Ghostbusters is an incredibly fun game with an outstanding art/sound package, however there are some game design flaws.
My initial draw to Ghostbusters was the theme and art. I grew up with Ghostbusters and still have several of the toys I used to play with. Despite only playing 10-20 games on early code, I took the plunge and bought one on theme alone. Risky, but I'm glad I did!
Ghostbusters presents a fresh and new layout compared to the usual Borg and Steve Ritchie games Stern punches out. The flipper angle is different, flipper gap is wider, the ramp is bi-directional, and the bash toy (Slimer) is unique, and there's drop targets in the middle of the playfield. This is all great, but the new design comes with a few new issues - mainly air balls. Thankfully, they're not as bad as I read from other owners before buying the game. I did install a protector over the subway ramp entrance on day 1, but I can't tell if that area is a problem. I do not have air balls jumping over in/outlanes. My biggest problem is occasional airballs off of the Scolari Brother targets. The flipper power is so high that all the ball energy is coming right back at you from a solid hit. I'm experimenting with changing the angle of the targets, which seems to be helping. They can be disabled in software, but I'm trying to get it all working with factory settings. Overall, some airball issues but not as bad as I've been reading elsewhere. Maybe I lucked out?
As far as code, the game is very difficult but incredibly fun and rewarding when you're hitting your shots. A few very vocal people on Pinside criticize the game for being too linear, but the progression follows the movie. It doesn't make sense to choose to fight Stay Puft and then spook the librarian after that, right? I actually really like following the modes through the movie scenes! You can choose which scene set to play, so it doesn't force you. Once you get through to the final scenes, it's much more exciting than just selecting a mode like on Star Trek or song on AC/DC. You get a good sense of progression. Finally, on top of the scenes, there's ghost collection events/rewards, multi-ball, video modes, gear collection, and hurry ups. The code is solid as is!!
Gameplay is fast and can be very difficult! It's a drain monster. Seems like I get a decent game every five games and a really really good game every 10-20 games. Games are quick, so it's easy to just keep pushing the "Start" button. Flipper gap can be noticeable, but it's not a major contributor to the challenge. The ball just isn't cleanly fed to the flippers often. It's alway all over the place, so you need to be able to shoot very much "on the fly". When it does feed nice, you have to take advantage of it.
Art, dots, and music are all a 10! There's a total of 30 music tracks in the game, so you'll see lots of variety. Callouts work well. Dots are impressive for the resolution Stern's working with. It's really a shame this title didn't get the LCD.
Overall, fun and difficult game with an amazing sound and art package. Despite the design flaws, the game is great! If you can afford the Premium, get it. Otherwise, the Pro offers the same gameplay but with a couple less "wow" features.
FWIW, my game was manufactured in February 2017.
My favorite part: Theme integration.
The good: Incredible sound and art package. Fun gameplay. Solid code from Stern (v1.13).
The bad: Physical game design has some flaws. A couple flashers are uncomfortably bright.
Emmaus, PA
Degerfors
Paris
Ipswich
Orange
