Every once in a while, you get a game that really sucks.

Luigi has never been one to hog the spotlight. In fact, most of the time, he is in his brother's rather portly shadow. He's had two adventures of his own, one of which never happened, and the other being the original Luigi's Mansion. Luigi's Mansion was a game enjoyed by very few however, as many immediately wrote it off for not being a sequel to Mario 64. Statements such as "Why aren't I Mario?" and "No jumping? Why Nintendo, why!" were common complaints to the actually quite detailed game. However, over the years, the expectations disappeared, and Luigi's Mansion has become a title loved by many.

The reason for the lack of jumping was simple; it would not make any sense to put it in a game whose mechanics focus on capturing ghosts in a quick and chaotic fashion. This is accomplished by turning on your flashlight whilst in close proximity to said specters, and then using your trusty poltergust 2000 to vacuum them up.

Now that all that is out of the way, on to the review. We're now well over ten years since the original came out, and the sequel is all one could have hoped for.

The gameplay is in some regards, quite similar to the original, with a few major changes. Instead of one, giant, sprawling mansion, there are five mansions with less depth than the original, but since you don't simply explore anymore, it works out just fine. While you can simply wander the mansions at whim, you do so in the new missions.

Since the 3DS has no analogue triggers, the sucking mechanic has been tweaked a little to fit the 3DS's layout. Instead of only holding down the R button after shining your light on them and then hanging on for the ride, you now must use the new strobe feature to flash the ghosts with a chargeable beam of light and then (similarly to the original) push the R button to start sucking. Once you put enough force behind your Poltergust 5000, a meter above luigi will be full, in which situation you can push the A button to suck up a large portion of the ghosts health. While sucking, you can also push the B button to jump dodge any enemy attacks, but the ghost will be able to drag you like a ragdoll, so one must perform this with correct timing to use it effectively.

The ghosts themselves have gotten a few noteworthy changes as well. Instead of the creepier ghosts from the original that emphasized the spooky atmosphere, the ghosts have taken up a more silly and generic appearance with much more personality. Some major differences however, are the varied methods of attack that the ghosts use with the goal of taking you down. Greenies, the most common ghost, use just a basic uppercut than sends them forward several feet. Slammers use a clap attack that creates a small vortex that damages you. Many other spectral beings inhabit the mansions as well, but in the interest of spoilers, those will not be described here.


...Why are you looking at me like that?

In the multiplayer Scarescraper mode, you can choose 3 different goals to reach on a floor of it. In Hunter mode, you and your buddies run around the floor attempting to catch all the ghosts in the area. In Polterpup mode, you go around trying to find very frisky and clever invisible ghost dogs. In rush mode you try to find the escape hatch on the floor before the time runs out, but by catching ghosts you can extend your time.

This being a spin-off of the Mario series, you don't need to know much about the story. A familiar foe has shattered the Dark Moon, a special object with unique calming properties on the ghosts of the paranormal paradise, Evershade Valley. Professor E. Gadd was researching the ghosts, and got in a mess of trouble when the Dark Moon shattered, which made him decide that bringing the biggest coward in the Mushroom Kingdom to help him deal with these misbehaving specters. Luigi and E. Gadd then work together to gather up the Dark Moon pieces with the goal of putting it back the way it was.

Graphically, the game looks gorgeous, and it won't let you forget it. There isn't a single moment in the game that makes you doubt that it's some of the best the 3DS can offer. Speaking of which, the 3D in the game is outstanding. There are certain moments in the game where it's almost required, but one really can't get mad at it when it looks so pleasant.


Before you enter every mansion, the screen dramatically pans over the mansion from several locations

The Music in the game is almost only atmospheric, as it's not really memorable as much as it adds to the ambience.

Overall, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a must have for any self respecting Luigi fan. It may not be for everybody, but with a campaign that has plenty of unlockables and treasure to collect, and an extremely addictive multiplayer mode, you'll certainly get your money's worth.

9/10

This review was brought to you by Lots of Spaghetti Enterprises. When there's something strange in your neighborhood, go buy some spaghetti.