Luigi's Mansion

"See? Ghost stories don't have to be scary to be good."

Mario the Plumber has seen some amazing adventures, but it has always seemed that Luigi is always to play second fiddle pretty much everywhere he goes. And even when Luigi DID get to play main star the games he was in were pretty much not very liked (such as Mario's Time Machine, Mario Goes Missing). And as video gaming even evolved into the 3D world in the days of the N64, Luigi did not ever seem to be in the action any more, although partook in the tournament games (Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros). The GameCube's premier launch title decided to give Luigi a chance at playing main hero and showing the world what he was really capable of. But the question on everyone's minds: Is this game good?

This game was released in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube in America and Japan, and finally got to Europe along with the GameCube in May 2002. It shows a brand new point of aspect in the Mario games. Rather than stomping the baddies by jumping on their heads, you use a vacuum cleaner to suck them in, Ghostbusters style, while using a flashlight to blind the ghosts and to capture boss ghosts to turn them into portraits and collect money and solve all sorts of puzzles while you search around for Mario, who was last seen in the house and did not reappear since.

Luigi's Mansion offers brand new gameplay from a whole new point in the Mario games. It is a game that showed off really well what the GameCube could do. The puzzles you solve are endless, there is a good amount of things to do while you're in the house (although this game does seem quite short), a new, fun way to fight your enemies and even as a 'ghost' game, it is still suitable for pretty much all ages, as said on the box. There are a lot of good things about this game and it does seem pretty flawless, but there are still some things that could have been improved - I will explain these in a bit more detail.

Gameplay - 8/10

At first glance, the 3D views of the game make it appear easy to manoeuvre around in. When you first get grip on the controls, you may have to get used to them. They are simple at first - the D-Pad will move Luigi in any direction, and that is all you need to know at first. However, once you acquaint with E. Gadd and slip the Poltergust 3000 onto your back, the controls do get more difficult. It can be a pain to be holding one button down, tapping on the D-Pad and moving the C-Stick around when it comes to sucking in the ghosts. At first you could seem pretty bad at it, but once you have gotten used to it and possibly done some more training in the lab, they will be comfortable and you can use your techniques to your advantage. Being so versatile there isn't really much Nintendo could have done with the controls, but they are comfortable to learn and get used to.

During the game you simply do a number of things and suck in the ghosts, but it can be more complicating. You can use the Game Boy Horror that Gadd gives you as a method on clues to ghost attack, and ghost bios once you have captured them. The clues that it gives can be helpful at times if you reach a ghost portrait that you are unsure how to catch. It also gives a map of the mansion in case you get lost or need to know where to go to next. The game actually helps you with what you have to do; this is a clever idea and in my opinion, adds to the gameplay.

Ah, the difficulty. There is no default setting of difficulty, but the challenge does get really tough by the time you are in the later areas. Your skills have to be at their best by then, so by getting used to them in the game is really the only way to help. It does seem a bit frantic at times, but really, if you just practise, it'll become easier. It is really fudgy and difficult at the end, though, but if you like challenge, this game gives it. Your fashion of going around the mansion is also dependant, sometimes you need to solve puzzles to advance, and if you are a fan of puzzling games, there you go. Also, the hidden mansion offers EXTREME difficulty in a brand new house, if you really are that good at it! But I cannot spoil it for you though, so I'll leave it there.

Story - 6/10

The main storyline of the game is that Luigi has won a large mansion in the middle of nowhere from some competition he never even knew of, let alone didn't enter. So he calls Mario up to tell him that he has won a grand mansion, and Mario is going to meet him over later on. Luigi gets lost on his way but when he finally arrives it isn't the kind of mansion he was expecting. Seems all horror-storyish, but the plot carries on and twists around a little bit from here.

Luigi enters the mansion and later finds out that it is haunted by evil spirit Boos. He meets a scientist, Professor E. Gadd, who tells him that the mansion only appeared a few days ago, and the Boos captured his ghost portraits and reversed them back into ghosts! This is another good storyline to add to the mix, and the whole ''Ghostbusters'' feel of the overall game is fairly good, although a storyline is not really what makes a game special, although this storyline is a good build-up to the game itself, and the little, smaller plots and puzzles peppered throughout build the overall plot up too, and this is another good point on the game.

Audio/Video - 9/10

The sound isn't really so much of an ordeal here, although it is clear and crisp. The music does give the game that sort of 'scary' feel in some areas, while in other places like while you hunt for ghosts; a calmer tune is played. Sometimes Luigi even hums or whistles the tune as well, I like. The sound effects are totally great, and they are overall very good sounding.

The graphics of Luigi's mansion show what the GameCube is really capable of, and displays its awesome graphical power. Character designs look very well in 3D, the shading is very well displayed, and there are a nice variety of dull and light colours throughout the mansion. I also love the animation of the game, which is another of its finest points. When you see Luigi turn the handle on a door and push it open, it shows the GameCube can display some life-like activity in 128 bits. A lot of character models look very detailed yet are all individual. These are some of the best graphics I have ever seen in a video game.

Replayability - Medium

The game is indeed quite short and maybe could have been longer although at its current size it is pretty darn good and exciting anyway. Also there is a second mansion for the gamers who want to test their skills, making this an even longer lasting game. You can always try to improve your skills against the ghosts by visiting the lab a few extra times, and it's not bad for having a twice over. Overall replayability is fair.

Buy or Rent? - Rent

The game is very short and quite simple to complete, and can be done within two days, as I managed to do. If you are only interested in playing once then Renting would be the best option. For Mario fans, this is a good title to add for a GameCube collection, and I recommend buying it anyway, as the money is worth it anyway. If you can't rent it from a store or a friend, then buy it, it is worth it too. But only rent if you are prepared to put many hours into it at once. You could find it at just about any store with GameCube games; it'll be quite cheap now too, a bargain at around £30 or $60, a big price cut from what it used to be.

Good Things/Pros

-Decent challenge throughout
-Easy to learn and get used to
-Good for gamers of all ages
-Rather fun if you like puzzles
-Excellent graphics
-Can be found cheap now
-Luigi is cool to play with

Bad Things/Cons

-Short
-Can get dull after playing a few times
-Can be completed in a very quick time, would be better to rent

Overall - 8/10

Overall, the GameCube Nintendo franchise has gotten off to a good start and Luigi gets to take the spotlight from Mario in a game of his very own! Overall this game is truly awesome - the graphics are amazing, it displays what the GameCube is capable of, and is a new controlling system to a Mario game. It is a great title to choose to go with a GameCube collection, and is very fun and addictive.

The Conclusion

Awesome Mario...er, Luigi game. Let's hope Luigi comes back for more adventures of his own!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/31/03