Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

This is a game unlike any other. Incomparable, yet instantly accessible. The best Nintendo games have a marvelous knack of building the perfect worlds for the perfect heroes and this is the foundation on which Luigi's Mansion is built. Cracking.

The pride in the Nintendo legacy is apparent in every single aspect of this title; the attention to detail, and sheen of professionalism is everywhere. It’s a triumph - visually one of the best handheld titles ever seen, and in terms of capturing your emotions, Luigi has you on board from the first sequence. You want to guide him to victory (and safety!) because he is just so darn sweet.

Dark Moon’s multiplayer is an incredible local experience that should have you shouting with your friends in no time. Online play, however, loses a bit of that experience’s immediacy. The only way to convey anything is to select one of four preset phrases from the D-pad, which hinders communication.

If Dark Moon was just a single-player experience, it would have been a fleeting, yet enjoyable adventure. But with the addition of an infectious multiplayer element that can't be replicated anywhere else, it makes Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon even better than its predecessor, and one of the clear-cut best games on the 3DS.

Overall, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is very easy to recommend. It's fun, charming, and one of the best games available on the 3DS.

Shows Nintendo at its inventive best. It’s an essential game in the 3DS’ increasingly impressive line-up, and though I sometimes wished that it would leave me alone to explore more at my own pace, it’s otherwise difficult to fault a game this detailed, absorbing and masterfully made.

Every haunted room seems to breathe with an inventive charm and delicate attention to detail that make this game one of the best reasons to own a 3DS. Catching ghosts is a rewarding occupation, and the vast amount of hidden collectables could have you fighting to exorcise your inner completionist. With the addition an unexpectedly inventive and enjoyable multiplayer experience, 3DS owners will be hard-pressed not to cut Luigi just a little more respect.

A must-have for 3DS owners. [May 2013, p.68]

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a fantastic adventure full of charm and personality, with gorgeous graphics and more than enjoyable mechanics. A control scheme that screams for the second analog stick and a somewhat disappointing last mission are the only minor drawbacks of a more-than-recommended purchase.

It has more heart than any game in recent memory. [Apr 2013, p.68]

Overall, this is definitely a sequel worth checking out. Even if you’re not familiar with the original GameCube title, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to love about the sequel.

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.

Beautiful, fun, ingenious and unique.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is exactly what a great sequel should be. It’s a much bigger game than its predecessor but retains its creaky charms.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a clever and original action adventure with nice puzzles and interesting combat. [May 2013]

It’s also one of the few 3DS games that I couldn’t imagine playing with the 3D off, as the extra depth really immerses you in Luigi’s Mansion’s world. It does take some getting used to though; the lack of a second analogue makes controlling Luigi a little troublesome until you get used to it, and the lack of Circle Pad Pro support is unforgivable.

If you have a 3DS you don't want to miss this game.

With Luigi's Mansion 2 Nintendo adds a brilliant game to the 3DS. Luigi got through the first part with the vacuum cleaner well and delivered a good second part.

A must-have for 3DS owners that improves over the original and features surprisingly good multiplayer action.

Next Level has found a way to return gamers to the world of Luigi’s Mansion in a way that manages to retain its predecessor’s charm, one that doesn’t take the technical and mechanical aspects for granted. More perfectly than they could have hoped, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon fully executes Nintendo’s original vision.

Lots of charm, ghosts, detailed environments, great sound effects and a theme song you'll be whistling for weeks to come.

As solo game or shared with friends, Luigi's Mansion 2 is an essential experience for the Nintendo 3DS.

Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon is one of the best titles by Nintendo in recent years. Almost a real Killer Application, at least if you look at it with the eyes of an old fan.

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.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is an excellent puzzler wrapped in charming design, clever gameplay and gorgeous visuals through a lengthy campaign that (mostly) plays to 3DS’ strengths.

This is an excellent action adventure game design. At its best, it is full of surprises, dynamic battles and logic puzzles. Once you enter the haunted house you don’t want to check out until the last ghost is caught.

Luigi's back, in his best game yet. Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon is a joyful adventure, remarkably polished, easy to fall in love with and full of stuff to discover and to play with. Visually outstanding, the game surpasses - in every way - the original Gamecube game, but the multiplayer mode is still archaic.

It's gorgeous, as close to a playable cartoon as anything since Zelda: The Wind Waker. That's a big name to drop, but if Luigi's return doesn't quite put him in that class, it puts him in the running among Nintendo's finest.

Regardless of whether you played Luigi's Mansion, this sequel stands on its own merits, and in the process, became another fine entry in the growing 3DS library of quality titles in need of enthusiastic owners. Relish the experience.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is a completely different type of game from the first, and it’s better in every single way. It’s tougher, lengthier, more creative, more varied, and just plain more fun.

It's one of the best games yet for 3DS, and evidence that 2013 is very much the "Year of Luigi".

Luigi's Mansion 2 doesn't just bring back to life the original, it transcends it. Deeper gameplay, smart puzzles, and a parody-filled tone meet a carefully structured mission-based progression that make it perfect for nomad play, while its multiplayer offers yet another take on ghost cleaning.

Utterly charming and subversively clever in that classic Nintendo way, this is one of the best games on the 3DS and one of the mostly perfectly polished titles on any system this year.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a joy, showcasing a love for characterisation and wonderful attention to detail that gives the game an inimitable personality. It never outstretches the limitations of the 3DS, but continuously proves the system's lofty capabilities.

Mario could learn a trick or two from his brother, as Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon stakes its claim as one of the most essential titles available for Nintendo 3DS.

It took long enough for a sequel to arrive but Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon offers a spirited romp, a good level of challenge, and might spur some thought regarding your very existence.

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.

I didn’t really get much into the original Luigi’s Mansion so I was unsure what to expect for a handheld sequel, but I came away pleasantly surprised with the high level of visual detail, fun gameplay mechanics, amount of replayability, and inclusion of an entertaining multiplayer.

A great follow up to one of the lovely classics that left us on the GameCube more than a decade ago. Luigi's Mansion 2 is an always spot on adventure-puzzle game.

It’s still a fantastic game, with a lengthy — if slightly repetitive — campaign, and a surprisingly addictive multiplayer option.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is a special and well rounded adventure that delivers on graphics, atmosphere and humor. A good, eerie game with a cheerful tone. Great for cowards… but also challenging enough for the tougher gamer.

Got rid of your handheld because you only play games on your phone? A shame, because with Luigi’s Mansion 2 it's proven how refined a game on the 3DS can be. It’s drenched in a comedic vibe, which keeps things fresh while exploring, puzzling and fighting ghosts for the considerable time it takes to complete the game.

It plays to the original's strengths and adds a batch of new features. Most importantly, the multiplayer mode alleviates any concerns about short length and is a ton of fun.

If Nintendo refuses to start developing new licenses, it's only because the firm already has enough talent to efficiently renew it's existing ones with a success others have yet to match. Luigi's Mansion 2 is a perfect example of this pattern as Luigi's new adventures in haunted houses hack your mind like drugs once the player understands the finer points of the game. The gameplay has a great finesse which is very enjoyable and the directing along the general atmosphere are almost a masterpiece. Of course the lack of a second controlling stick is not the best feature of the game and we would have liked a multiplayer mode with more rhythm. But the number of qualities provided by Luigi's Mansion 2 makes this game a classic of the 3DS lineup.

The presentation is wonderful and the attention to detail creates a game that has a charm and feel all its own. The controls are a little confusing at times but if you can get over them you’ll discover a fun game.

The mission system may be something some players will dislike, compared to the freedom of the original. However, it has many hours of gameplay to offer, and the new multiplayer mode is a great addition that will make us forget about that.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is a sequel that improves every aspect of the predecessor, also adding a fun multiplayer. Sin for the abuse of some ideas and the repetitive mechanics, like the combat with the ghosts. However, a great game with a great and ironic atmosphere.

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.

The rich presentation (especially on the 3DS XL) and contained mission structure make it a perfect addition to the 3DS library. Whether you played the GameCube original or not, this is a must-play for Nintendo fans.

If Next Level Games had opted to make Dark Moon more of an open-world experience, granting the player free will to poke around its gloomily graceful environments without continual check-in interruptions, it could have been equated to a minor masterpiece. But the game is still something of a small wonder.

Overall, there are some very good and fun ideas that work very well here. It’s a great progression in many ways from the original and at times it’s a truly sublime experience. It’s also different enough from the first game for fans to want to own and enjoy both.

An excellent action adventure game with many entertaining elements. Its multiplayer game along with the game's changeable setting is good and likeable. However, a lack of motivation to reach the maximum score in every single level, and sections of levels that are often repeated are putting the game down.

The moment-to-moment navigation and ghost-busting is so innately enjoyable that it often negated my complaints, though. Mostly, Dark Moon is an excellent adventure game that smartly builds upon one of Nintendo’s most unique and underutilized properties. It could have used a little more balancing and little less padding, but otherwise, this is a grand start to the Year of Luigi.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is an incredibly charming game that despite some issues with online play and a bit of repetitiveness manages to offer a very good experience.

A charming, entertaining romp with bucket-loads of character. Luigi's back in action! [May 2013, p.79]

Luigi may be a little bit clumsy, and sucking up a ghost with a glorified vacuum may not be quite as satisfying as unloading a clip of bullets into an expletive-screaming terrorist, but the newest adventure starring Nintendo’s second-most-popular brother is still a heck of a lot of fun. It’s even head-and-shoulders above Mario’s latest handheld title, New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon offers a fun and memorable experience. Even though the lack of a second analog stick damages combat, and ghosts does not have their own personalities and context, Luigi and professor E. Gadd rescue some of the franchise's original charisma, and the basic game mechanic of capturing ghosts still is very addictive.

Some may find the lack of challenge from both the enemies and puzzles a bit of a shame, and it could perhaps have done with a bigger mansion to explore freely, but from start to finish, Luigi's Mansion 2 is nothing but pure enjoyment, full of that wonderful Nintendo charm and magic that has made so many of its games such a joy to play over the years.

Undeniably distinct from any of the games in which Luigi co-stars with his more famous brother, it’s a rollicking little romp hampered only by its flawed interface, which is more a problem with hardware than game design.

Dark Moon takes what was basically a really good sketch of a game in the original Luigi's Mansion, and fleshes it out into a more robust, and arguably far more entertaining romp, all while retaining the distinctive flavor of that first game.

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.

Despite the twitchy combat and compulsive collecting, it all comes back to those creaking mansions. Highly polished under their grime and cobwebs, the treats awaiting in their dark rooms prove Luigi’s subversive series still has the capacity to thrill.

Dark Moon weighs in at about 14 hours long, though it’ll feel longer thanks to skillful pacing. And the game has a number of tools to keep sucking players back in. Each mansion has a ton of collectibles that in turn unlock new time attack modes for each stage. Then there’s the fairly basic multiplayer, which is worth a try if you can get up to four 3DS owners in the same room, but it’s a mostly forgettable.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is a puzzle-rich wonderland full of irreverent humor and clever level design, but it cannot overcome the 3DS’s limitations. Tilt controls and the lack of a second analog stick really tarnishes an otherwise amazing game.

Connection problems aside, I've really been enjoying the hell out of this new Luigi's Mansion. The whole thing is damn fun, especially for people like me that have fond memories of the Gamecube original.

Though the main game isn't incredibly long, there are collectables, bonus levels to unlock, and multiplayer modes.

A good sequel that improves upon the original and does most things right. Sadly a couple of misses such as lack of checkpoints and clunky controls stands in the way of a higher grade.

Luigi's Mansion 2 does exactly what a good sequel should do and builds upon he solid foundation of its predecessor whilst also bringing fresh new elements to the table. Our frightened protagonist is as charming as ever, and the game's mission based structure is a welcome addition over the open world setting of the original game.

Dark Moon is a likable if flawed journey through an enjoyably spooky world, and while it may not hold up to a long-term residency, it’s certainly worth a weekend getaway.

It might sound a bit more harsh than the game deserves, but sometimes you have to call the developers out when a game suffers under ill-advised direction. Thanks to the beautiful and richly filled houses and some really great characters, Luigi's Mansion qualifies as a really good game. It's just not the fantastic one it could have been.

Dark Moon is a bit like Luigi himself: charming, goofy and utterly affable. The core mechanic of catching ghosts is solid and exciting, and the environments are absolutely worth seeing and exploring. It's got heart, but after trudging through all five of its locales, you may wind up feeling a little like a bedraggled, battle-worn ghostbuster yourself.

Dark Moon has lost a bit of the soul of its predecessor — the ghosts have lost their motivations and personalities, such as they were. They're just monsters now. But by nearly every mechanical design metric, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is a better game than its predecessor.