“Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD” updates the visuals and fixes some control issues from the previous version on Nintendo 3DS. (Nintendo)
In the world of gaming, everything old is new again. The industry has adopted the notion that modernizing classics for modern tastes is lucrative. By modernizing classics, developers upgrade the visuals and tweak the gameplay. Levels are reworked, often to improve storytelling.
Capcom has mastered the art of revamping older titles (see: Resident Evil), but that doesn’t mean it’s the only company to have success with it. Nintendo has done the same, albeit with a lighter touch. The venerable video game company has given its remakes a fresh coat of paint and upgraded visuals, but Nintendo has mostly let the gameplay and level design do the talking, which is a testament to the sharp, playful nature of its games.
Nintendo did the same with The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and the recent Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Now, Nintendo has given the same treatment to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, naming it Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD in homage to the Japanese title. The project was originally released for the Nintendo 3DS and, despite some flaws linked to the hardware limitations, was a great game.
With the enhanced version now on Nintendo Switch, the game benefits from a stronger system and a better control scheme, two elements that shore up some of the original’s weaknesses. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon took advantage of the 3D gimmick on a portable console, but had more ambition than the small screen could handle. The game feels even better played on a bigger screen with a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in hand.
Ghosts aren’t the only dangers Luigi faces in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. He’ll also encounter aggressive plants and bombs. (Nintendo)
Getting ready to capture a ghost
In the sequel, Mario’s younger brother once again teams up with the eccentric Professor E. Gadd. A mysterious entity has broken the Dark Moon into several pieces, causing the once-friendly ghosts of Evershade Valley to go on a rampage. E. Gadd tasks Luigi with solving the crisis. In the first mission, he is tasked with retrieving his primary weapon, the Poltergust 5000, which is essentially a powerful vacuum cleaner that sucks up ghosts, reminiscent of how the Ghostbusters use their proton packs to catch creepy bugs.
From there, Luigi picks up two more useful tools: the Strobulb and the Darklight Device. The Strobulb stuns ghosts, allowing the Poltergust to suck them in, and also activates some of E. Gadd’s locked doors and other devices, while the Darklight Device reveals objects hidden by the Gus. If the player gets stuck, it’s usually because they need to cast Darklight on a hidden area.
The Poltergust 5000 in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is multifunctional. It can suck up ghosts and transport you between levels. (Nintendo)
Five locations, many ghosts
The Poltergust 5000 is the player’s primary control in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s five locations. In addition to capturing ghosts, it can also suck up curtains and unfold carpets to uncover secrets. Players can also reverse the function, blasting objects Luigi picks up back at their target.
While the interactions of these tools are simple, developer Next Level Games combines them to create complex puzzles and fun battles throughout the campaign’s 34 missions. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is more than just chasing ghosts from room to room; the development team has combined puzzles and secrets that will test players’ ability to read the levels and find solutions to the obstacles.
In the first three mansions, the level design is basic, with the developers gradually easing the player into the action as they pull levers to find secret switches or figure out how to light spider webs blocking their path. The campaign gets more challenging as players face bombs that activate when attacked with a Strobulb, and encounter more nuanced scenarios that require experimentation and problem-solving.
Next Level Games does add in some little twists to break up levels – Luigi will sometimes find himself in a situation where he has to use Poltergust’s blower mode to form a makeshift balloon in order to glide down to a different part of the level or travel to a different part of the concert hall – these little twists are clever, but they don’t always work.
The balance beam scenario, where players must carefully cross a narrow path, is the most frustrating part of the game. One reason for this is that Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD defaults to motion controls. Tilting the controller up or down allows Luigi to aim the Poltergust higher or lower, which is a neat way to solve the game’s annoying aiming issues. Unfortunately, using motion controls elsewhere, such as crossing a canyon, makes for a terrible experience. Thankfully, this can be turned off, making the balance beam obstacle easier, but it’s still frustrating.
Another issue with Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is the sudden increase in difficulty between the fourth and fifth worlds. As ghosts become harder to defeat, players must hone their skills or replay older levels to collect treasure that allows E. Gadd to upgrade Luigi’s gear.
These remaining flaws don’t ruin the experience — in fact, the Switch’s hardware makes Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD even more playable than the original — and the remake opens up the game to a new generation of players who might not have a Nintendo 3DS, but still want to play the sleek classic.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
3 stars
Age: 10+
Platform: Nintendo Switch
