The Sega Genesis Ghostbusters game gets much easier once you understand what actually deserves your money. This page is the short version: who to pick, what each shop item does, and which upgrades are worth chasing first.
Which Ghostbuster should you pick?
- Ray Stantz: best for beginners. He is slow, but his stamina makes the learning process less punishing.
- Peter Venkman: the balanced pick. No dramatic strength, no glaring weakness.
- Egon Spengler: fastest of the three, but also the most fragile.
You are stuck with your choice for the full run, so this is one of the few decisions that really matters before the game even starts.
Basic controls
- D-pad: move, aim, duck, crawl, and navigate menus
- Start: open the sub-screen and confirm a selection
- A: throw bombs
- B: fire your current weapon
- C: jump
What safes and Slimer give you
- Safes: money bags and bombs
- Money bags: add cash to your total
- Slimer blue drop: restores life
- Slimer red drop: restores energy
If your gauges are already full, it can be smarter to leave Slimer alone and come back when you actually need the refill.
Item shop guide
- Gyoza ($500): full life refill right away
- Peking Duck ($1000 on Easy, $1500 on Normal or Hard): stored full-heal item for later
- Bomb ($100): cheap and useful, especially for rooms that get crowded
- Infrared Scope ($100): essential for Woody House
Weapons and upgrades
- Normal Shot: your default weapon; weak, but dependable and free to use
- Energy Regeneration ($200): full energy refill
- Energy Tank ($500, then more each time): one of the best long-term buys in the game
- Bubble Projectile ($3000): situational, but handy against Evil Wraith
- Phaser Shell ($5000): the best all-around weapon in the game
- 3-Way Shot ($7000): great for crowded fights and several late middle ghosts
- Explosives ($10000): powerful, but wasteful if you spam them
- Special Suit ($5000): strong defensive option that drains energy over time
- Barrier ($35000): full invincibility, but expensive and hungry for energy
Best upgrade priorities
- Stay healthy enough to keep playing. A cheap refill is better than dying with money in your pocket.
- Buy Energy Tank upgrades early. A larger energy bar helps almost every good weapon.
- Get Phaser Shell when you can afford it. This is the purchase that changes the run.
- Grab Infrared Scopes before Woody House.
- Add 3-Way Shot for the tougher middle-ghost fights.
If you are wasting money on fancy tools before you can survive with them, the shop will feel disappointing. If you buy with a plan, it becomes half the fun of the game.