Ghostbusters: The Videogame Hands On

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Alternatively, you could try out the Wii version. Unlike the Xbox 360 and PS3 games, which are being developed by Terminal Reality, it's being worked on by Redfly Studios, and has quite a different look. It's much more cartoony, though in more of a Pixar than a Real Ghostbusters way, thankfully (no blonde Egons here).

The remote is used to control your proton beam - yanking it around slams ghosts to the floor, for example. The nunchuk is or things like throwing traps out and de-sliming yourself by shaking it about. The Wii game has clearly been designed with family fun in mind, and there's a split-screen, drop-in drop-out mode for co-operative play.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 titles also have a co-op mode, one that allows you to play online and communicate via headsets. You can play as one of the Ghostbusters or the rookie, and choose from six job types - your character might specialise in capturing the most ghosts, for example, or eliminating spawn points, stopping spooks from stealing key items and so on. I didn't get the chance to play this, but in the video shown during the game presentation it was looking good.

Which applies to Ghostbusters: The Videogame. The character designs are great and the environments are detailed, realistic and well lit, with huge scope for smashing them to bits. Scorch marks appear with one sweep of your proton stream, flames lick carpets and walls, chairs splinter, tables topple and books fall off shelves just like you'd expect them to. You can also use your proton stream to pick things up and fling them around, which is mostly pointless but enjoyable all the same.

That said, there are also some serious bugs in the game which need to be sorted out. Characters get stuck behind scenery or in animation loops now and again. Sometimes they take ages to open the door or finish the conversation which opens up the next part of the level. Those one-liners can repeat themselves, and they aren't so funny the fourth time around. And some of the cut-scene visuals need serious work.

However, both Atari and Terminal Reality are confident these issues can be resolved in time for the game's June release date. "We've just finished content completion and we're going through the initial pass of bug fixing," explains Goss. "Obviously with such a dynamic set, it takes a lot to get all of that perfect, and we're in those final phases now."

How could anyone name a beautiful tiny perfect baby Egon?

Assuming those bugs are fixed, Ghostbusters could break the curse of the rubbish movie tie-in. Most games like this fail because they don't capture the spirit of the film or aren't authentic enough, which is certainly not the case here, or because the gameplay is just plain rotten. But what I've played of Ghostbusters so far is great fun. It's clear that Terminal Reality has thought carefully about what fans of the film really want - not just to "be" a Ghostbuster, but to enjoy the same humour, excitement and strong narrative thread they love the film for. For that reason alone, this game is more likely to succeed than all those other tie-ins. But what does its most important critic think?

"Of all of the movie's stars, Dan probably plays the game the most. He's had the most exposure because it's such a huge passion for him," says Goss. So what does he reckon Aykroyd would give the game out of ten? "Ten, definitely."

"Nah," chips in creative director Drew Hayworth, "Eleven."