One night in the early '90s, Starlin Allerdyce and Atticus Longdraw are hanging out in their tree house. They're playing Ghoul Busters, their favorite make believe game. But something's different about the woods tonight. The animals don't look right; they're covered in spikes and tentacles, and they're on the hunt for human flesh. Starlin and Atticus are best friends forever... But unless they can somehow escape, forever will come to an end very soon. Because tonight, they'll have to bust some real ghouls.
Originally released on 7/14/22 for the Nintendo 3DS eShop and later ported to the Nintendo Switch on 2/16/23, Ghoul Busters is the fifth entry in the Silver Falls series. In terms of the story's in-game timeline, however, it's currently the third after Undertakers and Guardians And Metal Exterminators. It's a combination of the Action-Adventure and Platform Hell genres, with the visual and musical styles of the original Game Boy. Starlin Allerdyce and Atticus Longdraw are both playable, but use different weapons and can access different parts of the levels, and get different story dialogues. In terms of the story, it's firmly in the Action Horror genre, with a few monsters that would fit right in with a 2D Resident Evil.
The game has examples of the following tropes:
- Action Survivor: Starlin and Atticus are just a couple of elementary school kids. But Starlin wields a hockey stick, and Atticus packs a slingshot. Bull Brandish incredulously notes that they're even younger than he was when he dealt with the events of Undertakers.
- Aliens in Cardiff: Silver Falls is a small mountain town, yet is home to aliens, ghosts, and mutated animals. This game focuses on the latter.
- Anti-Frustration Features:
- Checkpoints are spread out evenly throughout the levels, and respawns are almost instantaneous. Considering how frequently you'll die, you'll definitely appreciate the smooth and fast transitions.
- It's very easy to farm bottle caps and box tops. Once you've beaten a level and bought whatever item you want, just reset the game, and choose Continue. It'll let you select any level you've already beaten, and your inventory carries over despite the reset. So you can replay the easier levels repeatedly until you've gotten enough of what you need.
- Arcadia: Silver Falls is this at first glance. This little town is a world-class tourist destination with incredible landscapes, excellent hiking, and fishing opportunities, famous cuisine, and is home to several successful people, particularly writers, artists, musicians, and actors. But once you get past this polished, rugged veneer, it quickly veers into Lovecraft Country. Whenever any adults are encountered, they don't even bother trying to hide what's going on, and tell the kids to go home immediately.
- Badass in Distress: Just before the final boss, Fred fights it offscreen. He manages to nearly kill it, but runs out of bullets and gets clawed. He's so severely injured that he can't stand, and tells the boys to run and get help. They finish off the monster instead.
- Black Comedy:
- If you get killed and land on any item or enemy with spring-like functions, the corpse will bounce a couple of times before the checkpoint kicks in.
- There are a few different generic death animations, but occasionally the body will randomly start gushing a fountain of blood.
- Brats with Slingshots: Atticus wields a slingshot that's strong enough to kill minor enemies in half a dozen shots or less. He can also fire in different directions, and holding down the R Button lets you aim without turning the character sprite or messing with direction of a jump.
- Call-Forward: Fred muses that whenever weird animals show up, kids always end up in danger. While this is referencing Undertakers, it also references the disappearance of a child in Galaxy Bound Curse, which came out almost a year before Ghoul Busters. But going by the timeline, that game takes place a few years after this one.
- Close-Range Combatant: Starlin wields a hockey stick, but is strong enough to knock some minor enemies across the screen.
- Collision Damage: Damage boosting can be used intentionally to get over long gaps. But if you do it wrong, you'll likely get thrown around and bounced into various sharp objects.
- Coming of Age Story: At the end of the game, the adults acknowledge that the boys are now young men due to their experiences.
- Cool Old Guy: The kids often come across Fred, Bull, and Honard. At the end of Starlin's story, Bull invites Starlin to work at his ranch whenever he gets strong enough to swing an axe, and asks if he'll guard Silver Falls like him. At the end of Atticus's story, Honard tells him to come visit, so Honard can teach him archery.
- Continuity Nod:
- Bull mentions that a friend abandoned him after the events of Undertakers.
- When the kids first encounter Fred, he hears them but doesn't look up, thinking that it's Henry Henceforth. He even says, "Alright, Henry. What are we up against this time?" before he notices his mistake. This is a nod to Fred and Henry's previous adventure that happened offscreen.
- Fred says, "Why is it every time some weird animals come out, kids end up getting wrapped up in trouble." Bull was just a kid when Undertakers happened.
- The Corruption: Wild animals have been infected by something, causing their skin to mutate into fleshy pulp with massive spikes, mushroom-like tumors, or writhing tentacles growing out of them.
- Cowardly Lion: Starlin tries to act as fearless as Atticus, even quoting his dad when he says that it's okay to be scared as long it doesn't stop you. But Starlin is in denial early on in the story; he still thinks they're still playing Ghoul Busters even though he just saw a man die. He tries to distract himself by collecting rocks, and unconvincingly proclaims that he's not afraid of the dark. He still steps up and slays several monsters. In the ending, he even insecurely asks Atticus if he was brave.
- Crapsack World: Paranormal events like this are common enough that the adults come in fully armed and ready to kill. Bull in particular is so unfazed that he casually rattles off a list of monsters that he's seen, much Starlin's surprise.
- Bull: Hey. What are you doing here? You seen monsters? Which ones you seen? Big shadows? Metal things? Trees? Or was it a thing with tentacles in its neck? How about a thing with bones sticking out its back and legs? How about a three-legged thing dragging a long neck? No? Why are you just staring at me?
- Creepy Cave: Part of the game takes place in one. In terms of the story, Starlin goes looking for rare rocks, while Atticus covers him.
- Creepy Good: The Mechanic shows up at the start of Starlin's story, still wearing the same coat and gas mask. Not only does he know Starlin's name, but he asks Starlin how many bottle caps he's gotten this time, and then muses that this encounter "must be the first.." This implies that The Mechanic is not only aware of how time can loop in Silver Falls, but all these events are part of something larger. He advises Starlin to keep taking "the course of actions which you were intending to take. Make no deviations." He cryptically adds that the "required entities are where they need to be" and asks Starlin to return any Starglass Shards he finds. Starlin obviously doesn't know what to say and walks away.
- Don't Go in the Woods: The game uses the classic haunted forest imagery associated with this trope, and then warps into a Lovecraft Lite setting.
- Drama-Preserving Handicap: The only reason a couple of kids are able to kill the final boss is that Fred shot it so many times that he ran out of bullets, leaving the creature still alive, but badly hurt.
- Eldritch Abomination: The enemies are trees that have been possessed and covered with blades and spikes, masses of pulpy flesh and bones, three-legged creatures with long necks and no faces, a Humanoid Abomination that leaks writhing tentacles whenever you damage it. The bosses look like bears, but they have massive tusks where their eyes are supposed to be, and their torsos are exposed wounds with tentacles flailing everywhere.
- Everyone Has Standards: Bull is dismissive of the kids, and has a somewhat abrasive personality. When Starlin asks him for food, he makes a comment about being self-sufficient. But when he hears that the kids watched Cap die, he immediately drops the attitude and tells the kids to stay close so he can protect them.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Aside from the various Lovecraftian monsters roaming the forest, the trees will get possessed and start floating and sprouting spikes. The only things that don't try to kill you are the few patches of ground near the Bottomless Pits.
- Game-Breaking Bug: In the initial version, the game was prone to crashing frequently. This was since patched out, but random crashes still occur, especially if you die against the final boss.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Just before the final boss, Fred fights and nearly manages to kill it, but runs out of bullets and gets clawed so badly that he can't stand up. Hence why it's all up to the kids to fight and finish off the monster.
- Healing Potion: The kids' health meter and healing items are jelly beans.
- Hero of Another Story: Fred and Bull were the main characters of Galaxy Bound Curse and Undertakers respectively.
- I Just Want to Be Badass: Starlin scrapes his knee offscreen about halfway through the game, and Atticus apologizes for not being able to protect him well enough. The story ends with Atticus reflecting on how he could've died like Cap, so he becomes determined to get stronger to protect others.
- Improvised Platform: Some of the enemies can be used as makeshift bounce pads, though a few of them can take only a set number of hits before they die. Others require you to wait until they rotate enough until you can jump on one part while avoiding their spikes. Also, one of the optional items is a balloon that serves as a temporary platform.
- Improbable Weapon User: The subweapons include RC Choppers that serve as rotating shields, as well as Ninja Stars. The sound-based item you get from Cap at the start of the game is an off-brand Tamagotchi. Fireworks can also be used as an improvised weapon with a larger Area of Effect.
- In the Blood: Honard notes that Atticus is fearless and stubborn, just like his great-grandfather.
- Just a Kid: None of the adults think Starlin and Atticus are up for this, and flat-out tell them to run home because of how dangerous it is. It's justified, given that the adults are well-armed and have been hunting monsters for decades, and the kids only have a hockey stick and a slingshot respectively. The only reason the kids are able to fight the final boss is because Fred shot it enough times to nearly kill it, and the kids finish it off.
- Kid Hero All Grown-Up: Bull Brandish was the Kid Hero of Undertakers. 20 years later, he's one of the first adults to head into the woods to kill monsters. He's developed into a serious, acerbic hunter who's Seen It All, acts as an Aloof Ally, and is Resigned to the Call.
- Bull: What, you thought this place was just some happy little forest? Traveling. Seeing the world... Maybe I dreamed about stuff like that when I was your age. But... A lot of stuff happened since then. Seeing the world... That sort of thing ain't for men like me. Nope, I gotta stay here in the forest and make sure nothing bad happens to kids like you.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Early on, Starlin will find foreign bottle caps that he thinks are Swedish or Japanese. Then he says, "There's a bunch of grown-ups that want to play Ghoul Busters with us. What do you think? Should we let them join our club? These dudes are good at playing Ghoul Busters."
- Nerves of Steel: Atticus says that he's not afraid of the monsters at all, just like his great-grandfather, according to Honard. Atticus even reassures Starlin that he'll cover him while the latter explores a cave to collect rare rocks.
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Nintendo Hard: Very much in the same vein as Super Meat Boy. The game starts off easily enough, with using tree branches and logs to get over Bottomless Pits. Then they start rotating and have spikes. Then you can start using certain enemies as platforms... but only as long as you hit an exact part of them, and none of the spikes cover their bodies. Then enemies start being placed in just the right spots to mess up your jumps or knock you off a ledge. Some pickups will be in specific places that require you to die and respawn. When you climb on snakes, you don't automatically hold on if they move, so you'll have to desperately push in the right direction fast enough to stay connected and avoid obstacles. By the last few stages, the platforms will be covered in a substance that will make you automatically slide forward or backwards. Given that you can't adjust your speed, you'll have to make some careful jumps or use damage boosts to get through certain areas. Even then, there will be enemies and bottomless pits waiting to thwart your efforts. Needless to say, this will require some old-fashioned Trial-and-Error Gameplay. - Old Save Bonus: The game uses a unique Code Linker system that lets you create and trade key codes with other Silver Falls games, letting you unlock different things. However, the Code Linker in Ghoul Busters won't accept incoming Key Codes, and only produce outgoing Key Codes. Using them will unlock Atticus or Honard as playable characters in the other games.
- Parasol Parachute: One of the optional items is an umbrella that allows you to float on the way down from your jumps.
- Pickup Hierarchy: There are bottle caps strewn throughout the levels, and they can be later exchanged for items. However, the bigger goal is to collect 3 box tops hidden in each level, which usually requires some riskier platforming or use of items. This is downplayed due to the ability to repeatedly replay the same levels farm for everything you need.
- Power Trio: Honard, Fred, and Bull form the front line of defense for Silver Falls, which makes sense given their experiences. Honard is in his 60s at this point in the timeline, is a master at archery, and has lived in Silver Falls for decades. Fred has been the sheriff in Silver Falls for several years, so he's seen tons of these encounters. His dialogue indicates that he's been in the center of at least one major adventure, but it hasn't been depicted in a game yet. Bull is the main character of Undertakers, and has been killing the titular monsters on his ranch for 20 years by this point.
- Production Foreshadowing:
- In Atticus's ending, Fred Hardluck mentions a previous adventure with Henry Henceforth, and how he thought they'd somehow put an end to all these bizarre nights. However, Fred's only onscreen adventure currently is Galaxy Bound Curse, which takes place in 1997, a few years after Ghoul Busters. Fred's lines here are foreshadowing something new.
- Honard also mentions a strange blizzard that happened back in 1964, in which his sister died. But the earliest game currently in the timeline is Undertakers, which takes place in the '70s. Fred also heard that story from Honard. Apparently, some kind of monster was involved, but it's not elaborated on. Given that this reference also shows up in some of the other games, it's clearly hinting at the plot of another game.
- The reason Honard mentions his dead sister is that he can somehow hear her voice. Cap mentions that he saw a face in the woods before he dies. In Deathly Delusion Destroyers, this is revealed to be the Facestealer, which steals the faces and voices of people to lure their loved ones into the forest.
- In Atticus's ending, Honard offers to secretly train him in archery. Skip forward 30 years to Deathly Delusion Destroyers, and Atticus will use a bow and arrow, and even have the same Trick Shot ability as Honard. Honard will have it as his default skill, and Atticus will have it as his Soul skill.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: At first, the adults just tell the kids to get out of the forest immediately. Only Bull stops to listen to Starlin to gain intel on what kinds of monsters he saw and is surprised when the kid stays in the forest willingly. But Fred notices that something is wrong, and tells the kids he'll listen when they're ready to talk. A few levels later, Honard and Bull learn that the kids watched someone die, and they tell the kids to stay close so they can protect them.
- Retired Badass: Honard is well into his 60s when this game takes place. He's an archery master and has gone hunting all over the world. His hunting partner was John Longdraw, Atticus's great-grandfather. The kids often go to him to hear old stories and get candy.
- Secret-Keeper: At the end of the story, Starlin notes that they won't be able to tell anyone about what happened. At the very least, the kids are in on one of the many secrets of Silver Falls.
- Shout-Out:
- The title of the game is a parody of Ghostbusters (1984). It's referenced in-game as some sort of cartoon, most likely a nod to The Real Ghostbusters.
- The Tamagotchi knock-off Cap gives to the kids is from Gotchamon.
- In one of the scenes, Starlin will get slightly injured and say, "one of those ghouls grabbed me."
- When Starlin talks about other people joining their club, he compares it to an episode of Blader Bears from Jupiter.
- Every level ends with a flagpole that you can slide down.
- The bosses are what appear to be grizzly bears, but they get more corrupted with each encounter. The final boss has spikes and tusks where its head is supposed to be, bones sticking out its legs, and its entire back torso is split wide open with tentacles flailing everywhere.
- Show Within a Show: At the start, the kids playing a make believe version of Ghoul Busters, which is apparently a cartoon. There's also Blader Bears from Jupiter, Ninja Burger Dogs, and a talking bear named Sassy Frass who solves mysteries.
- The Smart Guy: It's not that Starlin is dumb, but Atticus is shown to be more introspective and quick to take the initiative when it comes to protective roles. He's also the first one to notice how weird it is that so many adults are suddenly showing up in the woods.
- So Proud of You: Honard says this in Atticus's ending, and offers to train him in archery secretly, because Atticus's grandpa would forbid it.
- The Spook: The Mechanic shows up at the beginning, always dressed in an overcoat and gas mask. He seems polite enough, but it's clear that there's something... off about him. He knows things he shouldn't, and he'll give some cryptic responses, but nothing more.
- Take Up My Sword: An unintentional version. At the start of his story, Atticus finds Cap, who is on the verge of death due to being mauled by the Facestealer. In his dying moments, he mistakes Atticus for his son, Brad. He gives Atticus the Tamagotchi that'd he'd bought as a birthday present for Brad. This is later revealed to be an effective weapon; the Tamagotchi's screeching sounds have the side effect of forcing certain enemies to retract their spikes, which turns them into makeshift platforms. Atticus uses also this as a motivation for surviving the ordeal, so he can give Brad his present.
- Time Master: One of the optional items is the Hyper Candy, which instantly slows down time.
- To Be Continued: The final screen in the game says, "The story of Silver Falls will continue."
- Totally Radical: Parodied with the kids' catch phrase, "totally radial!"
Bummer!
