Top 10 Missed Oppertunities of Awesome in Ghostbusters: The Game.

Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTRS! Yes like anyone else who has half a mind and has seen it, I love Ghostbusters. It showed taught us about paranormal activities, showed us the brilliance of it's writers, and taught us that Evil Marshmellow's are cool. I even like the second film which is widley considered inferior but only because it rehashed all the original plot points but was otherwie an alright film, but admittedly such a thing does entail a lot of problems and DAMN I just wrote a lot.

Anywho, likemany other people, I was excited by the announcement of a Ghostbusters game, featuring three quarters of the original cast. However, it seemed like the sort of thing that would be stuck in developement forever. Fortunatley it turns out I'm just impatient an lo and behold we were given Ghostbusters the Video Game, and it kicked ass. Unfortunatley it wasn't perfect, but this isn't actualy a review so I won't discuss the bad things. Instead I'll tell you what could have been. While playing through the game again, I noticed that there were a lot of oppertunities that weren't taken, and I realsed that the game has probably more than any I can really think of. So, here we have my Top Ten Missed Oppertunities of Awesome in Ghistbusters the Game.
Oh, and just to mention, these may not be in any rea order unti towards the end, I'm not too good with that aspect.



10. Too Short.
One of the more common complaints about the game. It's annoying really. The Game is so freaking awesome that you want to keep playing, you want to hear more of the GB's chatter and you want to catch more ghosts, but before you know it, the game's over. Tragic I tell you. I suppose one could argue that they didn't want to fill the game up with padding, but you know what? I'd be fine with that? Pretty much my favorite parts of the game are when you forget that there's an ongoing plot and just go after a particulerly interestinf ghost. The best examples of which would probably be Pappy Sagrassi, Chef DeForrest, Slimer (of course) and the Civil War Ghosts. You forget your overall objective and just have fun, almostas if your just playing a game aboutdoing your job as a Ghostbuster. Well, considering how often they fight gods and go through this sort of thing, I guess you could say it is anyway.

On the note of length, I think I should bring up the Parade level which was cut from the game. My guess is that it would include a parade...and ghosts.

9. More Janine.
Where would the Ghostbusters be without Janine Melnitz? Probably out of work because you sort of need someone to keep track of things like phone calls and finance. Janine is an odd case for some. While the films gave us Sigourney Weaver, many wre more interested in the deadpan secretary played by Annie Potts. But that's ainly because she's funny. It really makes you wonder, as she's the first character in the films to not think the GB's are nuts, though it could be argued that she got the job because of her attraction to Egon. Still, they catch ghosts...but I guess it is New York, and a job is a job.
Anyway, Ms. Potts returns for the game and is kind enough to give us some hilarious dialogue. For example, "Hello, Ghostbusters, how can we help you? What? No, we do not ressurect dead family members so you can ask them the combination to the family vault. Yeah, well same to you pal." FUNNY! Mainly she sits at her desks and answers calls, but makes a few appearances in the cutscenes. Unfortunatley unlike some games, she has like one unique line per level and will just repeate stuff like, "No, that's a soon as we're open," or "I don't think so." What this game needs is more hilarious Janine dialogue and maybe some more in game appearance. In fact I'd say the most obvious idea would be to have her interview the Rookie (The Player) at the start. I cannot be the only one thinking that!

8 Containment View.
As with all other versions of the series, we see the Ghost Containment Vault, though it only really comes up like twice and even then it's not important. But one particuler note is when Slimer escapes in the first level. He apparently has been attracted to it since they installed a new view screen for them. That sounds cool, what's it look like? I don't know. I don't think they do either, cos as far as I can tell there isn't one, and it was just an excuse to have Slimer stand there and not notice you.
A shame really, I'd have liked to has seen all the ghosts I captured, and maybe even see some shout outs to The Real Ghostbusters, cos as far as I'm aware we didn't get too many of those. Then again I've only seen two episodes of that show, and I didn't finish the second one, and I only say them because they were on the DVD.

7. Stay Puft Fight.
Not really sure if this one actually counts, but I can't say the Stay Puft Level was as good as it could have been. By no means did I not enjoy i, but there were a few things that were a bit iffy, the only one of which really worth mentioning is the final fight with 'Tubby Softsqueeze.' You hang from the side of the building shooting at him as he climbs towards you, occasionally spitting marshmellow goo at you, sending angry minions at you and distracting the player by making them hungry. I think I'd have enjoyed the fight a bit more if it were all five Ghostbustrs shooting at him as we ran through the streets desperatlet trying not to be smushed. Also, he seems shorter up close.

6. Five on Five.
The game consantly gives excuses as to why the whole team can't come out and kick ass. They save that for the last level. But it ets quite grating at times, especially when you know that this whole fight would go by without a hitch if Ray would just get out of the car! This isn't too bad of a problem, but it's at its worst when they are togethor and then suddenly find some reason to leave you with just two of them.

5. Ecto-1.
While the Ecto-1 does look silly and is nowhere near as awesome as the Batmobile, like Arkham Asylum you will look at the Ghostbuster's car and be mighty pissed that you never get to take the wheel. Admittedly this would entail much other than ramming the big monsters (there's a surprising number of things you don't catch in this game), and since it's not a sandbox game you wouldn't really be able o do much anyway, but you still feel like you're missing out. On the note of the Ecto-1, what about the Super Slammer? You get to use it in one level and it never comes up agin

4. The Missing Cast.
We get a return from Walter Peck and possibly the Hotel Manager (if not the voice is pretty damn close) but you'll notice a lack of Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver. Well, as for Rick, he dosn' do acting any more. A while ago his wife died and he has kids, so he decided his family was more important than his acting. I think he released a comedy album. Weaver, I think she just didn't want to come bak to the role, I guess that's understandable, seeing how it would seem that theyhad a hard time keeping Bill Murray in the studio (you'll notice some of his pre recorded lines are repeated at a few points). However, this brings up the question of, what about Oscar? You know, Dana's son? Weren't you technically his father now Venkman? She seems to have been put on a bus, but they try to ignore the subject. I'd have liked it if Rick showed up, then we could've have him as a sixth GB like in the second film.

3. Ghost Invasion.
Towards the end of the game, the Containment Unit is sabotaged and the ghosts escape (AGAIN!) and the Big Bad begins growing in power due to absorbing the energy. The GB's decide to take caution in this mission because all them ghosts they captured? They're gonna be pissd. The energy emmitted is enough to make Central Park 'mutate' into a massive cemetary. This is kinda cool, and while I was overwhelmed a few times, I have to ask, where did all those ghosts go? It's sort of been suggested that Big Bad, for the lack of a better word, eats them, but what could have made a really cool level? Central park full of ghosts, five ghostbustrs, kicking ass. While not the worst Missed Oppertunity, it is the second most glaring. And unlike the movies we don't even get a montage of ghostly mayhem. The closest thing you'll get to this is the Civil War Ghost Fight, but not quite.

2. The Theme Song.
In total I'd say the song comes up three times in the entire game. One at the start, once at the end, and whenever you die. This is a gross underuse of one of histories greatest theme songs. As my friend random_fan puts it, the entire soundtrack should be replaced with the song on a constant loop. There's moments when you really know they should bring it out, but they never do? Do you want to keep the mood? I can respect that, but there's so many times you can do it, just play th damn song! Pretty much the best time would be the final boss. Or any boss for that matter. Admittedly the final boss might not be the best choice because it's kind of slow, but you just need to find the right time to start it. Open fire on those first few chords and you've got a Crowning Moment of Awesome right there.

1. Shooting Walter Peck.
Admit it, you wanted to do this SOOOOOOO bad.

Well, that's my list, and this is ThatKidWithTheSideburns, Sideburing off.