The Real Ghostbusters/Walkthrough

Once you insert a coin into one of the three slots on the cabinet of Data East USA's 1987 multidirectional shooter arcade game The Real Ghostbusters (first slot for blue-suited Peter Venkman, second slot for red-suited Raymond Stantz and third slot for yellow-suited Egon Spengler), it will proceed to the start screen shown above as a remix of the Ghostbusters theme starts to be heard as a duet from the Yamaha YM-2203 & YM-3812; it displays the "Ghost House" in which the game is set with the three texts "CAPTURE THE GHOSTS", "COLLECT THE KEYS" and "SAVE THE CITY" imposed over the backdrop (a fourth text of "PRESS START!" shall also flash below them). While the game is on this screen you can insert more coins for additional lives and beam energy - and when you press your Firing Button, the Ghostbusters' car (Ecto-1) shall pull up outside the Ghost House and your chosen Ghostbuster will go inside (if there is more than one player, the Ghostbuster they inserted their coin into the slot of will go inside it as well). However, if any Ghostbuster didn't have any coins inserted into his slot on this screen, he will remain outside in Ecto-1, until a second (or third) player inserts their coin into his slot and presses his Firing Button to join the game, at which point he shall immediately be warped from the safety of the car to the current stage; if you ever find yourself running low on lives, or run out of beam energy, you can again insert more coins for extra amounts of them at any time.

''Note: In the original Japanese version of the game, Meikyuu Hunter G, the start screen does not exist, and you will either have to press the 1 Player Button to play alone as the blue-suited hunter who later became Venkman after inserting one coin, or the 2 Player Button to let a second player join you as the red-suited hunter who later became Stantz after inserting two or more coins; it is also possible to insert more coins then press either of the Start Buttons for extra lives and beam energy during the game (but as mentioned on the ../Gameplay/ page, it starts over again, after eight stages). This means that the ninth and tenth stages are exclusive to The Real Ghostbusters - however, the latter's boss isn't the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.''