Game development company Illfonic released the licensed titleGhostbusters: Spirits Unleashedas a fun co-op multiplayer game. You can play as a buster or as a ghost haunting the building, which includes different types of ghosts like Slimer. The job of a ghostbuster is not easy, as the locals can be scared, slimed, or knocked on their butt by nefarious ghosts. This is the foundation of the franchise. Its famous tagline is, “Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!”
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Like many video games launched, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has several references and features you might not have noticed at first glance. One or two of these points might be a little far-reaching, so we leave it up to your judgment whether they count or not.
10Stay Puft Marshmallows Make An Appearance
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has a bunch of cool easter eggs that can be found littered throughout the firehouse. One of the most famous and obvious nods to the franchise has to be the Stay Puft Marshmellow which is seen in several locations.
Its appearance is not only one of the more well-known easter eggs because of how prominent theStay Puft Marshmellowis in the Real Ghostbusters television show and the Ghostbusters movies. It also instilled fear into every child at the time.
9Look Around For Hidden Rooms On Each Level
There are hidden rooms throughout the maps of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. These rooms are often missed because they are concealed behind objects or in areas you might not have explored during a hunt. Some of the rooms will look like they can be entered because the door might be ajar.
With one of those rooms, you can get into it by hitting the wall to drop a painting and then shooting the wall to break it open. If you’re lucky, the ghost might be sneaky enough to hide a rift artifact in the room.
8Achievement Hunters Rejoice!
Achievement hunters will be glad to know that there are five secrets to uncover throughout the game. One of those coveted achievements is known as the ‘Whoopsie’ that requires the destruction of a ‘very expensive object.’
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Should you be looking to get 100 percent completion in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, all you need to do is head to the RMS Artemisia as a buster and take the fancy stairs directly to the right. Once you reach the top, go to the opposite side of the room and destroy the mermaid and King Triton statue to gain the achievement. Given that destroying property racks up debt, it’s no surprise that this is one of the achievements you might miss.
7Magazine Racks Display Some Of The Levels
One possible easter egg that can be found in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is a book rack in the corner of Rays. It is located right next to the clippings board and has several different magazines. They may not seem like they are significant, but one of them is for Hudson Canyon Lodge.
While the lodge itself doesn’t exist in real life, the Hudson Canyon does, and it happens to be located between New York State and New Jersey. This is a cool tie-in to the game for a couple of reasons, like the fact that the game is set in New York and that the canyon is an underwater canyon that requires a seafaring vehicle to reach. According to the game, the lodge is located by the lake, so perhaps the real Hudson Canyon was the inspiration for this map.
6Making An Obvious Statement
If you go into the basement of the Firehouse, you might not have noticed the State & Federal Laws poster on the wall. Upon looking more closely at it, you will see a box for discrimination and sexual harassment policies. Another section has policies on equal employment opportunities as well as the game’s minimum wage.
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Between the years of 2009 to 2013, the minimum wage in New York was $7.25, so you could extrapolate that this game is set around those years. Frankly, this feels like too much of a coincidence to be accidental, especially combined with some of the other references within the game.
5Be Whomever You Want To Be In Ghostbusters
There are some nice nods to characters in the Ghostbusters franchise that you may equip as nametags if you don’t want to use your own. For example, Viggo is referring to Vigo the Carpathian in the movie Ghostbusters II.
Another familiar name used in the franchise is Grooberson, who was played by Paul Rudd and was the science teacher in the most recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Also, exotic nametags Janine and Melnitz, which combined is the full name of the secretary who persisted throughout the series. While she is not present in the game, her nametags being red is a nod to the fact that she was a redheaded character. Feel free to look through the list, as there are several names you would recognize.
4The Writing Is On The Wall
When you are in the alleyway shooting at the ghosts, there is a tag on the wall behind them that says, “Venkman, Burn In Hell.” At first glance, this might be a fun thing to include in the game because the character in the series screwed over the others at multiple points. But what if there was something more to it? The graffiti appears to be a callback to the very beginning of the original Ghostbusters movie, where the same text is written on the front of his laboratory door in a red material (paint, most likely) and in the same exact style and spacing.
This is a line that’s seen some small attention from fans of the series over time. For example: “Venkman, Burn In Hell” is the name of a song written by a punk band named Small Arms Dealer, who were together between 2004 and 2009 when they ultimately broke up. Not only were they active in Long Island, but a few of their songs had ghostly themes like “Poltergeist, Poltergeist!” and “Harry Houdini Says No and Proves It.” Perhaps they were just fans of the series?
3Historical References In Plain Sight
Keen observers might notice a familiar-looking ship held within a display case. Most of us would assume that the ship is supposed to be that of the RMS Artemisia, which is one of the levels. But, the ship and the museum’s art direction were inspired by the sets used in Ghostbusters II.
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The ship, in particular, is noticeable for its sheer size in the display case, but some of you might have noticed the similarities between it and the Titanic. With respect to the museum, it is modeled after the National Museum of the American Indian that is now part of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
2The Wheels In The Sky Keep On Turning
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has plenty of nods to the franchise, including music references. Not only is the main Ghostbusters theme played during the intro sequence, but if you listen closely while flying around the top of the ghost realm, you can faintly hear the song “Magic” by Mike Smiley.
This is relevant because it is one of the songs on the original Ghostbusters soundtrack from 1984. It may not be the most popular song to ever release on a movie soundtrack, but it is a nice detail that you might have missed entirely.
1Video Game Marketing Done Right
Arcadegeddon is a machine you’re able to click on in the firehouse on the top floor. Once you interact with it, you can see a weekly global leaderboard and the platform the score was achieved. If you paid little attention, it might surprise you to know that Illfonic actually released Arcadegeddon, and they did so before releasing Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed!
In July 2022,Illfonic announced Arcadegeddonas a standalone casual game littered with epic loot, stunning graphics, and full of mayhem. It is a vibrant shooter game that is purchasable for around $20 if you want to give it a shot.
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