I own a pretty
extensive collection of Gamecube games but for some reason I never managed to
pick up Luigi’s Mansion until very recently. I guess I was put off this
Gamecube launch title by reviews complaining how short the game was. With some
games barely hitting a four hour completion time I think in retrospect Luigi’s
Mansion is a lot better than reviewers gave it credit for.
One day Luigi
receives a letter notifying him that he has won a mansion, although he never
remembers entering any competition. He goes out to view the mansion he has won
only to discover that it’s been overrun by ghosts. To make matters worse it
seems Mario is also missing. Thankfully he meets up with Professor E. Gad. With
the help of Prof. E. Gad’s Poltergust 3000 vacuum cleaner Luigi sets off to rid
the mansion of ghosts and hopefully find out what happened to Mario.
The obligatory shower scene |
Luigi can’t just
use the vacuum cleaner to suck up ghosts directly. They first must be stunned. Usually
this involves letting the ghosts get as close to Luigi as possible before
shining your torch on them. This reveals their hearts, making them vulnerable
to your vacuum. The ghosts won’t give up without a struggle. Struggling ghosts
will drag you around the room while you try to ‘reel them in’ with your vacuum.
There are however other, unique, let’s say ‘boss’, ghosts that won’t reveal
their hearts as easily as the more common variety. Getting them to reveal their
hearts can lead to a puzzle or boss battle. A handy camera can give you hints
on how to make these ghosts reveal their hearts. Things get even more
complicated when fire, ice and water elements get added to your vacuum and
there are 50 mischievous Boos to find throughout the mansion. There’s plenty to
keep Luigi occupied.
Who you gonna call?! Luigi??? |
As a launch
title for the Gamecube Luigi’s Mansion does an excellent job of showcasing the
hardware. The visuals are bold and cartoony and the ghost effects still
impress. The way the vacuum interacts with the environment is always
entertaining, especially the excellent cloth physics. There’s plenty of distortion
and reflection effects utilised not just for aesthetic purposes but also as
elements in many of the game’s puzzles. Despite the playful cartoon charms Luigi’s
Mansion does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere. Shadows are cast by
your torch and lightning flashes outside. However my favourite touch is how
Luigi whistles the theme tune to himself which turns to a nervous hum in creepy
areas.
Luigi’s Mansion
can be polished off in about 6 hours even if you take your time to collect all
50 Boos. That might seem short but it’s such a well paced game that there’s
never a dull moment. Each boss ghost is defeated is a different manner so
gameplay never ends up repeating itself. You can get it pretty cheap now so
really the short length isn’t an issue and you can enjoy it for what it is, one
of the best games on the Gamecube. It’s also good to see Luigi getting the
spotlight for once!
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