History VideoGame / GhostbustersTheVideoGame

* CarFu: In the DS version, Janine temporarily drives the Ecto-1 to smash a hole in the wall to help the team escape in the first level.

* CuttingTheKnot: In the final level, ECTO-1 is blocked by a gate which has been rendered invulnerable through a significant PKE charge. Lacking any weapon strong enough to directly dissipate the charge, they instead solve the problem by destroying the extremely dilapidated supports holding the gate up.

* OneHundredPercentCompletion: The Stylized version defines this trope as the following:
** Complete all levels.
** Scan all major characters, phenomena, obstacles and enemies.
** Find all 103 art pages that correspond with most of these scans.

* CriticalAnnoyance: Not for health, but for ''equipment overuse''.
** Over-using equipment in the realistic version will cause your proton pack to overheat. You can quickly vent out your pack with the press of a button at any time, but if you fully overheat your pack, it will automatically vent, but at a punishingly slower rate as a penalty for over-using equipment. A beeping sound will let you know when auto-venting is imminent and you need to stop using your equipment ''immediately''.
** If your Blast Stream is about to overheat in the Wii and [=PS2=] versions (which you can do all too easily or often because the equipment status meter can be small enough to overlook), your controller will vibrate to warn you to cease fire and cool it off a little. The same goes for when your Slime Blower or Dark Matter Generator is running out of ammo.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In the realistic version, anything you destroy in the Ghost World portion of the library, the secret catacombs under the museum, the Spider Witch's lair, Shandor Island, or the cemetery that appears in Central Park does ''NOT'' count towards your property damage total. The city of New York isn't going to reimburse the ghosts or Shandor's cult.

* AscendedExtra: The game's plot is heavily influenced by characters and places that played relatively minor roles in the movies, notably [[spoiler: the Librarian ghost, the Sedgwick Hotel, and Ivo Shandor]].

** Also, Stay Puft is back for round 2.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: After hearing that Peck's PCOC order at the closed Sedgewick Hotel mentions "especially the Ghostbusters", Egon's response is to tear the notice to shreds.

* BlessedWithSuck: Late in the videogame, Ray wonders why Gozer didn't take on a more effective Destructor form than the Staypuft Marshmallow Man again, and thinks that gods are probably limited to one Destructor form per dimension.

* BottomlessMagazines: Ammo for the Slime Blower and the Dark Matter generator in the stylized versions is kept in limited reserves that automatically refill when they are not used. Egon justifies the former by stating that the mixture of substances and slime samples used for the Slime Blower regenerate in the small tank added onto the Proton Pack.

-->''Peter's Random Girlfriend:'' Yeah, hi Peter. I think I left my earrings at your place... and my shoes... and my cat. Anyway I had a ''wonderful'' time last night.
* CallBack: Egon's BewareTheNiceOnes moment hearkens back to his hilariously vitriolic [[YourMom YOUR MOTHER!]] in the first movie, also delivered on account of [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Walter Peck's actions.]]
* TheCavalryArrivesLate: The final battle with Stay Puft has him climbing up the building you're on while you try to stall him until the ECTO-1 arrives with the super ghost trap. Instead, you fight until Stay Puft loses his grip and winds up a very large mashmellowy smear on the pavement and surrounding buildings, at which point the ECTO-1 finally gets through traffic.

* DeadlyUpgrade: A lot of the equipment the Rookie gets is untested ([[FridgeBrilliance though the other Ghostbusters will start using it on the next level after you get it]]), and the warnings are hilariously dangerous. Stripping off some metal from the neutrona wand, for example, can cause numbness in the hands, while altering the PKE Meter can leave stains on your hands that will ''never come off''. Most importantly, the Rookie is the one testing the equipment because, in case there's a problem, the other Ghostbusters don't want to be [[NoodleIncident blown to New Jersey]]. The Rookie is ''not'' reassured by this.
* DemonicPossession: In the Museum level, possessor ghosts are able to take over civilians and even your fellow Ghostbusters. Ray also gets possessed ''multiple times'' to the point where the others don't even display concern, just mild annoyance. He wanders off speaking in tongues, and all that happens is Ilyssa and the Mayor are told to keep an eye on him while the player and the other Ghostbusters catch up. Later, near the end of the game, it is revealed that [[spoiler:the Mayor]] has been possessed for the last few months.
* DemonicSpiders: InUniverse: The Spiderwitch spawns ''literal, skull-faced demonic spiders.'' She herself is the Queen of the Demonic Spiders when you do battle with her.

* EnemyScan: The PKE meter, in addition to tracking down paranormal disturbances, can also help identifying ghosts with categories from Tobin's Spirit Guide, listing their particular strengths and weaknesses.

* FatBastard: The Chairman, Chef [=DeForrest=], and the Mr. Creosote lookalike from the firehouse.

** Played straight when you put on PKE goggles in every version except for the DS version, which is usually played from a TopDownView.

** Also taken literally with a collectible Cursed Artefact being a vegetable-based pinup calendar.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Right before the Cemetery level, the 'Busters are standing in a line, lookin' real badass, and the recruit is a few feet behind him, playing with the Neutrona Wand. He accidentally fires a stream, which brings a tree down... ''blocking the only exit''.

** As stated further in this article, there is a chance that the [=PC=] version's CopyProtection may mistakenly flag your purchased copy as a stolen one, making it difficult to shoot the candlebra enemies in the Sedgeiwck hotel and quartering your overall damage output.

* GhostInvasion: This is the entire plot. Ivo Shandor, deceased architect of the events of ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'', not only built the high rise near central park; he built a mandala out of several New York landmarks, including the Sedgwick Hotel and the Central Library. A series of underground tunnels channeled spirits from site to site, ending at Central Park. The end result is several locations completely overrun by spirits, and the barrier between the spirit world and the real world weakened until some areas were transformed.

* GoodLuckCharm: The Rookie keeps his nametag post-game initially because he sees it as this, and later because clients angry with his Chicago franchise see it and storm off to call his non-existent supervisor instead of harassing him.

* GodhoodSeeker: [[spoiler:Ivo Shandor becomes somewhat disenchanted with Gozer after the Destroyer he summoned to bring about the end of the world is defeated by the Ghostbusters ''twice''. So he decides to do it himself.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Ivo Shandor:''' Anyway, I figured, why worship a god, when you can actually become one?]]

* HeroicMime: The Rookie

* ImprovisedGolem: Several. The Kitchen Golem; Book Golems; Graveyard Beasts; Black Slime Monsters.

** The Rookie (In the [=PS3=][=/=]360 version) resembles his voice actor. Of course, the Rookie never actually ''speaks'' & only grunts in battle.

* IsleOfGiantHorrors: In the Shandor Island level, there is a huge Sloar which is not only the source of all of Shandor's experiments, but also the final node guardian, making it the BossBattle.

--> "Stay Puft Marshmallow Man attacking the City Again. Evac and let the Ghostbusters take care of it."

* LighterAndSofter: The [=PS2=] and Wii versions. While having the same plot, the ghosts are not shown menacing at all, including certain dialogue, such as detail of the Spider Witch's victims was removed.
* MadScientist: Egon ''used'' to be a licensed coroner...[[TooMuchInformation but now it's "just a hobby."]]

--> '''Peter''': No names, Ray. I don't want to get too attached to this kid. Remember what happened to the last one?

* NotSoHarmlessVillain ([[spoiler: Subverted by Walter Peck in the game, going hand in hand with the below-mentioned Red Herring]])

* RedHerring: In the game, the flagrant, obvious implications that [[spoiler: Walter Peck is a Gozer cultist, thus explaining his completely unreasonable attitude towards the Ghostbusters,]] turns out to be untrue. Subverted; from dialog at the end of the game, [[TheUnReveal it's obvious that Egon figured it out before the actual reveal]].

* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: Several of the golem monsters are animated by a single object which serves as their head, drawing in other objects to form the body. Once you've sufficiently weakened them, you have to wrangle their head off with the proton stream.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: In the Stylized version, the only way to defeat the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man while he is climbing up the building is to use the Capture Stream to catch the ectoplasm-imbued slabs of concrete he tosses at you, then drop them right back on him.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: There's an entire game mechanic based around slamming ghosts really hard into walls. Your teammates will comment on particularly nasty hits.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Dana Barret is mentioned in the game, but no information on her current whereabouts circa 1991 is given. Sigourney Weaver initially refused a role in the game on account of Bill Murray not having any creative involvement, but the game was too far along to swap characters in and out by the time she was told this had changed.

The original release came out for UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, UsefulNotes/Xbox360, PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. The latter three systems were dubbed the "Stylized" versions due to the systems not having the hardware to create the realistic graphics of the higher grade systems. To compensate, the models were designed more akin in the style of the ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'', making it look more cartoon-y; it likewise gave you the option to play as a female, had co-op mode, a greater emphasis on puzzle-solving, and a few additional scenes and dialogue not featured in the realistic version, making it a nice collector piece.

** Played straight when you put on PKE goggles in every version except for the DS version, which is always played from a TopDownView.

* FirstPersonPerspective: The Stylized versions seem to do this a lot when the main characters are talking to the player character. Apparently this was due to the developers not bothering to add facial animations for the player character for in-game cutscnces. Notice how your characters is either not in frame with the others and just hanging back like a plank of wood.

** Dark Matter Generator: [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Shock]] [[ShortRangeShotgun Blast]] & [[FreezeRay Stasis Stream]].
** Plasm Distribution System: [[CoveredInGunge Slime Blower]] & [[WreakingHavok Slime Tether]] (Realistic Only)/[[GrenadeLauncher Slime Mine]] (Stylized Only).

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: The Shock Blaster, full stop.

** To [[Series/MythBusters another famous "busters"]], when after an explosion, Egon asks if he still has eyebrows.

** Particle Accelerator: Contains the iconic Proton Stream, which can weaken and wrangle ghosts, and the Boson Dart, which fires a concentrated ball of proton energy, useful for blowing up groups of weaker ghosts, or dealing decent burst damage to singular larger ones. Firing a Boson Dart will the Blast Stream is active seems to cause the Dart to travel along the Stream.
** Dark Matter Generator: Contains the Shock Blast, a dark matter shotgun that is powerful in close quarters, and great against most Dispersible ghosts, and the Stasis Stream, which can paralyze enemies for a short period of time using order-reversing particles.
** Plasm Distribution System: Contains the Slime Blower, which, just like in the second movie, fires a stream of positively charged slime to neutralize negatively charge black slime and force ghosts from humans they possess, and either the Slime ''Tether'' or the Slime ''Mine'', depending on if you're playing the realistic or stylized version, respectively. The Slime Tether creates strands of slime that contract, dragging whatever they're connected to together, and can be used as an alternate way of trapping ghosts if your aim is good and you have the Slam Dunk Trapping upgrade, while the Slime Mine acts as a delayed explosive that covers things with slime, and that's about it.
** Composite Particle System: Contains the Meson Collider, a powerful and precise energy bolt, and the Overload Pulse, a low-powered, rapid-fire variation of the Meson Collider. If an enemy is shot with the former, the latter's shot will follow the target until they connect.

* TacticalSuicideBoss: In the Stylized version, the only way to defeat Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man while he is climbing up the building is to use the blast stream to catch the ectoplasm-imbued slabs of concrete he tosses at you, then drop them right back on him.

* BottomlessMagazines: Ammo for the Slime Blower and the Dark Matter generator in the stylized versions is kept in limited reserves that automatically refill when they are not used.
** Egon justifies this trope for the former by stating that the slime inside the blower is self-regenerating.

Ten years after the original release, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPwJ2Hmxa0I A remastered edition]] of the Realistic version was announced for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and Epic Games Store. Released, fittingly, on October 4, 2019.

** In the Stylized version, this is replaced with time-delayed slime mines, which do more damage the longer they're charged.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Right before the Cemetery level, the 'Busters are standing in a line, lookin' real badass, and the recruit is a few feet behind him, playing with the Neutrona Wand. He accidentally fires a stream, which brings a tree down...''blocking the only exit''.

** Plasm Distribution System: Contains the Slime Blower, which, just like in the second movie, fires a stream of positively charged slime to neutralize negatively charge black slime and force ghosts from humans they possess, and either the Slime ''Tether'' or the Slime ''Mine'', depending on if you're playing the realistic or stylized version, respectively. The Slime Tether creates strands of slime that contract, dragging whatever they're connected to together, and can be used as an alternate way of trapping ghosts if your timing is good, while the Slime Mine acts as a delayed explosive that covers things with slime, and that's about it.
** Composite Particle System: Contains the Meson Collider, a powerful and precise energy bolt, the the Overload Pulse, a low-powered, rapid-fire variation of the Meson Collider. If an enemy is shot with the former, the latter's shot will follow the target until they connect.

** Particle Accelerator: Contains the iconic Proton Stream, which can weaken and wrangle ghosts, and the Boson Dart, which fires a concentrated ball of proton energy, useful for blowing up groups of weaker ghosts, or dealing descent burst damage to singular larger ones Firing a Boson Dart will the Blast Stream is active seems to cause the Dart to travel along the Stream.

* BodySurf: Later on, [[spoiler:it is revealed that the Mayor had this happen to him with Ivo Shandor.]]

** Subverted with the characters returning from the film - whilst they're all voiced by the original actors, the character models resemble how the actors look in 1991.

* HappyEndingOverride: A mostly non-depressing example. Peter and Dana clearly aren't together anymore, and Louis not become a full time Ghostbuster, and evidently did not end up with Janine. Both cases are expanded on in the IDW comics.