Gamer's Review of Ghostbusters: The Video Game For DS

I don't know really what to say here. The beginning of Ghostbusters the video game is by far the most confusing I've ever encountered. I still don't get what happens. As far as I can tell, you just play as the different ghostbusters (you can switch between them, but you aren't the new guy or anything) and you drive around New York City solving ghost missions. Most of the places you visit in Ghostbusters the video game are just rehashes from the movies. Sure that could be fun to play, if it made sense and the gameplay was good. Unfortunately, neither of those are the case. So, it's actually hard to say what the story line really is here, I would guess at just being a Ghostbuster and solving "ghastly" crimes.

In Ghostbusters: The Video Game for the DS, you are the Ghostbusters who must save the city from all manner of restless spirits. You have a mission list you follow, and each mission must be completed so you can gain money to buy better ghost hunting equipment. The ghostbusters headquarters is where all the research and development takes place, but you've got to drive around the city in Ghostbusters: The Video Game to get to the mission locations.

This is where things start to suck. The game times you to get to missions. Yeah, you have to drive the Ecto, which controls like a whale with wheels (even in a video game), to the mission setting in less than 2 minutes most of the time. Oh, and Ghostbusters: the Video Game also doesn't do a very good job of letting you know where the mission even is. Sure, there is a little red exclamation mark on the map, but it's usually so small and far away it's hard to tell if you are going in the right direction. Plus, the map in Ghostbusters: The Video Game is confusing and many of the roads either dead end or don't let you cross over the barriers, making it difficult to even get to a mission on time.

If you finally make it, you are left with vague mission objectives and glitchy controls. Half the time Ghostbusters: the Video Game didn't tell me what I was supposed to be doing, and even when I did it, nothing happened. I don't know how anyone can play a game with so many bugs. The point of each mission is really just to help people and catch ghosts, both of which aren't difficult. But the Ghostbusters get injured by flying objects and knocked down more than someone playing dodge ball that it makes ti hard to even hit a ghost. This isn't a challenge, it's just annoying.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game actually looks really good. The 3D rendering is really great for the DS version. Some objects are a little blocky and fuzzy, but all in all it is mapped well and looks great, albeit more cartoonish than the other Ghostbusters: the Video Game on some of the other consoles.

Sound-wise Ghostbusters: the Video Game is okay. The music while hunting and in headquarters is quirky and fun, which I suppose is meant to mirror the game. There is no voice acting though, and the Ghostbusters theme song plays every time you drive anywhere, which can get irritating, but at least you can turn it off.

Is Ghostbusters: the Video Game for the Nintendo DS fun? Not really. I was more perpetually annoyed as I played through it, and that's unfortunate. I did like the movies, but the DS version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game does not live up to either of them. Nor does it live up to it's brother games on other consoles, as they are all really well done and fun to play. It is a pale excuse to get more money out of the public.

If you must have Ghostbusters: The Video Game, get it on a different system, such as the PS2, PS3, or Xbox 360. Don't waste your money on this drivel. It's full of bugs, hard to control and understand and all around just a not very good game.