Ghostbusters Slot Machine: General Information
Ghostbusters is a slot machine produced by IGT featuring 30 paylines, 4 Mystery functions, and two Bonus Games. The game closely follows the 80s film about a ragtag band of ghost hunters dealing with an infestation of evil spirits from the beyond.
This game has two Wild symbols, identifiable by the "Wild" text, the first of which is represented by Slimer, the friendly green ghost. These two symbols substitute for all others, except bonuses, while also creating their own payline. To participate in the two bonus games, you'll need to get 3 Bonus symbols anywhere on the reels. With 2 Bonus symbols on reels 2 and 3 + 1 Bonus Slimer on reel 4, the Ballroom Ghost Catcher Bonus is activated, where you'll need to capture up to 6 ghosts and have 5 shots available.
With 2 Bonus symbols on reels 2 and 3 + 1 Stay Puft (giant marshmallow man) on reel 4, the Stay Puft Bonus is activated instead, consisting of 8 free spins where the paylines will be 40 instead of 30. During this bonus mode, Marshmallows can stay fixed on multiple positions of the same reel, making it Wild for all remaining spins.
Without needing any particular combination, you can participate in the Mystery Feature, which consists of 4 different functions randomly activated after a spin, rewarding you with token wins, win multipliers for the current spin, reels and up to 4 positions that become Wild.
Theme and Graphics
The online slot draws inspiration from the famous Ghostbusters film, a classic of 80s pop culture. The theme focuses on ghost hunting, with vibrant and colorful graphics that recreate the atmosphere and iconic characters from the film.
The slot's background is a night scene of a New York City street, typical of the film's urban landscape, with skyscrapers against the night sky and the famous Ghostbusters car parked on the left. The upper part shows the prominently lit Ghostbusters logo, accompanied by the Level Up Plus symbol, indicating the presence of progressive levels and extra bonuses in the game.
The reels are populated with symbols including playing card initials (A, K, Q, J), each decorated with a neon effect that stands out against dark backgrounds. Among other symbols, the famous green ghost Slimer and another monstrous specter stand out, both presented with a cartoonish appearance that adds a light and fun tone. These are joined by stylized portraits of the film's four protagonists, each on a different colored background that highlights their figure: yellow, red, blue, and green, all with graphics reminiscent of vintage posters.
Below the reels is the game's control panel, showing betting settings such as coin number, coin value, total bet, and available balance. The presence of plus and minus shaped buttons allows for bet adjustment, while circular buttons suggest reel spin functionality. Overall, the slot is designed to immerse players in a nostalgic experience that blends gambling excitement with the emotional appeal of a beloved film, all enclosed in an attractive interface full of pop culture references.
Bonus Features
Let's analyze, in detail, the bonus features present in the IGT game.
Ghost Battle Feature: this feature activates when a ghost symbol appears on the center reel. The player must "zap" the ghost to win. Each ghost can be zapped up to three times before retreating. After being zapped, the ghost leaves a "Ghost Wild" in the "Ghost Queue". Capturing ghosts allows the player to level up.
Ghost Queue: The Ghost Queue collects the "Ghost Wilds" that fall during the Ghost Battle. After each battle, the leftmost "Ghost Wild" in the queue is used and removed from the queue. The queue can hold up to 20 "Ghost Wilds" and is remembered separately for each bet level.
Ghost Wilds: these special symbols are released into the Ghost Queue during the Ghost Battle and are activated in the next spin. There are three types of "Ghost Wilds": Multiplier, Expandable, and Extra. Each has four variants, but only the first three variants are available in the base game and all four in the "Zuul Free Spins" bonus mode.
Equipment Feature: these features can randomly activate after a spin in the base game and include equipment like the Proton Pack, which transforms a set of regular symbols into character symbols to increase wins.
Tobin's Spirit Guide: reaching the maximum level unlocks this guide which allows you to choose the ghost that appears during the Ghost Battle.
LevelUp Plus: leveling up unlocks new game features and permanently increases the return to player. The current ghost's health and level progress are displayed in the upper left of the screen.
Zuul Free Spins Bonus: this mode activates when you hit Zuul five times with scatter symbols. Each time Zuul is zapped, it grants a free spin and a "Ghost Wild" for use during the bonus. This feature can be reactivated and during free spins, the reels used are different from those in the base game.
Slots Similar to Ghostbusters
The world of cinema meets online slots giving life to Ghostbusters, a game inspired by the famous ghost-catching group. IGT often draws inspiration from other sectors for its slot themes, with titles inspired by fairy tales like Enchanted Lamp, inspired by magic and fairies like Pixies of the Forest, or jazz music with the slot machine The Big Easy.
Pros and Cons of the Ghostbusters Slot
The Ghostbusters slot machine by IGT is a tribute to the famous 80s film, and as such, offers a gaming experience that attempts to capture the spirit and fun of the original film. Utilizing the iconic image and soundtrack of Ghostbusters, the game creates a nostalgic and engaging atmosphere that will be particularly appreciated by fans of the film.
With two different bonus games and four random Mystery functions, the Ghostbusters slot maintains a high level of engagement with multiple ways to win. The slot also stands out for its detailed and colorful graphics, faithful to the film's style and characters, with fun animations accompanying the special features.
The LevelUp Plus feature also allows players to increase the theoretical return and unlock new functions as they level up, making game session progression increasingly interesting.
On the downside, new players should consider that the wide range of special features and bonuses may initially be confusing and may require a learning period before fully enjoying the game. And, although the LevelUp Plus feature can increase the return to player, the initial RTP might not be the highest, standing at about 93.99%.