While the system has been blessed with multiple must-have Mario adventures, it's a delight to say there's now an essential one from his often overlooked sibling too.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is a stellar sequel to a forgettable classic. Nintendo has refined the formula and made it interesting to fans and even those that didn’t find the appeal behind the original. For those looking for the next great 3DS game, don’t sleep on Luigi’s latest.
Luigi's Mansion 2 is a great game that has solid gameplay with well-designed levels. Looks good, plays better and improves so many elements of its predecessor.
It's a fantastic little platformer that looks great, plays well, doesn't talk down to you and utilizes the strengths of the system to their full effect. This is a game that really "gets" the essence of the 3DS, and understands that a good 3DS game means so much more than just using the 3D effect.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon maintains much of the charm of the original and benefits from a superior coat of paint and level design. But one limitation the 3DS has—its lack of a second joystick—can prove irksome, especially as you move into the latter stages.
Luigi’s second “solo” adventure is bigger and funnier than the original GameCube title, but the stiff mission-based structure prevents it from becoming an instant classic.
A mostly pleasant game marred by the possibility of moments so frustrating, they threaten to overshadow the entire experience. These missteps are all the more disappointing because the better elements of the game are so charming. You may still want to take up the PolterGust 5000 and explore these haunted houses, but be warned: the things lurking in these dark places aren't likely to scare you, but they may well have you seeing red.
Replaying this almost 10 years later just reminds me how iconic Luigi truly is in the Mario universe. The animations are stellar, the controls work so well and its such a good follow up to the original gamecube game. My only gripe with this game is how Nintendo changed the original Ghost models and made their own unique design with them in this game. This is annoying to me because the original Luigis Mansion ghosts looked like dead Mario characters which is part of what made it special. Other than that, its so good and would recommend.
+ Different Mansions provide different atmospheres+ Standard enemies now have more personality+ Luigi's personality shines better in Dark Moon- Boss enemies feel repeatitive- level / mission based system ruins the magic the original set- Game constantly interrupts levels to bother you with information you can access on your own.- No special ghost(s) or puzzles with said ghost(s)- "powered up" enemies just feel like padding having to wait for their weakness to show- Game focuses on missions rather than exploration
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is well rounded games with a unique reimagining of the original game. It has both pros and cons that may vary depending on the audience. There is a lack in the variety of ghosts and adversaries in comparison with it's predecessor. However, in a vacuum, this game is still well rounded, fun, and challenging. Being on the 3DS it maximizes it's capabilities and brings in features not available from the beloved GameCube trailblazer. It is one of the only games I really love to play in 3D. With the color palette and great sprites it really pops and shines in 3D. The use of gyros with the 3DS is just a sprinkle of flavor to add to a perfect recipe for the second Luigi's Mansion title. Just like salt, too much can ruin a dish, just enough brightens the flavor. The stages in different mansions makes for shorter play times and not sprawling areas to explore like in the first title. Does this take away from the game on its own, it doesn't. It may not match the recipe of the first game, but mobile platform for on the go play in short bursts of time, it satisfies the appitite. This is how I play it, on the go, in short bursts. I continue to come back every crack of time for just a few more ghost and puzzles.
This leads to puzzles and gameplay. The puzzles are not too challenging but not always that simple. Using all your tools and abilities and noticing little items that catch your eye will often gain you a silver two star rating at the end of the stage. Controls and game play don't differ too much from the previous game. Simple and elegant, don't fix what is not broken.
In conclusion, I find this to be a great title, reasonably priced at both retail and used markets. This is not a direct sequel for those expecting an exact cookie cutter image of the first game, but instead, a game that makes a mobile experience fun and challenging. A solid addition to any game library. If you have one game in your library and it's the GameCube Luigi's Mansion and you look to add a second game expecting greatness and a continuation exactly where you left off, this isn't going to bring that expectation. This will bring fun puzzles and game play to a pocket near you.
Mabuhay!
Pixel Pino
#pixelpino
Summary(Also known as "Luigi's Mansion 2" in the UK/EU) Luigi is back on a mission to remove a bunch of stubborn ghosts from some spooky mansions. Armed with his trusty Poltergust ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner, Mario's brother takes center stage to capture these pesky phantoms.