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In my quest to finish all three Luigi’s Mansion titles by Halloween, I’m excited to bring you a Luigi’s Mansion review so quickly. For this review, I’ll be discussing the 3DS version, as that’s the one I played. I’m thinking maybe next year I will tackle the original GameCube title, which I thankfully still have my original copy of. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Story
Luigi wins a free mansion and he goes out to explore it. Upon arrival, he is met with ghosts but is thankfully saved by Profess E. Gadd with the Poltergeist 3000, our weapon of the game. Afterwards, they go back to E. Gadd’s lab and Luigi’s informed that the mansion just appeared there days prior. It seems Mario has also entered, but no clue where he is. So Luigi sets forth on an adventure to find his missing brother, appease the spirits by capturing them and to stay alive during this spooky night.
Gameplay
The player controls Luigi as he explores the mansion in search of his brother. You’ll need to vacuum the ghosts up in the Poltergeist 3000, solving puzzles and getting keys to unlock the next door of the adventure. There will be plenty of boos to hunt down as well, hiding in objects, and hidden secrets to uncover.
Most rooms have portrait ghosts, which are much tougher than the normal ones you find stalking the halls. Each of these ghosts have some type of trick to unlocking their hearts, which allows you to vacuum them up. An example would be one of the first ghosts you go up against. You have to pull the curtain back with the vacuum to have the wind come through and catch her off guard. Each ghost has something like this.
The gameplay for Luigi’s Mansion is fun, usually not that difficult, and easy to get into. There’s plenty to do to keep yourself busy and ghosts to keep you company.
Graphics
The 3DS version of Luigi’s Mansion does not compare all that well to its GameCube original. While it isn’t downright awful or unplayable, there is a difference that leaves something to be desired. While some aspects of the game may look like an upgrade, like better lighting, the overall downgrade in the mansions interior and Luigi’s looks aren’t up to what they could be.
Soundtrack
This has some of my favorite music from any video game our rhere. It’s so catchy and it fits the theme perfectly in every way. It sets the tone of a spooky, dark night in a haunted mansion absolutely full of ghosts.
Controls
I thought these were fair. The C stick on the new 2DS XL I used did its job, but I have to say I dislike the design. I used to have a new 3DS XL and it was the same way. They’re stiff and don’t move so you have little way of knowing if you’re moving it correctly or not. This isn’t the game’s fault, but it did hinder my gameplay a bit.
You can change the controls in this version to fit your needs. I tried a bit of everything, but the standard move mode with the flashing setting on original was my go to, even with the C stick situation.
Replayability
Luigi’s Mansion offers high replay value in different ways. You could easily play through it on a new file or if you’ve already beaten it, go through the Secret Mansion, which offers stronger ghosts that will challenge you. Of course, you can’t forget about the boos either.
Scores
Story: 8/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Graphics: 7/10
Soundtrack: 9/10
Controls: 6/10
Replayability: 10/10
Overall:
Conclusion
Luigi’s Mansion on the 3DS is a solid choice when it comes to finding a way to play the game. Its controls may be a bit problematic, but the overall core gameplay is still intact and offers a lot of fun. If you’ve never played the original and spot this version, it’s worth going through.
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