Luigi's Mansion Review
The GameCube classic returns to 3DS
This game was reviewed using an eShop code provided by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch.
Readers of this review probably fall into a couple of camps: either you own a 3DS or you donāt. If you donāt, then take this as my gentle recommendation to reconsider. If you do, then you might find yourself wondering just how much life the console has left in it, as new releases become more sparse with each passing month. Whichever camp youāre in, thereās also the important question of whether or not youāve ever played Luigiās Mansion. Given that this 3DS version is the only re-release of the game so far (the original being a title that launched with the GameCube way back in 2001/02), then Iād say itās highly probable many of you never experienced this bizarre ā and truly wonderful ā āspin-offā that ended up developing something of a pretty major cult following.
For the purpose of this review, Iāll keep it simple: if you have never played Luigiās Mansion ā and you own a 3DS ā this release is an absolute no-brainer. Iāll explain why in a moment.
The bigger question, perhaps, is for those people who have played the original on GameCube: is it worth re-buying on 3DS? Thatās really going to depend on your expectations going in. Letās take a look.
āIf I told anyone else, theyād have me committed.ā
- Professor E. Gadd
Iāll never forget the reveal trailer for Luigiās Mansion. The game was first announced at Nintendoās Space World show in 2000 (sadly, the last of the Nintendo-hosted events occurred in 2001, but thatās another story). The announcement was notable for a few reasons. For starters, Luigiās Mansion was to be a launch title for the GameCube, which was a big deal; everyone had expected a new Mario platformer to launch with the console. Not only was this not a traditional Mario platformer, but it was a completely different concept: it featured Luigi reluctantly exploring an enormous haunted house, hunting ghosts with his trusty vacuum cleaner.
I also think itās fair to say that Luigiās Mansion got people excited. At the time, its graphics were compared favourably with Pixarās Toy Story; it was the first time we saw Nintendoās endearing animation combined with truly powerful 3D graphics technology. Luigiās expressive facial animation was astounding. And when he aimed the vacuum at a curtain or a piece of cloth, the way it rippled and distorted was absolutely jaw-dropping. In so many ways, Luigiās Mansion was a powerful demonstration of the GameCubeās hardware technology. It was also a game that utilised the new GameCube controller with its twin-analogue stick design; youād use the left stick to make Luigi walk around, and the c-stick would be used to aim his flashlight and vacuum.
When I think back to that time, I remember the temptation to write Luigiās Mansion off as some kind of glorified tech demo. But, as it turned out, the full game was a remarkably unique ā and surprisingly deep ā adventure that brought with it some of the most clever and hilarious puzzle design Iāve ever seen.
āM-M-M-M-Mario?ā
- Luigi
Poor Luigi, ever the reluctant hero. He wins a contest (that he never entered, by the way) and the prize is an impossibly large ā and creepy ā mansion. After agreeing to meet Mario there, Luigi arrives to discover that Mario is nowhere to be found. Before he can properly assess the situation, heās ambushed by a ghost and saved by the intrepid Professor E. Gadd, who becomes Luigiās guide and mentor of sorts. Heās a cheerful fellow who is rather proud of his most significant invention: the Poltergust 3000, a powerful vacuum cleaner that can be used to gobble up ghosts. Needless to say, if Luigi wants to find Mario ā and to restore the mansion to its former, non-ghost-ridden glory ā heāll need to work with E. Gadd to rid the mansion of its translucent terrors room-by-room.
Although this game takes place in a single mansion, itās fair to say that this labyrinthine building will take you quite some time to fully explore. The building itself is divided into several zones (which are basically like ālevelsā), although these zones overlap quite significantly. So, for example, you might be exploring a particular zone that has certain rooms which remain locked until much later on in the game ā youāll find yourself regularly back-tracking through areas youāve already explored to discover new secrets and hidden locations. This never feels tedious, because Nintendo pack new surprises around every corner. One of my favourite examples is where a hallway Iād walked through many times suddenly played host to a new type of ghost ā this ghost was impervious to my flashlight and vacuum, and didnāt even seem to notice me, until I lit the brazier he was holding, forcing him into a mad dash to the kitchen, where I had a small window to confront him.
This is just one of the many examples of ghosts youāll encounter throughout the game. There are several kinds of ghost encounters, too ā in most rooms, youāll come across a certain variety of fairly run-of-the-mill ghosts which each require their own tactic to defeat (one type, for example, will try to sneak up behind you and nab you in a bear hug). But in addition to these ghosts, youāll encounter much more elaborate spirits that almost feel like mini-bosses ā often, they will be minding their own business, attending to tasks that they might have done while they were alive (for example, playing a musical instrument or reading by a warm fire). You wonāt be able to simply suck āem up the minute you see them ā rather, youāll need to find a way to expose their heart (which quite literally appears inside their body once triggered). The tactics you need for each ghost will be completely different, and will often require you to manipulate the environment in some way (for instance, one ghost is sitting in a room with an open window that is covered by the curtain ā if you use your vacuum to pull back the curtain, the ghost will start to shiver from the cold air, and will head towards the window to pull the curtain closed; thatās your time to strike).
āWhatās that heās got on his back!? Itās E. Gaddās Poltergust 3000! Everybody scram!ā
- King Boo
It may interest you to know that the Nintendo GameCube is actually capable of displaying images in stereoscopic 3D. Nintendo ultimately decided not to utilise the feature, but Luigiās Mansion was apparently built with this capability in mind. This makes it even more notable that Luigiās Mansion has come to the 3DS ā the minute you start playing this with the 3D cranked right up, youāll immediately see that itās a game built for 3D. Sure, it works just fine in 2D (and thatās obviously how we all played it on the GameCube), but the specific, diorama-like viewing angle lends itself well to the 3D effect. It really feels like youāre looking inside a tinyās dollās house full of little ghosts.
But there are other reasons to consider the 3DS version. For one thing, the game has been ported by Grezzo, who have become legendary in terms of their masterful 3DS ports. Even using the word āportā feels a little misplaced here; this game, like the Zelda titles before it, was built almost entirely from the ground up by the Grezzo team. Some areas ā especially the lighting ā arenāt quite as advanced on the 3DS as they were on the GameCube. But on the other hand, new models and textures work wonders in terms of visual fidelity. This game is still a beautiful sight to behold, thanks in large part to its original art design, and also to Grezzoās fine work here.
I must admit, coming into this, I was mostly worried about the controls. Luigiās Mansion relied heavily on the GameCubeās two analogue sticks ā how would it fare on 3DS? Yes, thereās a ānubā, but I donāt consider it to be a true replacement for a second analogue stick.
The good news here is that, true to form, Grezzo have carefully considered their options. They have offered multiple control methods in the 3DS release, so that each player can tweak the settings to his or her liking. If youāre comfortable using the analogue nub as a second stick, you can certainly use it (and I ended up getting used to it, although it still feels a bit fiddly). But if you prefer, you can use the 3DSās gyroscopes to control aiming. You can even have Luigi point his flashlight and vacuum in whichever direction heās moving via the left analogue disc, which works just fine in a lot of scenarios.
There are some other minor additions to the game ā which I donāt want to spoil here ā including the addition of a local two-player cooperative mode (where one player controls Luigi and the other controls his gooey doppleganger, Gooigi). As I write this, I havenāt tried the cooperative mode. I can see it being a lot of fun to strategise with a friend, especially when facing some of the tougher encounters. But for me personally, Luigiās Mansion works best as a solitary experience.
āTip-top, Luigi! You remind me of myself at your ageā¦ā
- Professor E. Gadd
Itās time to return to the beginning: is Luigiās Mansion on 3DS worth it? Well, as I said right at the start, if youāve never played this game and you own a 3DS, itās really a no-brainer. Luigiās Mansion is a Nintendo classic that is still just as fun today as it was when it launched. Iām thoroughly enjoying my time with it.
But if you did own this on GameCube and youāve already played it a couple of times, thereās not really anything new here to bring you back ā other than being able to play on the go, of course. And for some, that might be worthwhile in and of itself.
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