What do you get when you combine the slapstick comedy of classic Scooby-Doo cartoons with the paranormal antics of Ghostbusters and throw it into the charming world of Super Mario? If your answer is anything other than your favorite Luigi’s Mansion series, chances are you’ve clicked on the wrong review. Beginning as the first title for the Nintendo GameCube, Luigi’s Mansion has since become an acclaimed trilogy of action-adventure titles. Following the success of Luigi’s Mansion 3, Nintendo is taking a step back to remaster its predecessor, Luigi’s Mansion 2; bringing the innovative sequel from 3DS to Switch for a new generation to experience. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD releases on June 27, 2024, but does the game still hold up a decade after its original release?
After the events of Luigi’s Castle (GCN), poor Luigi still can’t catch a break. In the middle of a nice nap after enjoying a plate of cookies and milk, mad scientist Professor E.Gadd interrupts our protagonist via a TV broadcast asking for his help once again, informing him that all the ghosts in Evershade Valley (the main plot of Luigi’s Castle 2) have become are hostile. Using a new device known as the Pixelator, Luigi immediately teleports to E.Gadd’s bunker where he learns of the unfortunate smashing of the Dark Moon, a celestial body that normally prevents aggression from ghosts in the surrounding area. Aided by E.Gadd’s vast knowledge of the supernatural, the trusty Poltergust 5000 (a new and improved ghost capture device), and the duel-scream (which functions as both a map and communicator), Luigi must explore various haunted palaces to recover the missing fragments of the Dark Moon and stopped the ghosts of Evershade Valley from wreaking havoc once and for all. Although the narrative of Luigi’s Mansion 2 is simple, the dialogues are very charming and witty.
The Poltergust 5000 is essentially responsible for Luigi’s entire moveset. In its natural state, it simply functions as a flashlight, but it can also be used as a strobulb for active switches, a dark light for revealing hidden illusions, and most importantly, a vacuum for vacuuming up ghosts. Since the game was designed without the need for traditional camera controls, the right stick instead adjusts the Poltergust 5000’s aiming direction. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD greatly improves on the 3DS version’s controls, perfectly adapting the moveset to the Switch’s look. While using the Poltergust 5000’s main functions, the gesture control option to aim up and down and look around is still available, but this can be turned off in the settings.
Unlike Luigi’s Mansion on the GameCube, which takes place entirely in one giant castle, Luigi’s Mansion 2 has five unique castles to explore. Each mansion is divided into levels, and E.Gadd uses the Pixelator to teleport Luigi in and out of missions, returning him to the bunker after each one is over to collect data on any ghosts you’ve captured and give a quick briefing on what to do and where to go. The Bunker essentially functions as the main hub, giving you convenient access to the level select screen as well as E.Gadd’s vault to view everything you’ve collected on your adventure. Although Luigi’s Mansion 2 is largely linear due to its level-based nature, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for exploration.
Each level in Luigi’s Mansion 2 is full of environmental puzzles to solve, ghosts to capture, gems to find and secrets to uncover, including a hidden Boo that will unlock an extra level if you find them all in each mansion. . At the end of each level, you’re awarded a 1-3 star rank based on your clear time, number of ghosts captured, amount of health lost, and treasure collected (which comes in the form of coins, gold bars, and money that can be used to upgrade Poltergust abilities). Some types of ghosts are much harder to catch than others, but most of them require you to first point your Poltergust 5000’s strobulb in their direction to stun them before you can vacuum them up. Once you’ve grabbed a ghost (or more) with the suction, they’ll start flying around the room like crazy, and then you’ll have to keep pulling them in the opposite direction they’re traveling to reduce their health. It’s a very interesting mechanic that develops in a unique way.
As already mentioned in our review, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD does not contain any significant new content. However, since the termination of 3DS online services earlier this year, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is now the only way to play the online multiplayer ScareScraper mode (known as Thrill Tower on the 3DS version in Europe). ScareScraper is completely separate from the campaign and can be accessed from E.Gadd’s bunker (unlocked after completing the first four levels), where you can choose to play online with friends or other ghost hunters from around the world (Nintendo Switch Online subscription required) . Local wireless with up to four friends in the same room, each with their own Switch and copy of the game is also an available option.
ScareScraper can be enjoyed with up to four players, each playing as Luigi in a different colored outfit. There are three unique game modes to choose from: Hunter Mode, Rush Mode and Polterpup Mode. In Hunter Mode, you must work together to hunt down all the ghosts as quickly as possible. In Rush Mode, you all have to find the exit to the mansion before time runs out, hunt ghosts and search objects to collect clocks that extend your time. And finally, the Polterpup mode allows everyone to use their dark-light device to search for paw prints and catch all the Polterpups hidden throughout the mansion. Three difficulty options are available for all three modes (Normal, Hard and Expert) and the number of floors you have to complete can be changed between 5, 10 or 25, with an endless mode unlockable per game mode after successfully completing a round of 25 floors. Regardless of the method, on every fifth floor everyone competes against the ghost boss.
Although ScareScraper is mostly a cooperative mode, each player’s total scores are displayed after completing each floor, adding some competitive fun. The online multiplayer in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD definitely shouldn’t be overlooked, as all three game modes are an absolute blast, especially with the right group of people. Although I was only able to play ScareScraper for a 1-hour play session prior to release, I experienced no internet lag whatsoever and I’m really looking forward to the game’s public launch so I can fully enjoy everything the mod has to offer.
The graphical jump from the 3DS’s 800×240 screen to the Switch’s 1280×720 screen makes playing Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD feel like when I found out I needed prescription glasses. Not only has the resolution been drastically increased, but the lighting, textures, character models, and even some of the animations have also been clearly improved. This isn’t just a simple copy and paste port from Nintendo as some people expected. Although Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD has a simpler cartoony art style than Luigi’s Mansion 3, it still looks gorgeous in both docked and handheld mode. And to top it all off, the game runs at a smooth 60fps with no framerate drops throughout my entire playthrough.
Although a fairly barebones remaster, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is still terrifyingly brilliant, taking the 3DS classic to new heights with its improved graphics and quality of life changes. While that might be a tough sell for those who played the original due to the lack of new content, it’s also a must-see for Switch owners who enjoyed Luigi’s Mansion 3 and haven’t yet experienced its predecessor. With a great single-player campaign and a revival of the supernaturally addictive online co-op ScareScraper mode, the sequel to Luigi’s Mansion is now better than ever on Switch and lives up to my expectations.
8.5/10
A copy of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was provided by Nintendo UK for review purposes.
