In the world of retrogaming, Ghostbusters is one of the few video games that I enjoyed a lot as a child. The game was inspired by the famous 1984 movie. In this exclusive video interview for the ValorosoIT channel, recorded at Varese Retrocomputing 2024, Karl Voltolini (Vintanerd), guides us on a journey into the world of the Ghostbusters game and 80s computers, in particular the Commodore 64 and the Apple II.
Ghostbusters: from the big screen to the joystick
Ghostbusters, created by David Crane for Activision and launched in 1984, marked a generation of young video games fans. Based on the film of the same name, the game was published for several platforms. At first it was developed for Commodore 64, then it was also brought for Apple II, ZX Spectrum, and later for Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Master System. Crane, already known for his work with Activision, has been able to capture the essence of the film by transforming it into a video game that allowed players to feel real hatches, guiding the legendary ect-1 car and facing ghosts on the streets of New York. The game involved the purchase of equipment, the capture of ghosts and a system of missions inspired directly by the film.
During the interview, Karl Voltolini recalled with emotion when he played Ghostbusters on the Commodore 64. After watching the movie in the cinema, the experience of returning home and reventuring into the world of Ghostbusters via the joystick was almost magical. This game, Karl says, was a cultural phenomenon: its diffusion was based on floppy disks shared between acquaintances which, in his area, were duplicated and exchanged by mail. Even in computer stores, at the time, you could find pirated copies of the most famous games.
Commodore 64 and Ghostbusters
The Commodore 64 was a very popular home computer in the 80s. Equipped with a MOS 6510 processor and the VIC-II graphics chip, the Commodore 64 guaranteed remarkable video quality and immersive sound via the famous SID audio chip. For this reason, David Crane developed Ghostbusters on the Commodore 64, initially. The features of this home computer contributed to the success of Ghostbusters, enriching the gaming experience with nice sound effects and eye-catching graphics for the period.
According to Vintanerd, the Commodore 64 was the ideal platform to fully enjoy the Ghostbusters experience, thanks to its video and audio capabilities. In fact, even I, as a child, played Ghostbusters on that computer and then, later, also on the Commodore 128, but in 64 mode.
The Apple II and the opportunities for small businesses
Another significant moment of the interview concerns Apple II, another computer released in 1977, so Karl confesses a particular affection. Apple II, produced by Apple Inc., was a revolutionary computer for the period, known for its reliability and flexibility. Thanks to the numerous expansion slots, it allowed to add peripherals and accessory cards such as controller for discs, audio cards and much more. This feature made Apple II fundamental for the small business and professional activities. Karl Voltolini recalled how this computer represented a real open platform, which offered small businesses and professionals the opportunity to customize the system to meet specific needs.
What does this have to do with Ghostbusters? The video game was also ported to the Apple II, although with differences from the Commodore 64 version. Players using the Apple II could still experience the game and its missions, although the system did not have the same audio and video capabilities as the Commodore 64.
Ghostbusters as a cultural phenomenon of the 80s
The film Ghostbusters (1984), directed by Ivan Reitman, is a great cinematographic success of the 80s. The cast was first -order, with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourny Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis. The story, which follows a group of scientists who become ghost hunters. He mixed comedy, horror and action, creating a mix that has conquered the public of all ages.
Il protagonista, interpretato da Bill Murray, è diventato un'icona del cinema, e la famosa frase "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" è entrata nel linguaggio comune. Il successo del film ha dato vita a un vero e proprio fenomeno culturale che ha attraversato diverse forme di media: dalle serie animate ai giocattoli, dai fumetti ai videogiochi. Questi ultimi, in particolare, hanno permesso a milioni di persone di entrare nel mondo di Ghostbusters e di "cacciare i fantasmi" attraverso il joystick, continuando l'esperienza cinematografica direttamente nei salotti. Così, la saga di Ghostbusters è diventata un simbolo di un'epoca, contribuendo a definire il decennio degli anni '80: un periodo in cui la tecnologia, la musica, il cinema e i videogiochi si intrecciavano per creare un immaginario collettivo che ancora oggi rimane vivo.
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Interesting!
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