The Ghostbusters has been a prime piece of pop culture real estate for over 30 years. In the video game landscape there have been a few memorable and many forgettable titles.
In 1987 Data East released an arcade version called the Real Ghostbusters, named after the popular animated series. The game was tedious and difficult. It never saw a sequel but that didn’t stop audiences from wanting to try another Ghostbusters game. It also did not stop various studios from trying to get another Ghostbusters game off the ground. The developers at Terminal Reality and publisher Vivendi (Universal) had worked on a prototype during the Playstation 3 / Xbox 360 era. They even had a chance to show it to Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and bring them in for creative input. It bounced around for several years, several rebuilds and various revisions in what can only be called “development hell.” At one point the script of the game closely resembled the plot of the Ghostbuster III film. You can read all about it on the Wiki page.
On a completely unrelated note developer ZootFly had created a prototype game engine that they were trying to get used for the Ghostbuster 3 game. The beta footage hit the web and created a strong buzz with the community. There was a definite interest from the community and it urged Vivendi to move forward with their project: Eventually a version was decided on and Terminal Reality released Ghostbusters: The Video Game in 2009. It was scripted by Aykroyd and Ramis much to the delight of fans. It resembled the original film in tone and subject and had the player assume the role of a new recruit. A version with slightly different mechanics and game play was created by Red Fly Studios for the Nintendo Wii. Both versions of the game revolved around the movie personalities but the Wii version had models that looked more cartoonish and a spirit that was more in tune with the Real Ghostbusters cartoons. Of the two versions of the game Aykroyd was vocal in preferring the Wii version. The use of the Wiimote controller when aiming the proton pack made for a more authentic experience too.
In a month an entirely new Ghostbusters experience is coming out, not quite a game and not quite an attraction but something in between. The Void is setting up a Virtual Reality Ghostbusters experience called Ghostbusters Dimension in Madame Tussauds Museum in New York. They promise to give audiences the real deal, including the feeling of strapping on a proton pack and chasing down ghosts in a New York city apartment. Tickets are already on sale.
What is funny however is that earlier this year LEGO Dimensions released a Ghostbusters expansion pack. The LEGO Dimensions line is similar to the Skylanders, Nintendo Amiibos and Disney Infinity figures in that players can collect figures to use in the video games. Just remember Dimensions is the toy-based game and Dimension is the VR experience. If you are in New York this July be sure to give it a go. If it is a hit (and if the movie does well this summer) it will probably be brought consoles and the PC within a year. Expect Sony’s Playstation VR and Microsoft’s own VR or HoloLens technology to make clever use of the IP. Even if it doesn’t come home you might see a variation of this technology used in the Universal parks in the near future. The Men In Black and Buzz Lightyear shooting gallery rides better step aside.