Laser Ghost (Master System) Playthrough - NintendoComplete
233A playthrough of Sega's 1991 light gun shooter for the Sega Master System, Laser Ghost.
Even though this PAL-exclusive horror-themed shooter shares its name with the 1990 coin-op of the same name, Laser Ghost on the Master System is an entirely new game created specifically for the console.
Catherine, the girl in the red dress who looks exactly like Carol Anne from Poltergeist, has been kidnapped by ghosts that have stolen her soul, and you, armed with your ghost-busting Sega Light Phaser, have to guide her back to the real world while protecting her from all the stuff that's trying to kill her.
Catherine mindlessly wanders about the screen as you clear a path for her, making Laser Ghost feel an awful lot like Color Dreams' Baby Boomer for the NES. Thankfully, Sega's take on the idea is a far more playable and fun experience.
She isn't the sturdiest of characters, so you'll have to blast waves of bats, monsters, and possessed objects before they can smash into her. Your gun has unlimited ammo, and you can collect health and weapon boosts by shooting parts of the background. The super shot (the S icon) acts like a screen bomb, and can be activated at anytime by hitting a button on the pad plugged into the second controller port.
The game is pretty short - there are only seven stages and most of them can be cleared in a couple of minutes. It's also pretty easy. Using the gun, you'll probably be able to finish it within an hour or two of booting it up for the first time. Not ideal for a game that sold for £30 (about $50 USD) when it was new, but it's perfect for a solid hour or two if you can grab a copy cheap.
There's some fun variety in the settings. My favorite stage was probably the second: after going through a mansion dodging possessed furniture, you have to fight a spirit that lives in a painting. It feels like it was pulled straight out of Splatterhouse, with a bit of Ghostbusters II thrown in for good measure.
The graphics are pretty good. The sprites are big, detailed, and chunky, and the bright colors are appealing without being too obnoxious (usually). Some of these enemies are pretty slick too, like the flying VW Beetle and the hanging man that you have to dismember piece-by-piece.
Overall, it's a simple, fun arcade-style shooting gallery that's great while it lasts, and the horror theme gives it a bit more flavor than you'll find in most rail shooters on the Master System. If you have a way to play it with the Light Phaser, it's well worth picking up for a reasonable price.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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