Summary
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD is a love letter to the franchise's devoted fanbase, capturing the essence and charm that have defined Luigi's Mansion games since their inception. It stays true to the core gameplay mechanics that fans adore, blending puzzle-solving, ghost-hunting, and lighthearted humor in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. The HD remaster enhances the visual and audio experience, breathing new life into the game's atmospheric environments and spooky settings. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD offers a delightful and immersive adventure that pays homage to the beloved original while delivering a polished and engaging experience.
Developer – Nintendo
Publisher – Nintendo
Platforms – Nintendo Switch (Reviewed)
Review copy given by publisher
Luigi’s Mansion is a cherished franchise in the Nintendo universe, captivating fans since its debut on the Nintendo GameCube. The story begins with Luigi winning a contest that grants him ownership of a grand new mansion. Filled with excitement and anticipation, Luigi sets out to claim his prize.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a high-definition remaster of the second game in the franchise, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, originally released on the Nintendo 3DS in early 2013. Staying true to the original, players guide the green-capped hero through a series of haunted puzzles, battles, and amusing scares across five distinct mansion locations. Along the way, players will encounter a variety of ghosts and collect precious gems, making for a thrilling and nostalgic adventure.
If you’ve played Dark Moon on the 3DS, you’re likely aware of the limitations imposed by its single joystick control system. This setup made aiming more rigid and increased the challenge of capturing ghosts with the Poltergust 5000. Fortunately, the dual-stick controls introduced in Luigi’s Mansion 3, are also in this Remaster, eliminating these difficulties, and offering a smoother and more precise gameplay experience. On top of the controller overhaul is the very obvious visual enhancements through new shaders and textures, such as Luigi’s denim looking more detailed, the interior components of the manor, etc. Nintendo’s visual treatments on any Remaster are always top-notch, and very well-remastered giving older games a new look, well keeping that same feeling and atmosphere we all love in the storytelling and beautiful art.
The missions are all led by Professor E-Gadd, someone you may or may not be familiar with if you have never played a Luigi’s Mansion game before. E-Gadd is up to his same antics, creating new ways to make the Poltergust 5000 more powerful and useful for Luigi as he progresses on with his mission to complete the dark moon. During the early stages of the “Gloomy Manor” you are put through tutorial-like trials to learn the controls and acquire attachments for the Poltergust 5000 to make it more equipped for future endeavors. Although the missions do feel fairly linear, I still found myself exploring the manor and did not feel too tied down to the task at hand.
Whether you’ve experienced Dark Moon before or are picking it up for the first time, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a must-play. In addition to the story mode, you can enjoy the multiplayer feature from the original 3DS release, aptly named “Scare Scraper.” You’ll need to progress through the story mode until you unlock the Dark Light Device to access this mode. ScareScraper remains true to its 3DS origins, unlike its iteration in Luigi’s Mansion 3. One notable drawback is the absence of a local play option, requiring multiple consoles and copies for multiplayer on one system. ScareScraper offers three game modes: Hunter mode, Rush mode, and Polterpup mode, each with three difficulty levels.
The main cons I have picked up on have been the lack of Story Mode co-op which would be a fantastic touch to Luigi’s Mansion 2, especially because it was so beautifully implemented into Luigi’s Mansion 3. Another main con is you will be playing a game you may have played before, there is no new additional content added it is a strictly visual and sound overhaul, but it is a true experience to the original.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a love letter to the franchise’s devoted fanbase, capturing the essence and charm that have defined Luigi’s Mansion games since their inception. It stays true to the core gameplay mechanics that fans adore, blending puzzle-solving, ghost-hunting, and lighthearted humor in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. The HD remaster enhances the visual and audio experience, breathing new life into the game’s atmospheric environments and spooky settings. Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to the series, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD offers a delightful and immersive adventure that pays homage to the beloved original while delivering a polished and engaging experience.
