SELECTION SCREENS
Screen 1: Monitoring Equipment
In this screen, you can purchase the PK energy detector, image intensifier,
and marshmallow sensor. The amount of money you have remaining, after
purchasing your car, is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen
in white numbers. Each of the items on this screen has a cost displayed in
the right-hand column; as you purchase items, the cost of these items will
be deducted from the amount of money you had remaining.
Use the joystick to control the forklift and place the items you want in
your car. To move on to the next equipment screen, type the number 2.
Screen 2: Capture Equipment
The items which can be purchased from this screen are Ghost Bait, Traps,
and the Ghost Vacuum. NOTE THAT TRAPS ARE REQUIRED SO YOU MUST PURCHASE AT
LEAST ONE TRAP. The procedure for purchasing items from this screen is the
same as for the monitoring equipment screen. To move on to the final
equipment screen, type the number 3, and press ENTER.
Screen 3: Storage Equipment
On this screen you can purchase the portable laser confinement system at a
cost of $8,000. (Be sure you have enough cash remaining in order to buy
it!)
When you have purchased all the items you want for your franchise, type E
and you will go to the city map portion of the game.
BUILDING A FRANCHISE
Follow instructions on the screen to buy and outfit your vehicle; to pick
up and release supplies with the fork-lift, press the Joystick button.
Keep an eye on credit available (upper right corner).
PK ENERGY DETECTOR warns of on approaching ghost, called a “Slimer,” by
turning a building pink when you pass it.
IMAGE INTENSIFIER makes Slimers easier to see when you are trying to
catch them.
MARSHMALLOW SENSOR warns you of the impending approach of the dreaded
Marshmallow Man by turning a building white when you’re by it.
GHOST VACUUM sucks up itinerant ghouls (called “Roamers”) as you travel
the streets of the city.
GHOST TRAPS are what you use to catch and store Slimers. Each trap holds
one Slimer. Without them, you cannot earn money.
GHOST BAIT attracts Roamers, which periodically gather to form the
Marshmallow Man. Without BAIT you cannot stop him. (See IMPORTANT SAFETY
TIPS below.) You get five dollars of bait when purchased.
PORTABLE LASER CONFINEMENT SYSTEM stores ten Slimers in your vehicle.
Saves travel time back to GHQ for more traps.
MAP SCREEN
A map of the city appears, with Zuul’s horrible temple in the center and
GHQ at the bottom. Red flashing buildings indicate the presence of a
Slimer.
– Guide your vehicle to red flashing buildings leaving as short a trail as
possible to reach building. As you do this, freeze any Roamers that are
moving to Zuul by touching them.
– To position yourself at buildings directly above the street, push the
button.To position yourself at buildings below the street, pull back
Joystick and push the button.
THE STREETS
Steer the vehicle at passing Roamers (if you have frozen any) and push the
button to vacuum them up. This keeps them from getting to the Temple of
Zuul. The city’s PK energy reading jumps 100 for each Roamer that gets to
Zuul.
BUSTING GHOSTS
When you arrive at the site of the disturbance, take the following steps
with the Joystick:
– Direct the first Ghostbuster toward the center of the building and push
the button to deposit the trap. Then move him to the far left of the
screen, turn him towards the trap, and push the button again.
– The second Ghostbuster appears. Direct him to the far right of the
screen, turn him towards the trap, and push the button. Both Ghostbusters
will power on their negative ionizer backpacks.
– Move your Ghostbusters inward to trap the Slimer between the streams.
But do not-repeat, DO NOT-cross the streams.
– When you have the Slimer over the trap, push the button. The trap will
pull him in. (Be precise. If you miss, you know what will happen.)
– Every trapped Slimer increases your credit rating. The amount earned
depends on how quickly you respond. Your accumulated credit is shown on
the screen at all times.
IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS
– Hit the SPACE key during the game for a status report.
– Every escaped Slimer adds 300 to the city’s PK energy level.
– Beware that monolith of marshmallow monstrosity. When a MARSHMALLOW
ALERT flashes at the bottom of the screen, the Roamers will quickly run to
form him. You must immediately hit the “B” key on the keyboard to drop a
dollop of bait before he stomps any buildings.
END OF GAME: THE TEMPLE OF ZUUL
The game ends one of three ways:
1. The Gatekeeper and Keymaster join forces at the Temple of Zuul and you
have NOT earned more money than you originally started with.
2. Once the Gatekeeper and Keymaster have joined forces at Zuul, and you
DO have sufficient credit, you are not able to sneak two of your three
Ghostbusters into the entrance of Zuul.
3. You successfully reach the top of the Temple of Zuul by sneaking two
Ghostbusters into its entrance.
Review
What can you say its Ghostbusters one of the most iconic and great movies of the 80’s! I still watch this on Blu Ray and Ray Parkers Junior’s song brings back children’s parties from my childhood.
I thought with a hmmmm new Ghostbusters coming which I will avoid!!! I thought it would be nice to review the Spectrum version.
I remember this game loading up quickly of the cassette which is always popular for me at the time. What wowed me was the excellent speech in the game starting with “GHOSTBUSTERS!!!”
Then you are treated to a nice ditty of the Ray Parker Junior song; also other audio includes “he slimed me if you get attacked by slimer”.
Onto the game you start by selecting your vehicle from a choice of four vehicles and then you select your monitoring equipment, capturing equipment and storage equipment.
Then its onto the map screen and you will see flashing building indicating paranormal activity; so the move to the building and onto the streets to your deternation capturing ghost on your way with your vacumn.
Finally when you get to your destination the aim is to place your trap an 2 Ghosbusters either side of the ghost and the use your laser streams to draw them to the trap but be careful do not cross your streams. When the ghost is near the trap open it and capture it.
The aim is to clean up the city to try and stop Zuul coming!!!
This game is still good fun visuals are not amazing but game still great fun.