Running Press Mini P.K.E. Meter Deluxe Mega Kit Review

April 9th sees the release of the Ghostbusters P.K.E. Meter Deluxe Mega Kit from Running Press, who previously released a Ghostbusters 2016 Proton Pack Deluxe Mega Kit, both of which are part of a whole line of "kits" (no assembly required) containing a miniaturized "figurine" and a related book. This kit, specifically, contains the following items:


Let's take a closer look at each item...


Mini P.K.E. Meter Replica
The main item in this kit, it's a 4" tall plastic replica of the P.K.E. Meter from the original two movies. It comes pre-installed with three replaceable 1.5-volt LR41 button cell batteries to power the light and sound features. A small button on the front handle turns on the lights and sounds. Press it once, and the lights on the display go from top right to bottom left, and the two leftmost colored lights underneath are lit. On the second press, the display lights go from top left to bottom right, and the two rightmost colored lights underneath are lit. The third press shuts it off. There's another small button on the back which pops out the spring-loaded wings. Gently push them down to retract. In a nice little bit of detail, the tiny lights on the wings light up, too. A speaker on the back lets you hear the familiar beeping of a paranormal presence nearby. The video below shows off the light and sound features.



Sticker Book
A small 2.5"x3" book with 8 pages of stickers (the other sides of the pages are blank). The stickers, as you see in the collage above, are 1980s-styled based on the first film. I was actually surprised to find one using an image of Sigourney Weaver as Dana sitting on the temple set. Usually, these types of things tend to just use the logo and Slimer and Stay Puft imagery. Instead of Stay Puft, there are stickers of the No Ghost logo (two variations), the Ecto-1, Slimer, Zuul/Terror Dog, Possessed Dana, Gozer, and the drawing "Spooks, Spectres, and Ghosts" by Phantom City Creative from the Gallery 1988 art collection celebrating the 30th anniversary in 2014. The sticker book is a nice bonus to the mini P.K.E. Meter.

Patreon-Exclusive Bonus Feature: Sticker Book PDF.


Product Information Sheet
This is a simple piece of paper containing the instructions on how to use the P.K.E. Meter, how to replace the batteries, and safety and legal notices.


Nearly hidden on the front of the box is a "Ghostbusters Approved Merchandise" Slimer seal of approval. I've never seen this before. I have to wonder if this will be a regular occurrence on all merchandise this year, and maybe all years in the future. The rest of the box features the now-standard "Classic Ghostbusters" style of green spectral light on a black background with yellow and black caution striping on the bottom. The left and right sides feature photos of the guys from the first movie, as seen below. The back shows a photo of the P.K.E. Meter and lists product details.


Overall, not a bad little kit, though the lack of a display stand makes it hard to figure out proper usage. It's extremely hard to get it to stand on it's own since there is no flat base (like the Ghostbusters 2016 Proton Pack). So, you can't sit it on a desk or shelf as a display piece. You'd have to lay it down, which makes it impossible to see except when standing above it. That said, the P.K.E. Meter is well-made and has nifty light-up and sound features. The sticker book is really cool, though I would have liked a lot more than just eight stickers. The Ghostbusters P.K.E. Meter Deluxe Mega Kit carries a list price of $12.95, but you can always find it a little cheaper at Amazon. The Ghostbusters 2016 Proton Pack Deluxe Mega Kit is still available for sale, too.

This item was provided by Running Press for review on this site.