As we enter November, I have completed four spooky games for the year so far. As usual, I like to mix horror with indie and other less spooky titles that still fit the spooky vibe. That’s where Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD comes in. This game is in no way intended to scare you. Rather, it is a puzzle game that sees Luigi take center stage.
Standard Nintendo Charm
It’s easy to see the love and care poured into every Nintendo project. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is proof that Nintendo’s love for their IPs never dies. It is safe to say that a lot of DS and 3DS games have made it over to the Switch. Thankfully, this game made its way to us in an enhanced HD version. I will always be a fan of these remakes, remasters, and re-releases because it gives me the opportunity to finally play these amazing games.
The visuals here are honestly spectacular. Once again they did an amazing job bringing everything up to par with the current technology of the Switch. I had no performance issues, controls felt great and above all else, I had an amazing time with the game from start to finish. One thing about Nintendo is that everything they do is almost always high quality.
Luigi is so expressive and brought to life in stunning detail. He’s always been my favorite of the brothers so finally seeing him as the main protagonist was exciting. This was my first experience with a Luigi’s Mansion game. I almost played the third game last year until they announced this HD version so I decided to wait and I’m glad I did. I cannot wait to experience the third game though.
A Terrified Luigi
Make no mistake, Luigi is definitely more afraid than you are. However, Professor E. Gadd knows he is just the right guy for the job. Regardless of his fear, Luigi presses on ready to save Evershade Valley from these pesky ghosts. Armed with his Poltergust 5000, Luigi can suck up ghosts and cleverly interact with the environment around him. A number of other fun gadgets become available to him as progresses, allowing for some really satisfying puzzle solving experiences.
As you explore the different levels with Luigi, you’ll notice his fear before anything else. He trembles walking through doorways, gets scared easily by ghost popping up, and even scares himself a few times. It is somehow a wholesome experience watching him continuously get scared by the things around him and I couldn’t help but smile everytime it happened.
One of my favorite little details I picked up on was when Luigi starts humming along with the in-game music. It felt like he was trying to calm himself down or psyche himself up and I thought it was a really nice touch for Nintendo to add to the game. Luigi is such a loveable character and this game really put that front and center.
Ghosts and Gameplay
During his missions throughout Evershade Valley, Luigi will uncover the truth about what happened to the Dark Moon that made these ghosts docile. Now that the Dark Moon is missing, ghosts have been causing quite a commotion throughout the valley. With Luigi on the case though, there’s nothing to fear.
Gameplay is mostly centered around solving puzzles and capturing these loose ghosts. With the Poltergust 5000 Luigi can suck of these ghosts but not before stunning them with his Strobulb. As mentioned above, he has a few other gadgets that allow you to interact with the environment and ghosts in different ways.
Secrets are hidden around every corner here as well. Try every one of Luigi’s gadgets on the environment to get a feel for what is possible in the game. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, like I was, by what you can do. This game perfectly balanced ghost encounters with puzzle-solving creating a wonderful balance between the two.
Professor E. Gadd
Professor E. Gadd is your main ally in this game. He sends you off on missions, helps investigate areas, and stores all of your captured ghosts and money in his vault. Yes, this game has currency and while you explore the levels you’ll find plenty of money and coins up for grabs. These can be brought back to the base and used to upgrade Luigi’s equipment, making capturing ghosts even easier. As you progress through the game the ghosts will get stronger so it is a good idea for you to as well.
The professor adds a bit of extra humor to the game that is definitely welcome. While this is already a light-hearted game, watching how calm the professor is adds an extra layer of reassurance. Luigi is such a terrified mess throughout the game that I think E. Gadd balances that out very well. I do, however, absolutely love Luigi’s personality and wouldn’t change it for anything.
A Happily Haunted Experience
As I continue to explore my never-ending backlog, I am constantly reminded why I keep coming back to Nintendo titles. They are just dripping with charm and personality that can’t really be matched anywhere else. I will continuously be grateful for any and all re-releases they put out so that I can keep expanding my knowledge of their games.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was the perfect “spooky” game to take the edge off of the hard hitting horror titles, Like The Callisto Protocol, I have played thus far. It has all the elements of a cozy game mixed into a very spooky-themed package and it was an excellent experience. As I said before, I will be excited to experience the third game probably next year for spooky season.
