Through the years we've seen Luigi's face in almost every Mario game out there. Although we rarely get to use him and even less frequently hear his voice Luigi's Mansion gives us a glimpse behind the sidekick. Instead of traversing through worlds and landscapes, Luigi prefers to keep it solitary.
Mansions and hotels rule on Luigi's adventures, scaling down the game and giving you more detail and roaming ability. Not to mention the array of abilities and tools at your disposal. Join Luigi on his justifiably paranoid journey around the world's most haunted hotel.
10 Gooigi!
Depending on what players focus on, Gooigi can be one of the most endearing characters or a soulless clone. Despite the lifeless eyes, Gooigi brings an interesting dynamic to the gameplay. From being able to squeeze through tight areas to becoming the much-needed wingman to the terrified Luigi.
His near impervious abilities come in handy on many occasions. Do you meet a barred wall? Gooigi. Run across a spiked floor? Gooigi He even comes with his very own Poltergust, letting you suck up ghosts even in good form. The only real downside is that you can't put him in water or he'll dissolve, plus the eyes.
9 Rocky Controls
As far as controls go, the real strength in the Mario franchise is its simplicity. Taking you through an engaging and challenging story without confusing players with too many buttons. Luigi's Mansion, whether it be down to the system or demand of the gameplay has decided a different path.
Sensitivity, while a great thing for First Person Shooters, is Luigi's Mansion's downfall. If you are walking, you're fine. It's the combination of moving about and trying to use the Poltergust 3000 and you're in trouble. While creating a little chaos is all part of the game, it's nice to be able to hit your target on occasion.
8 Anxiety Riddled Luigi
Luigi had taken the B role in the entire franchise for so long that he began to be more of a tool than a full-fledged character. The Luigi's Mansion series has really given him a place for the personality to shine through.
It's not as though Luigi emerges as some brave hero. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Just about anything that happens, Luigi remains in a state of sheer terror. It's this reaction that endears players to him, expressing what most of us would be feeling in that situation.
7 Co-op's Late Start
Playing with friends can be the best part of a game and while Luigi's Mansion had the potential to be one of those, it fell a little short. All the right ingredients were there, players have great mini-games combined with the fact you get to play as Gigi.
The worst part of playing with friends is being left out of the gameplay and that's exactly what Luigi's Mansion does to player 2 for the start of the game. Leaving someone to kick rocks until Gooigi decides to make an appearance takes a little fun out of the game.
6 Challenging Puzzles
Sometimes players need a break from the high paced world of containing ghosts to get the mental gears turning a little. This game walks the line of challenging and enjoyable very well, not spiraling players into a fit of rage as others do.
From turning valves to laying rat traps, the hotel will give you a wide variety of problems to solve, each with a unique answer that will make players think. Puzzles have always been a mainstay of the series and they continue to hit it out of the park.
5 Cheap Reward System
Exploring and collecting coins becomes somewhat of a constant as you make your way through the hotel's floors. With an almost endless supply of things to loot, you'll feel like a rich plumber when you go to the store to cash in.
Unfortunately what players are in for is a large helping of disappointment. Either in the store or the rewards for mini-games, players will find a heap of lackluster rewards that hardly make the effort worth it. Luckily the games are fun in themselves so just take it as a good time.
4 Fun Boss Fights
Considering the bad reviews the last Luigi's Mansion received for this very reason, it's impressive that they have managed to turn it all around in this release. From T-Rex skeletons to phantom chefs, the bosses you face in this game will be fights to remember.
As with all challenges, you don't want them to be impossible, It takes you down a long and dark road of anger. If it's too easy it gets boring and turns into mindless button mashing. The unique and strategic ways that you take down the bosses will end in satisfaction and reward.
3 Disappointing Final Boss
All that talk about how great the boss fights are in this game makes this all the more disappointing. It's not even the boss if executed right King Boo would make an awesome final opponent. Especially being such an established character in our minds already.
Where the fight fails is in the predictability and the lack of variety in his approach. It would have made for a good middle of the road boss. All that buildup just to see King Boo replicate himself over and over again made for a dull last fight.
2 Stunning Visuals
Nintendo has it pretty good as far as graphics go. They're not competing in the mad dash to realism like everyone else, players want their characters to look like they belong in a game. It's in this where the game really shines as players get transported into the cartoonish world of Luigi's Mansion.
The lighting is the most impressive, with subtle differences that set the mood of the gameplay. When players travel down a darkened hallway, you'll see the flickers of light and shadows across the wall. Vibrant colors and crisp lines bring the game to life.
1 No Real Innovation
While this sounds bad, Luigi's Mansion retains what was so great about the previous titles by not trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead of new additions to the gameplay, it simply takes all the elements it had already and does it a lot better.
If you start adding too many elements to the game, then it takes away from the simple enjoyment of the game. After all the game was never meant to be all-encompassing utility gameplay. Running around causing chaos and watching Luigi squeal a little makes the day.