Hack Showcase: Ghostbusters Special Edition (Genesis)

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Hack Showcases and RPG Hack Showcases are a series where I show off various game and rpg hacks. I try to stick with hacks that improve gameplay or add quality of life features, completely or partially change the plot and characters, along with additional content, dialogue, graphical and sound improvements. Non-rpgs I try to give a full run to, or at least enough for a solid review. Rpgs I will stick with titles that have enough changes in the beginning to show off, and when I can, show parts later in the games where more differences appear. There may be spoilers in the reviews and videos. Some of these I may stream fully in the future or play on my own. Reviews are open to later revisions due to bug and content updates or me playing them and finding anything new I wish to bring up.

Ghostbusters: Special Edition from BillyTime! Games finally adds Winston to this Genesis game! You can also use Louis Tully also and both characters are added to the game’s cutscenes! Other changes include changing the uniform color for your Ghostbusters, a SRAM feature along with a new harder Nightmare! mode to make the game harder. Another change to Ghostbusters in an additional patch is Ectoplasm mode that allows you to use various cheat functions in-game, but disables the SRAM feature. The built-in cheats (which some were restored from the Japanese edition of this game) for Ectoplasm mode are in a readme file included with the patches. Other changes include:

  • New Playable Character:

Winston Zeddemore (To select, press Right on Egon.)

  • Stamina: Normal
  • Speed: Normal
  • Unique Attribute: Increased Jump Height
  • Uniform Color Select
  • Press A,B or C for new costumes.
  • Five brand new color choices for a total of six!
  • New Cheat codes and Unlockables (Ectoplasm Patch Only)
  • Listed in separate readme file
  • Nightmare Mode Difficulty

Hold B upon booting up the game to receive the challenge and how to enter.

  • Lives are reduced to one. *Extra lives can be earned in this mode*
  • Reduced health cap
  • No Continues
  • No Cheats allowed
  • Saves are disabled
  • Soft Reset function
  • Press A+B+C+Start will return you to the Sega logo at anytime.
  • Coffee mugs take less damage to destroy. (Ectoplasm Patch Only – v1.2)
  • SRAM Save Function
  • How It Works:

Loading: Select Load Game at the main menu, then select your character. after the initial cutscene all weapons, upgrades, Items and level progress will be retained.

Note: For the video I went through a few levels normally as Winston and to show off the SRAM feature, then jumped around using the built-in Ectoplasm edition cheats.

SO HOW IS IT? Winston being playable, along with Louis Tully, is the biggest part of this hack! Winston and Louis are fully integrated into the game’s story, cutscenes, and each have their own animations during gameplay. Winston’s heightened jump is fun to use and can help a lot avoiding enemies, bosses and saving time navigating the mazes of each level. Only downside is the few times you need to do some precise platforming on small or disappearing platforms, Winston can be hard to get exactly where you need him to be. Aside from Winston and louis, there aren’t any new graphics added to this hack, and the banging soundtrack remains the same. Another new addition is holding buttons down to change your uniform to pink, red, or green, which also impacts some colors during the cutscenes and gameplay.

SRAM feature is much appreciated and easy to use, as with any SRAm feature added to game by BillyTime! Games. Title screen shows how to use it, and your progress and equipment you’ve bought is saved. Due to how the game works, you can’t save directly to the last stage after the Castle. I’d advise save states in that case.

Aside from Winston there were some small changes to enemies, such as the possessed coffee cups you encounter not being bullet sponges (or is that proton pack sponges?).

One the other big changes are the hidden codes using the Ectoplasm pack, which are reintroduced in-game cheats from the Japanese version of Ghostbusters, removed from the US release. All of them are the usual infinite lives, get all weapons, infinite energy types and don’t break gameplay or the hack. Mileage may vary using them if they don’t corrupt or break something on certain emulators or real hardware. Biggest edition with the codes is Nightmare Mode. Leaving you with 1 life, no continues and reduced life and energy, this mode is harder than the hard mode and a true challenge to any player.

Highly recommend this hack, and this game. I’m surprised at myself for not knowing of this years back and discovering this hidden gem. It’s a lot of fun from the plot, great soundtrack, and cutesy and fun graphics! Plus Winston is playable!

I GIVE GHOSTBUSTERS SPECIAL EDITION 4.5 OUT 5 SLIMERS!!

GAMEPLAY VIDEO:

LINKS:
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7761/ – Ghostbusters Special Edition Hack

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