Meikyuu Hunter G

Meikyuu Hunter G (迷宮ハンタージー, lit. Meikyū Hantā Jī) is a multi-directional shooter arcade game which got released by Data East Corporation in 1987, only in Japan. It is adapted from the arcade game The Real Ghostbusters (under the license from Columbia Pictures Television, as it had been based on their animated series of the same name) which was developed for the United States and released that same year, and added a third yellow-suited player (Egon Spengler, as the unnamed blue- and red-suited protagonists for this Japanese version became Peter Venkman and Ray Stantz). Two extra stages and an ending sequence were on the original US version as the Japanese one started over after the eighth one, along with several new powerups (including Slimer, although he is only referred to as "Green Ghost") and ghosts that appear after the unnamed enemies are killed (which can be beamed up, and put into "Ghost Storage" at the end of a stage); beaming up 100 ghosts is worth an extra life.

Differences from The Real Ghostbusters

 * Meikyuu Hunter G only lets up to two people play it simultaneously, while The Real Ghostbusters allows up to three (as the yellow-suited Spengler joined the two blue- and red-suited protagonists who had became Venkman and Stantz); however, fourth Ghostbuster Zeddemore wasn't present and it is also possible for players to insert additional coins for extra life and beam energy in TRG.


 * In Meikyuu Hunter G, the powerups that the players collect are displayed at the top of the screen under the letters "F", "L," "S", "T", "P" and "B", while in The Real Ghostbusters, their names shall be displayed when they collect them; the current stage's number will also be shown at the top of the screen with Kanji characters in MHG, but at the bottom of it (to the right of the timer) in TRG.


 * In The Real Ghostbusters, a ghost will appear after you kill an enemy which can be beamed up; at the end of the stage, all three Ghostbusters put their beamed-up ghosts into "Ghost Storage" and for every 100 ghosts that they beam up they'll receive an extra life. TRG also added a start screen (featuring the "Ghost House", in which the remade game takes place), and when one of the Start Buttons is pressed, the Ghostbusters will pull up outside it in their car (Ecto-1), and go inside - and as mentioned above, Meikyuu Hunter G starts over after the eighth stage, but TRG adds two extra ones, making ten, along with an ending sequence (which shows all the enemies fleeing from the Ghost House and the Ghostbusters getting back into Ecto-1 and driving away).


 * The main theme from Meikyuu Hunter G became the "boss" theme for The Real Ghostbusters, because it had been superseded by an instrumental remix of the original Ghostbusters movie's theme song; a second instrumental remix of the original Ghostbusters movie's theme was also heard on the newly-added start screen while MHG's original "boss" theme became the "Ghost Storage" theme for TRG (furthermore, a new song was composed for high-score name entry).