Review: HasLab Ghostbusters Plasma Series ECTO-1A, along with the grey-suited Ghostbusters and Louis Tully from Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
- Mephitsu
- Dec 21, 2025
- 13 min read
‘We’re the best! We’re the beautiful! We’re the only….”
Welcome to Part 2 of our look over the Hasbro HasLab Ectomobile project. In Part 1 we unpacked the main box and took a look at the ECTO-1 configuration and the figures from Ghostbusters 1984. In this article, we will unpack the Deluxe pack, which is very much themed around Ghostbusters 2 from 1989, with parts to convert the Ectomobile into ECTO-1A with figures of the Ghostbusters in their GB2 grey suits… and don’t forget ‘geared up’ Louis Tully.
Hasbro gave collectors a choice of two packages for the Ectomobile, with a base model of ECTO-1 in the main box, along with Slimer, the Librarian Ghost, and Louis Tulley. If you did choose to upgrade to the Deluxe Model, then a second box was bundled with the first, connected by an outer sleeve.
This upper red box was, like the main box, designed to look like a rolling tool box and was also adorned with stickers, predominantly themed around the 2nd movie with references to the Statue of Liberty, World of the Psychic, Rays Occult Books, and the Manhattan Museum of Art. There is even a handwritten note to remember the ‘Birthday Party at 2pm’ and to ‘Bring Winston’.
Inside this box is an array of plastic trays containing the ECTO-1A roof section, additional roof parts, the Ghostbusters, their equipment and the ECTO-1A sticker sheets, of which there are two. There are no instructions in the Deluxe box, as everything you should need to know about setting up ECTO-1A is on the fold-out instructions from the main box.
If you’ve setup ECTO-1, then this will need stripping back slightly before you can execute the ECTO-1A configuration. The GB1 stickers need removing from the driver, passenger and rear door. You should also remove the ECTO-1A number plate from the front (although I chose not to do this for these photos as it was very difficult to get straight in the first place). The roof sections simply swap-out, so you open up the rear door and clip out the ECTO-1 roof and replace it with the ECTO-1A set. Into this you need to plug the large radar dish, the aerials, and the side connector which sits next to the blue hosing and connects to the second socket on the car body, this one was covered up on ECTO-1 with one of the round plugs. That same plug can be taken right around the other side, where the ladder and piping sat on ECTO-1, and the hole for the pipe can now be covered.
The rear bumper slots out and is replaced entirely with a red bumper piece with its own number plate which needs the ECTO-1A number plate sticker. At the front of the car there is also a clip-out section to the right of the number plate, which features an extra light beacon on the 1A model and this slots in to the hole while also connecting to the electronics with a pronged plug. Everything else is now a sticker application, and there are a lot more than there were on the first iteration.
The GB2 stickers are easy enough, but the stripes are frustrating as a couple seem to be a few mm too long and the rear set don’t actually line up correctly to the fins of the vehicle as shown in the instructions. These also need to straddle the plugged sections and because the plugs sit proud the fit again is poor, and its actually easier to leave the hole exposed and have the sticker over the top. Everything else is then the call-out messages and the hazards and warnings for the roof section. Like the first roof, the instructions are not the easiest to follow, and the stickers have low adhesion and are difficult to stick to anything other than a flat surface.
The final change is the wheels, and the instructions are not overly clear in executing this. You will need to work on the bottom of the car, so in hindsight it's better to do this without the roof in place. Each metal axle pulls out and brings the clipped cover with them. The wheels then come off and the hubs split into a rear hub and front hub. For ECTO-1A you swap the front hub with the white hub with the silver central cap and then reassemble everything. I have since realised that you can also reverse the tyres, removing the white rim for ECTO-1A and having a plain tyre for ECTO-1A.
Once complete ECTO-1A can then be activated using the same front switches. There is no change to the sound effect and you can activate a starter sound effect with a medium-length button hold, if you hold this for longer the sound will move from starter effect and into an engine idling sound. A single press either at the start or with the engine idling will sound the siren.
The lights cycle again from front and rear lights, internal lighting, and eventually the multicoloured beacons and sirens, all of which are much more visual than the blue on the first roof. To the sides are two large white panels which are the dot matrix messaging system. This was beyond the budget to actually have it working on the car, so instead a sheet of cut panels are included, allowing you to present either side with a variety of messages from ‘Ghostbusters’, to ‘We’re Back’, We’re Ready, ‘To Believe You’, and ‘For Hire’. While these do not scroll, they are pretty impressive once backlit.
As we mentioned in Part 1, the switches do not hold their choice, so once the batteries run out or the USB lead is removed. That means manual operation is mandatory, and there is no remote control option for those who want to display the car in a display case or cabinet or surrounded by figures.
Using the Diamond Select Toys Ghostbusters Firehouse Diorama
“Ghostbusters! Yes, we’re back”
Before this Ectomobile project arrived, Hasbro’s Plasma Series had not featured any figures from Ghostbusters 2. We now have five, all of which are modelled on the original bodies that now date back five years to 2020.
The grey suits are seen predominantly in the montage scenes following the court appearance, and follow the same design as the beige suits, but are now cast in a dark grey colour with a blue hue. The right shoulder carries the Ghostbusters 2 logo as a decal, and the name plates are updated to the GB2 font and are clearly legible as Spengler, Stantz, Venkman, and Zeddemore. The bodies are essentially identical apart from this name plate, although Peter includes different lower legs with his suit pants over his boots rather than tucked in like the other three.
The figures are painted elbow protection in a grey finish, while the figure belts are black and then painted over with silver buckles and clips, a yellow pouch, and with another component tool picked out in red. None of these are removable, and none of the accessories can be hung or stowed on the belt.
The heads are all updated from the Wave 1 figures and use facial print tech to replicate the likenesses. While some of these are awesome, particularly Egon with his quizical smirk, and Peter. Others are off, with Ray not looking quite right and arguably not as great as his first head, and Winston, whose likeness to Ernie Hudson has been lost.
Headsculpt comparisons to date: HasLab Ectomobile (left), Slimed Wave (centre), Wave 1 (right)
Articulation is the same as the 2020 figures, pinned at the knees and elbows. There are 20 points of articulation in total, with some modern inclusions like the butterfly shoulders, but with some older format cut swivels on the thighs and biceps which can look a bit unsightly when turned. Overall, the articulation gives the figure a full range of motion to replicate a lot of what we see on screen such both in terms of their mannerisms, but also in using the plethora of included accessories.
These accessories, which also work with Louis, are the same as those included in Wave 1 and feature the PKE meter cast in black with a green screen, and the Ghost Trap with a yellow and black hatched opening. These can be held easily by any of the team.
"You mean the Ghostbusters hot thermal beverage mug and free balloons for the kids?"
The other accessories are all GB2 themed and include the hot beverage mug and balloon, as modelled by Egon in the movie, in their new TV advertisement. These are cast in plastic and applied with the GB2 decal. The mug features a handle that can be held by the figures, while the balloon is shaped so it can be pinched by the grip of the hands and hangs down.
“Oh baby, you’re my number one Christmas boutique gift item”
We also get the Mood-Slime Toaster which is a cast dull silver piece, inclusive of the toaster handles and the toast slots. The mood slime is painted in pink and is bubbling out of the top.
For reading materials, another copy of Tobin’s Spirit Guide is included. This one is a lighter brown than the one from the Afterlife line, and features a sculpted cover stating the name of the book, with the Masonic All-Seeing Eye symbol on the back. The book is cast open, with the exposed pages also sculpted with the name Tobin and a Pentagram containing what looks like a ghost. Again, this can be held by the figures easily.
A stack of books is also included, which would work with the Library Ghost from GB or as a reference to Ray’s Occult Books. These are sculpted as four stacked books, largest at the bottom and smallest at the top. The top and bottom are a grey colour, with the books in the middle picked out in black and a light red. Like Tobin’s guide, there is text and pictures sculpted into the covers, the top one being the most detailed and titled as an Atlas.
All of these are great to world build the Ghostbusters films in a display, but there are some that are obviously missing, specifically the Christmas Hats we see the team wearing during the ‘We’re Back’ montage. Diamond Select did include on their GB2 grey suit figures, and it is a pity that Hasbro didn’t follow suit. We may see these on the aftermarket in the future through Etsy or similar.
"It's slime time!"
One item that Diamond did put out, and that Hasbro has followed suit with the inclusion of two Slime Blowers in the Ectomobile Deluxe set. These are a backpack design, a bit like the Proton Packs, but they disconnect at both sides with plug in connections at the base and under the arms. The Slime Tanks also plug into the hole on the reverse of the figure, making these a snug and secure fit one installed.
They include plenty of decor with a large grey central tank including warning labels and hazard striping, two side green tanks, black piping and connections, and a lower component section in brown, white and gold with further decal stickers. The front of the vest encloses the suit torso and is grey in colour, with the strapping in a similar military green to the Proton Packs.
The slime blowers themselves connect to the tank by way of some flexible rubber hoses, and they hang off the figures by way of a flexible rubber strap that goes over the figure’s shoulders. The thrower itself is held by a rear post and a front horizontal grip; the hands are a little tricky to get in place as the grips are soft, but once loaded, they are held very secure. Like the Proton Packs, we also get an effect piece to simulate them firing, with two translucent red slime blows that plug into the end of the thrower. These are a nice shape, but are stylised compared to what we see on screen with the way the slime is ‘thrown’ like a fire extinguisher. Considering a level of licence was used to create the shape, I’d have also preferred the colour to be a pinker tone like the actual slime on the toaster.
Using the Diamond Select Toys Ghostbusters Vigo Painting
At this point, it is worth noting that the Slime Blowers were never worn with the grey suits, so there is a level of inaccuracy for any purists. I’ve created a couple of Slime Blower figures by using some original Wave 1 heads for Ray and Winston, and putting them on the corresponding Afterlife bodies, which are darker beige suits and more accurate. That does leave the shoulder icon inaccurate, but I can live with this. For those who collected the Diamond Ghostbuster line before it folded, the world-building parts from this line can also transfer over to the Hasbro collection, particularly the Lenticular Vigo painting if you have it.
Slime Blowers fitted onto a kitbash figure using the Wave 1 Ghostbuster heads & Wave 2 Afterlife bodies
“Before we go any further, I think we should get our Proton Packs”
The set includes five Proton Packs, as seen when we looked at the loaded Gurney for the Ectomobile. These are identical to those from Wave 1 and 2 and the Slimed Wave. They are cast black with certain wiring and connectors picked out in blue, red and silver. They are fitted with green straps that straddle the figure, while the pack also plugs into the hole on the figure’s back. The straps connect at one side by a plug that is a little tricky to engage.
The Emitter is also a black cast piece and connects to the pack by another semi-flexible tube. This plugs into the Proton Pack base as a ball joint, and then into the back of the emitter. These then fit into the Ghostbusters' hands, or can be holstered by way of a small clip on the side that clips into the slot on the Proton Pack itself.
Proton Stream effects have been limited on past releases, and in Wave 1, only Winston was furnished with one. This set gives us five, one for each pack. They are made up of a central translucent orange beam, surrounded by blue ‘crackling energy’, all of which connect back to a clear tube that slots over the front of the Beam Emmitter. Once in place, they hold pretty well for firing poses, although over time I suspect these may start to droop.
“I was born to wear this stuff”
Our final figure is Louis Tully, the second figure of Louis in the line after his GB1 figure as the Keymaster. This one features a brand new headsculpt which is a nailed on likeness of Rick Moranis in GB2, wearing his ear muffs. Like the other figures, the facial printing is used to enhance the sculpt.
The body uses the existing suited body from 2020, complete with pinned joints. The height has been adjusted with tweaks in the lower legs to make Louis shorter than the rest of the team. The colouring is the correct beige, and the logo on the shoulder is the correct GB2 decal. Boots and gloves are black gloss, while the elbow pads are painted grey. Louis’ belt is black with grey panels and the same silver clips as the other figures. As the suit is borrowed, and accurate to the movie, the name plate of Louis’s suit reads Spengler.
Articulation is maintained as the original body with 20 points in total, including pinned elbows and knees. Louis can therefore do everything that the main team can do in terms of posing, again allowing some of the mannerisms and scenes from his short time as a Ghostbuster from Ghostbusters 2.
“Stay Fit, Keep Sharp, Make Good Decisions”
As we saw earlier, Louis has his own Proton Pack and Emitter that is identical to that of the rest of the team, and that connects in the same way via the plug on the back and the side strap. He holds the beam emitter in the same way, and thanks to the reduced height in the base figure, this all starts to look a bit oversized for the diminutive Louis.
Louis can also interact with any of the other accessories, and looks particularly good posed with Slimer, considering their relationship and the fact that the Slimer figure is very generic and transferable into displays for any of the three movies in which he makes an appearance.
And it is that world-building and group displays that make the set for me, having the team ride in the car or be posed with it. The figures also look great teamed up, such as Louis interacting with Slimer, or even the Library Ghost, making a comeback to face off against the team. With GB2 now on the map for the Plasma Series, we have to keep our fingers crossed that Hasbro still has plans to expand the line, particularly with core figures like Yanosz and Vigo.
"No, I believe it's one of the Fettuccines"
We summarised many of the issues we have with the Ectomobile in Part 1, but in summary, the decal situation is not ideal, and the lack of a remote ability to turn on the lights and sounds is disappointing. These aside, the conversion to ECTO-1A is impressive, particularly when lit up, and it is a difficult decision deciding on which version of the car to display if you did only back one of them. The GB2 figures are great, and I understand the use of the blue/grey suits considering how many beige releases we’ve had and how many are still loitering on store shelves. Louis Tully is perhaps the star of the figures, a great repurpose of the original body while making it accurate to the movie and the likeness of a 1989 Rick Moranis, complete with his perpetually terrified expression.
Using the Diamond Select Toys Ghostbusters Firehouse Diorama
The Deluxe Set cost £400 in the UK, and for this you got the full car, the options for both ECTO-1 and ECTO-1A and seven figures. If you value the figures at £25 each, then the Deluxe version did offer the better value for money, while also kicking off a GB2 line of figures which had been sorely missing in the five years the Plasma Series has been running.
Using the Diamond Select Toys Ghostbusters Vigo Painting
I am not sure the line can support single waves going forward, but I think larger collector sets may be the way forward like the upcoming Rooftop Showdown and I am excited to see if Hasbro has got more planned… or if like the NECA, Mattel, and Diamond line we have got all we are going to get and the Hasbro Plasma Series is another collection that will end with gaps for core characters.
Keep Track of all the Ghostbusters figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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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