Ghost Hunters

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Ghost Hunters
System(s): Medium-scale attraction
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega AM5
Genre: Action
Number of players: 32
Release Date RRP Code

Ghost Hunters (ゴーストハンターズ) is a 3-minute long attraction designed by Sega for its amusement theme park venues in the mid-1990s. It combined the traditional haunted house/ghost train dark ride attraction with elements of augmented reality and light gun shooter gameplay.

Story

Players are volunteer "Ghost Hunters" at the Institute for Spirit Extermination. Director Harold and his assistant Jennifer welcome the players for routine training, when an emergency suddenly occurs: the Arthur family's home on 7th Avenue is overrun with ghosts. Players mount one of sixteen "Turbo Buster" ride vehicles, which are equipped with a special spiritual barrier and autopilot, and use their "blaster beams" to rid the house of its ghost infestation.

Gameplay

Ghost Hunters consists of sixteen two-seater trolley vehicles which automatically travel on a track through an elaborate haunted house environment. On the front of each vehicle are two guns and a large, concave perspex shield which acts as both a windshield and a mirror. As each car manoeuvres around the track, CGI ghosts and gun effects are projected onto the perspex screen and also various parts of the attraction's scenery to create augmented reality illusions.

Players are tasked with using their guns to shoot the ghosts as quickly as possible, whilst travelling through horror-themed scenes. A mixture of digital and practical effects are used to strengthen immersion, including "breathing" walls and overhead air cannons which blow down onto riders. The amount and type of ghosts change depending on the players' performance. The "final boss" of the attraction is a creature named Gorgon; if defeated, a photo is taken of the player who dealt the final blow, and printed on a mock newspaper article given as a souvenir. Each ride cycle carries players around the circuit twice.

History

Locations

Ghost Hunters made its public debut at Osaka ATC Galbo on 14 April 1994, and was subsequently installed at various other Sega amusement parks, including:

• Yokohama Joypolis
• Ichikawa Galbo
• Yokkaichi Galbo
• Niigata Joypolis
• Fukuoka Joypolis
• SegaWorld London
• Shinjuku Joypolis
• Sega World Sydney

One of these is known to have been moved to Yokohama Dreamland in 1999, and was later abandoned and later demolished alongside the park upon its permanent closure in 2002. Another was relocated to be housed in the first Neo Geo theme park, Neo Geo World Tsukuba, opened by SNK in December 1995. The only version to remain in operation is the former Sega World Sydney model, purchased by Indian resort Haiiland after the venue’s closure.

Versions

Ghost Hunters II

After Ghost Hunters made its debut at Osaka ATC Galbo in April 1994, an updated version officially referred to as Ghost Hunters II ~ The Labyrinth of Poisonous Moths ~ (ゴーストハンターズП～毒蛾の迷宮～) was installed at the venue and Yokohama Joypolis on 11 September 1995 as part of a renewal of their attractions, with most subsequent locations also receiving the update thereafter. Ride facades in many of the parks still called the attraction Ghost Hunters, and changes made to it largely altered its theming.

Treasure Panic

Treasure Panic in Tokyo Joypolis

A redeveloped version of the attraction, Treasure Panic (トレジャーパニック), was debuted at Tokyo Joypolis on the centre's opening day in July 1996. Though the physical attraction itself remained the much the same, with the exception of the additions of a branching path and different theming, its revised gameplay concept revolved around submerged treasure on a sunken pirate ship. Players' guns also instead acted as triggers for large gloves used to hit and grab opponents. Treasure Panic is not thought to have been installed at any other venues, and was later removed from Tokyo Joypolis in late 1999.

Promotional material

File:Ghost Hunters JP Promotional Video.mp4

JP Promotional Video

File:Ghost Hunters JP Promotional Video.mp4

Artwork

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