It’s easy to see why 2013 is the year of Luigi when it brings games like Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS. I was certainly excited to finally get my hands on the game and play it. Poor Luigi has always ridden on the coattails of his more successful older brother, Mario, but with this title we almost forgot that Mario exists. With a large and entertaining single player portion and more than adequate multiplayer, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is a must have for any 3DS owner.
The last time we had a Luigi’s Mansion game, it was long before the Nintendo Gamecube released in late 2001. It was incredibly unique to have a Mario brother who didn’t run around and smash goombas for a change. The setting took place in a very creepy haunted mansion and Luigi’s task was to get rid of all the demons. It’s one of my favorite games of all time and I’m glad they made a sequel.
The main story begins when pieces of the Dark Moon are scattered around Evershade Valley and poor Luigi’s mission is to retrieve them. He is quickly teleported away by the appropriately named Professor E. Gadd. The professor will digitize Luigi in various parts of the map and give him quests to find the pieces to restore order to the area. As you progress, Luigi will have to find 5 different areas with increasingly dangerous spectral beings and there are various cameos from characters from the Mario franchise along the way. It’s definitely not a Cohen brother plot, but it does have some twists and turns.
Those who played the original Gamecube smash hit will feel right at home with the game. In the first mission you will receive the now famous Poltergeist 5000, also known as a strange vacuum cleaner. With this device you will capture ghosts, just like in the movie. Ghostbusters. By simply holding down the R button on the 3DS, you can absorb the spectral beings along with various items in the rooms you explore.
That is one of the main characteristics of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon: exploration and discovery. The game rewards those who take the time to soak it all up with the Poltergeist 5000. You can discover various things like coins, or even the special types of ghosts known as Boos. They are hidden throughout the campaign, and surprisingly, they all have varied personalities.
Not only will you have the vacuum cleaner at your disposal, you will also have a flashlight very soon. This acts almost like a flash bang, where you can stun ghosts to make them easier to capture. There’s also a special light you’ll receive in the early hours of the game called a Dark-Light device, which you can point out at the world to uncover hidden secrets like important puzzle solutions. I just wish Luigi had access to more tools and maybe a little more customization in what he would bring to missions. After a while, the tools felt bland, especially since you acquire them so early in the game.
That said, most of the game is focused on catching ghosts and solving puzzles. It doesn’t really deviate from the main aspects of the Gamecube’s success. Which, in a way, is respectful of the original, but also doesn’t add anything to make the game its own as a sequel. At the end of most of the five areas, of course, you will face potholes. These fights test your reflexes along with all your skills as a ghost hunter. They were extremely funny but also uneven. Some of the bumps were incredibly easy and some quite difficult.
There are many things that remained the same between the two Luigi’s Mansions but what they did add was a multiplayer segment. Like most Nintendo games, the online modes aren’t something to repeat over and over again. You will join other Luigis as you fight ghosts as you make your way through the floors of the mansion. It was an added feature, but I got bored of it after a few runs. You won’t be spending much time here.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon It’s a great game. Even though it doesn’t really add anything other than a new single player portion and an additional multiplayer mode, I’m glad I experienced it. After this year, Luigi is slowly becoming one of my favorite video game characters. They added a lot to his personality and the game was genuinely fun. Luigi doesn’t want to be there, but with this great game from Nintendo, you’ll definitely want to extend your stay in the mansion. Satisfy all of your various Luigi and Nintendo related needs at your local Slackers: Luigi plushies and collectible figures, purses and lanyards, and of course, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon Y New Super Luigi U for Wii U!
