Ghostbusters II (1990). Play online

Summary

Ghostbusters II landed on the NES in April 1990, a side‑scrolling action game built by Imagineering and shipped by Activision for the U.S. market. The game drops you into gritty New York streets where you must dodge giant spiders and lurking ghosts in a sewerscape, then hop into the Ectomobile to barrel through traffic while blasting apparitions. Occasionally you switch to the Statue of Liberty, using its torch to clear waves of enemies. The varied level design was intended to capture the film’s chaotic energy, but the visuals feel flat even by 8‑bit standards.

Critical response was tepid: AllGame gave it a 1.5/5 and cited poor graphics, while Electronic Gaming Monthly called the gameplay inadequate. Mean Machines admired the variety but warned of the lack of originality, and even the soundtrack only saves the title with an authentic Ghostbusters theme. In Europe and Japan, HAL Laboratory issued its own unrelated version titled New Ghostbusters II. Despite its flaws, the NES release remains a quirky footnote for fans of the franchise.

Storyline

Ghostbusters II on the NES builds toward a showdown in its final level, where the player must confront Vigo the Carpathian. Defeating this iconic villain brings the game to its conclusion.