| Introduction
It's hard to believe that we're still getting games
based on a 20 year old movie, but we are. A few years
ago there were signs that we'd get a part three to the
spooky franchise but Colombia Pictures stepped in and
we ended up with last years rather forgettable Evolution.
Things have also changed a little since the movie and
besides the name changes (Ghostbusters,
The Real Ghostbusters, Extreme Ghostbusters) the animated
series also has some new characters, most notably Slimer is
now part of the team.
GamePlay
Anyone who's ever watched the cartoon will
be pretty familiar with the type of plot and the game
takes its inspiration directly from this. Dark forces,
led by the half-human/half-demon Count Mercharior, have
kidnapped Roland and Garett, two key members of your
team. Without losing a second it's up to Eduardo and
Kylie to rescue them and free the city of ghosts and
ghouls. This involves investigating various areas of
the city and locating the all important picture sections.
This is played out in the game in two different ways
- a platformer come shooter and a driving section.
The first part you'll encounter is the driving which
is how you'll travel between the various locations in
the game. This is presented as a 'top-down' racer so
shouldn't give anyone too much trouble. There's a timer
counting down but as long as you pick up the extra time
and avoid other cars you should be fine. Problems occur
later in the game as the roads become narrower and more
congested. There are also added challenges where, occasionally,
you'll have to choose the correct path as the other
leads to a dead end.
The platforming sections dominate most of the game
and are, without a doubt. the more entertaining. Challenges
involve shooting down various spooks whilst collecting
bonus items and there are also a number of puzzle based
elements. You can switch between your two main characters
and you will need to in order to succeed as they both
have very different skills. Due to the layout of the
areas you'll need to discover switches and moving platforms
not to mention a number of secret areas before you reach
your goal.
Controls
The control system is firmly on the arcade side of
things and as a result you'll be shooting down ghosts
in no time at all. Both characters have the usual run,
jump, shoot and bomb with the left shoulder button switching
between them and that's it. The driving sections are
even simpler using 'A' for gas and the 'D-Pad' for controlling
the car's steering. Overall this is a real 'pick up
and play' title for almost anyone with control system
instantly comfortable allowing the player to concentrate
on the gameplay.
Graphics
Developer Magic Pockets is well known for its rich,
detailed visuals and this title is no exception. Both
the platform and driving sections have a wonderful cartoon
feel to them and fans of the series will be delighted
with the recognizable characters and locations. In addition
the animation is fantastic and the main sprites are
fluid and incredibly maneuverable and it is all linked
together by some of the best cut screens I've seen on
a GBA game. They appear to have been lifted directly
from the animated series and then touched up for extra
clarity. This is how all GBA games should look especially
given the increased cost when compared to a GBC title.
Sound & Music
The audio is just as impressive as the visuals. Everything
starts with a suitably creepy soundtrack that plays
throughout the intro and various cut screens. The sound
effects are even better and both characters are accompanied
by echoing footsteps in addition to the sound of their
chosen weapons. The most inventive sounds though are
attached to the various ghouls that you'll encounter.
Here the developers seem to have had a field day inventing
interesting and bizarre noises.
Final Comments
Extreme Ghostbusters - ECTO-1 features everything
you require from a ghost busting title as you can drive
the ambulance and bust the ghosts without any of the
dreary paperwork. It's a very polished product where
everything, from sound and graphics to sprite detection
and level design, really is of the highest quality.
There are however some minor quibbles. The password
system can be problematic so you may end up replaying
stages unnecessarily, which can be very frustrating
and really shouldn't still be a gaming issue. It's also
a little too short; a few extra game modes (like doing
something with the all parts of the picture you've painstakingly
collected...) would have been very welcome. What we
have here though is quality (if not entirely original)
and as platformers go this really is one of the better
examples of how it should be done.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
