New Ghostbusters II (NES – 1990)

New Ghostbusters II is one of the best Ghostbusters games on the NES, which is a sentence we do not get to say nearly often enough. It was released in Japan and PAL territories, skipped the United States, and quietly became the kind of retro favorite fans stumble into years later and immediately wonder why it was not the main version everyone got.

Unlike the rougher U.S. Ghostbusters II on NES, this one feels focused. The room-by-room structure is clean, the ghost-catching loop works, and the whole thing is much easier to recommend if you want an 8-bit Ghostbusters game that actually feels fun instead of like a cursed assignment.

Release, developer, and credits

• Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
• Release year: 1990
• Developer: HAL Laboratory
• Region note: released in Japan and PAL territories, but not the United States

How New Ghostbusters II compares to the other NES and Game Boy versions

This is not the same game as the U.S. NES Ghostbusters II, and it is also not just a direct port of the Game Boy version. The Game Boy release shares some DNA, but New Ghostbusters II has its own layouts, cutscenes, pacing, and music. If you have only played one version, the others can feel surprisingly different.

How long to beat New Ghostbusters II (NES – 1990)

HowLongToBeat currently lists these rough player-reported times for New Ghostbusters II:

• Main Story: about 1h 10m
• Main + Extra: about 1h 11m
• Completionist: about 2h 2m

Source: HowLongToBeat – New Ghostbusters II

New Ghostbusters II walkthrough and support pages

• New Ghostbusters II (NES) Walkthrough and Strategy Guide
• New Ghostbusters II (NES) Level Guide and Stage Tips
• New Ghostbusters II (NES) Controls, Secret Menu, and Beginner Tips
• New Ghostbusters II (NES) Enemies and Bosses
• How to Beat Vigo in New Ghostbusters II (NES)

Secret menu cheat code

At the title screen, press A + B and then press Start.

That hidden menu lets you swap your beam and trap buttons, change difficulty, and listen to the game’s music and sound effects. For a late NES Ghostbusters game, that is a pretty fun little bonus.