Review: HasLab Ghostbusters Plasma Series ECTO-1, along with Slimer & The Library Ghost from Ghostbusters (1984)

"Everybody can relax, I found a car!"

The HasLab ECTO-1 project was the first, and currently the only, project for Hasbro’s 6-inch Plasma Series Ghostbusters line. The line itself launched in 2020 with a full wave from the original 1984 movie and a Terror Dog build-a-figure. Since then, we have only had a second wave from Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a repainted Slimed Wave, and a couple of two-packs with the SDCC Louis Tully set and the Afterlife Family that Busts Together set featuring Spirit Egon. The HasLab project would be, as is stated in the HasLab principles, the biggest and most expensive set in the Plasma Series, bringing collectors a properly scaled ECTO-1 but also with an add on option to be able to convert the Cadillac to the ECTO-1A from Ghostbusters 2. 

The HasLab project also expanded the Ghostbusters figure line into Ghostbusters 2 with the release of the grey-suited team and a kitted-up Louis Tully. The set also saw the very long-awaited debut of Slimer as well as the iconic Library Ghost. Backing for the HasLab ECTO-1 began in October 2024, and the sets were shipped and delivered in the UK in December 2025, just in time for Christmas.

You could purchase two versions of the project, a base version and a deluxe version. Each version is boxed separately with a larger grey box containing the base version of ECTO-1, Slimer, Louis and the Library Ghost. The deluxe components are then supplied in a smaller red box, so if you purchased the larger set, you get these two bundled together. Either project is then wrapped with an outer sleeve across the middle of the packaging that details the entire contents of the project. 

We purchased the Deluxe Set, which of the two options presented the best value for money. We did only back the one set, but over the course of this review (for Ghostbusters) and part 2 (which will cover Ghostbusters 2), we will look at both vehicle options. 

The outer boxes are beautifully designed and feature both a base design principle of a rolling tool case, one stacked on top of the other. Across the base decor, we then have a selection of stickers, each paying homage to the original movie and the sequel. These include stickers for Stay Puft Marshmallow, World of the Psychic, Rays Occult Books, The Manhattan Museum of Art, and more. There is even a handwritten note to remember the ‘Birthday Party at 2pm’ and to ‘Bring Winston’.

In this Part 1 review, we will focus on the contents that are taken from the original Ghostbusters movie in 1984, so are opening the main box only, Inside the main box we find a large inner cardboard tray that holds the full vehicle, including the roof and light assembly for ECTO-1. Sitting within this larger cardboard lining, we also have the Slimer figure in a plastic tray with a couple of car parts. Where the bonnet of ECTO-1 sits, the gap above is filled with a second, smaller box inside which are three plastic trays containing more car parts & accessories, but also the Library Ghost, the Gurney for the Proton Packs, and Louis Tully - but more on him when we reach Part 2 for GB2. Inside the box, we also find the instruction pack (which covers both versions of the project) and a sticker sheet for ECTO-1.

The car itself is in a large plastic bag and comes in a part ready state, including the roof pre-fitted and the freewheeling wheels in situ. The instructions are reasonably clear on how to attach the remaining parts, which include the wiper blades, wing mirrors, components for the roof, and the aerials that sit on the passenger side front and rear drivers side. The rear lights covers need to be fitted, and on ECTO-1, you will be left with one unused socket on the reverse side for which there is a socket cover included in white. When installed, this sits proud of the surface, so it is not very discreet. 

"Needs some suspension work and shocks and brakes, brake pads, linings, steering box, transmission, rear end... maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring".

Nearly all of these parts fit snugly and securely. The only one I had trouble with was the wing mirror on the passenger (left) side, which wants to pop off at every opportunity. The two large ‘whip’ aerials that fit front and back are made of metal and flexible, finishing with a rounded section at each end. While not a hook as such, this endpoint will allow them to be bent and tucked under the roof constructs to replicate the look from the film. There are also a couple of internal fittings, such as the CB radio for the front of the car’s interior, and a phone for the rear seating. 

The roof components include a radar dish, aerial, and the two-pronged ‘cannon’, with each of these sitting into a secure slot. Running from the side of the upper roof section is a blue pipe that is designed to sit in a slot on the car body. Like the Wing Mirror, the fit here is not perfect, and this piece is also popping out indiscriminately. On the other side, a short ladder clips into place and hangs down over the car body. This one will also come off if the vehicle is excessively handled, but more so to protect it and stopping it from being snapped rather than being ill-fitted. 

Assembly (which will already be into an hour or so at this point) then moves to sticker application. Hasbro designed this car to be used as ECTO-1 or ECTO-1A with the Deluxe box. That means the stickers would have to be changed if you alternated between the vehicles. More on this later. All of the ECTO-1 stickers are provided in the main box and on a single sheet. There are 11 in total, each being used more than once on the vehicle.

The instructions are not a great help at this point, firstly being very small, and secondly being printed in a black & red colouring and not full colour images of the car or stickers. Placements are also hard to work out where parts are overlapping, particularly on the roof. The larger GB stickers are easy to apply to the two front doors and the rear door panel. The same can be said of the number plates, which fit front and back. The rest is predominantly for the roof, and while these are nice touches, they are so small as to be inconsequential to many collectors, depending on your desire for accuracy. They include radiation symbols, warning stickers, and caution notices. 

The smaller we go, the harder these are to apply and apply straight. There is a tool included in the shape of a plastic spatula, but that is more useful for removal of stickers than for application. I also found that adhesion is reduced compared to usual stickers with Hasbro trying to make these reusable. That means on anything other than a flat shape, they do start to peel off. 

With ECTO-1 finally assembled and stickered up, you will probably be 2-3 hours in, and it is finally time to start exploring your new ride. We start with the bonnet (hood), which is hinged to lift as it would on the full size vehicle to reveal the engine bay underneath. The engine is not super detailed, but this is a nice touch considering the scenes where Ray is working on the car. 

Moving around, the Driver’s door opens smoothly and gives access to the front seats, which will accommodate a full-size Plasma Series figure. The steering wheel rotates, and the CB radio we fitted earlier to the roof section has a mic section on a flexible wire. Across the other side, the passenger door opens the same way and can also seat a figure. The full dashboard is sculpted, and component parts picked out like the speedo housing. Once lit using the interior light functions (as we will see later) you can then see the dashboard is also decorated with dials, vents and trim.

Behind the passenger seat, the rear door on the passenger side opens with a little more complexity as it hinges open, then out to clear the car body. This makes it a little trickier to operate. In here is access to two further rear seats. One of these is fixed and facing backwards, while directly opposite and further back into the car, there is a second fold-up/down seat that faces forward. Around the rear seating are banks of equipment fitted into the car with painted button and screens and connected by several sections of flexible cable. The opposite rear door on the driver's side is fixed and does not open. 

Posed with the Ghostbusters (1984) Slimed figures (not included) inside

For marginally easier access to the interior, we can remove the roof module, which is done by opening the rear door first and clipping out the roof and this then frees up the connection at the front above the windscreen. As you do this, ensure the connecting pipes are also freed from the side of the car. With the roof off, you can access the front and rear sights if you want some overhead access to pose your interior passengers.

The final opening door is the rear door that hinges to one side and gives rear access to the internal bay area. This is the largest element of internal space and is designed to hold the included gurney onto which the team stow their Proton Packs. This gurney is an individual sculpted piece with hinged wheels and supports that fold down when its out of the car, and fold up when its inserted - the wheels then lining up with grooves in the bed of the interior. 

The gurney is cast in grey/silver plastic with a cream bed and has four clips to hold Proton Packs. The Packs are the ones from the figures, but they do have to be stowed without the hose and Proton Emitter. The straps fit around the clips, and then, with the pack leaning back, the rear of the pack should clip into the larger bracket on the gurney. It works, but not as seamlessly as you might like and therefore if you pack up your gear on the gurney and then into the car, they won’t stay in place if you move ECTO-1 around.

“You know, it just occurred to me that we really haven't had a successful test of this equipment.”

The final significant feature of ECTO-1 is the built-in lights and sound options. These can be powered by three AA batteries which are not included, and will need to be fitted into a battery compartment underneath the car towards the rear. Alternatively, you can plug in a USB lead with a C connection into a connector, again under the rear of the car and to one side. Above this is a switch that will need to be in the right position to reflect if battery or USB power is being used. 

With power supplied, you can now activate the lights and sounds by way of two press buttons sat under the front number plate. The left-hand button controls the lights, and each press of the button cycles through the light options that include headlights and rear lights on (2 variations), internal lights on and dimmed, internal lights on full, and strobe lights flashing (also 2 variations). The strobe functions is obviously the most visible with bright blue lights on the main lights and with other strobes and flashing lights around the rest of the car, including light up strobes on the front bumper. 

The sound FX is turned on with the corresponding right button under the number plate. Pressing this once starts up the siren that runs for a period of time before slowing down, fading and then turning off. There is also an engine start up noise achieved by holding the button, which has a starter noise and then an engine running effect. If you press the button while the engine noise is already running, you get that and the siren together. Holding the button then turns off the engine noise, and pressing the button a final time turns off the siren.

While the lights and sounds are impressive and really bring a level of realism to the model, there is a significant issue with the way Hasbro has designed these to be activated, one that will frustrate collectors who want to display ECTO-1 with a light functionality without having to open cabinets or work around other figures to access the buttons. It was assumed and alluded to that the “always on” functionality provided with the USB lead would allow that USB lead to be smart plug controlled, essentially turning ECTO-1 on and off remotely. This is, however, not possible, as once the power is removed, the light sequence resets to the off position. That means, despite the external power lead, the only way to turn on the lights (or the sounds) is by physically pressing the button. 

Shot with lights active against the Diamond Select Ghostbusters Firehouse Diorama

"Now, stay close. Stay close. I know; do exactly as I say. Get ready! Ready? GET HER!"

With ECTO-1 built, played with and ready to display for an original 1984 Ghostbusters display, let’s take a look at the included figures from that first movie. We start with the Library Ghost, the first spirit the team encounters. For a line that has done hardly any true ‘ghosts’ prior to the HasLab release, the execution of the Library Ghost is impressive. The body is cast in a translucent purple overlaid with painted pink sections to pick out key parts of the Victorian dres,s such as the cuffs, shoulders, and the ornate lace neck section.

The skirt uses the same base plastic, starting translucent and then moving to solid pink paint down the ragged, ripped ends of the skirt. There are no legs, and instead the spirit is supported by a flight stand that inserts within the shirt to a socket in the base of the torso. This stand is not left plain, but is also ghostly in terms of its sculpt to give a misty effect. It is very secure once locked in, and puts some of the stands used on the older Diamond Select line for similar ghosts to shame. 

The head sculpt is a really harrowing likeness to actor Ruth Hale Oliver as she played Eleanor Twitty in ghost form. The skin tone is pale pink and sallow with a grey hue to the cheeks, darker pink lips, and sunken eyes, all applied using printing tech. The hair is tied back in a bun and painted in grey.

Articulation is sacrificed considerably, with only 8 points of articulation, with over half the usual joints lost simply by not having any legs. The waist still swivels, and the neck is a ball joint to provide the trunk motion. Interestingly, the arms do not feature ball joint shoulders, only a shoulder swivel, which means you cannot raise the arms out from the body, only upwards. The elbows are more traditional, as are the wrist swivels, which also feature a small pivot.

The hands, the same deathly pink, are shaped with the right reaching out with fingers outstretched, and the left with the index finger extended. This, therefore, allows you to mimic the ‘shush’ position as seen in the movie or to have Eleanor Twitty point menacingly at you. 

Spirits of this nature, as seen in many lines such as Star Wars Force Spirits or Holograms, or the Marvel Legends Doctor Strange Astral Projections, are never perfect and are hard to execute, considering the nature of the effects we see on screen. Straight off the bat, the Ghostbusters team seem to have nailed it, and I am super impressed and hope they get the chance to ring us other spectral characters from the movies. 

"He's an ugly little spud, isn't he?"

And so we reach Slimer, who is finally making his Plasma Series debut after five years. Slimer has appeared in three movies so far, and his appearance varies in each as does his expression within each movie, depending on what he is up to and what he is eating. The figure included with this HasLab project is packed with the ECTO-1 piece and alluded to as being from Ghostbusters 1984. I do think that the figure is modelled on the recent iteration of Slimer from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Most likely using the design and measurements from that movie rather than trying to access older reference material. 

Slimer is a cast green plastic blob, appropriate to his spiritual form, with folded ripples of his body that run down from his mouth and around his expanding middle and rear end. The base green is enhanced with some lighter application of a sickly, almost yellow/green paint. From the body comes two arms in the same green, and these are short and stubby and end in a hand. 

The mouth is the biggest feature and is sculpted with crooked bone coloured teeth, and a pink interior with a detailed tongue, gums and tonsils visible. Above this sit the deep-set eyes with a darker tone painted around them and red used on the pupils. 

Like the Library Ghost, Slimer is levitated on a fixed ectoplasmic styled stand that appears to be melting or running into a fluid base. The stand piece slots into Slimer’s base and holds really securely. It is perhaps not quite as tall as we would like, and maybe that will need an after market solution. 

To date, Slimer has also been released by NECA, Mattel and Diamond Select, and for me, this Hasbro version certainly beats the Diamond (pictured) and Mattel versions, and is on par with the quality of the NECA release. We don’t have the NECA or Mattel versions to hand, sadly, but these are both modelled around the original movies. 

vs the Diamond Select Slimer (2016) shown to the right on each image

"And now... let's talk seriously. Now, for the entrapment, we're gonna have to ask you for four big ones, four thousand dollars for that.”

So there we have it, everything for Ghostbusters (1984) unpacked, built, decorated and on display from the standard box of the HasLab project (Louis Tully aside). And what an impressive centrepiece it is on display, especially for anyone lucky enough to also own the Ghostbusters Firehouse Diorama from Diamond, as the two look awesome together. There are niggles with the car and a couple of loose-fitting parts that frustrate more than anything. The sticker situation feels badly handled by Hasbro, and while you can arguably reuse the stickers, it is unlikely you’d ever get ten uses per sheet. Even after a second application, the adhesion is going, and the edges are starting to show wear. There is enough to kit out the car three times by my reckoning, which means a decision needs to be made early on for those who did buy the ECTO-1A deluxe set on which car you are going to display (unless you were flush enough to buy two).

Shot against the Diamond Select Ghostbusters Firehouse Diorama

The other frustration is the lighting and sound effects functionality and while the USB lead option is appreciated, we absolutely needed the ability to have the effects turned on and off remotely, either by including a remote control switch or allowing a permanently on mode that we can then activate through a secondary market smart plug or similar. 

The figures are great, the Library Ghost in particular showcasing what Hasbro could do if they were ever to tackle figures like the Taxi Ghost or the Scoleri Brothers. Slimer is a long-awaited addition, and looks awesome, but is certainly the more modern interpretation and really needed to sit a little higher on his stand.

Value-wise, the base set priced at £324.99 in the UK is not particularly good in terms of value for money compared to the Deluxe package. It includes three figures, which you can value at £75 if we assume the same price as a standard release. That leaves the car costing £250 while applying a similar principle to the Deluxe set, the car costs circa £225, thanks to the four extra figures while the variance between the two sets was just £75. 

In Part 2 of this review, we will be exploring the Ghostbusters 2 elements of the Deluxe set, which means converting our car to ECTO-1A and also looking over the GB2 figures and Louis Tully. 

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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

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