It’s hard to think that people got in such a hissy fit over this launch game. Luigi took centre stage over the infinitely more popular Mario – it was akin to being offered an ice cream and being served Tesco Value Soft Scoop Vanilla when you were expecting Ben and Jerry’s. Then it emerged it wasn’t like Mario 64 and you had to use a vacuum cleaner to suck up cutesy cutesy ghosts, which led some to mock Nintendo’s mature image of household chores. And then they realised it lasted a few hours. IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD. Except nearly a year on we’re still here and Luigi’s Mansion remains one of the best titles on the Cube, blending numerous classical features we’d associate with Nintendo games with a healthy dollop of ghost busting. The premise of the game is simple – suck up ghosts using a Hoover (sorry, ‘Poltergust 3000’) but like all great Nintendo titles, it’s addictive as. Unlike the revolutionary N64 Mario debut it’s a case of ‘back to basics’, searching rooms, collecting keys etc. It may sound monotonous but Luigi’s is a joy to play thanks to the control system; by using the C-stick you can swing your torch around the room. When you’ve stunned a ghost the vacuum is whipped out and the analogue stick needs to be held back in order to nab them – it’s the ideal game to cut your teeth with the Gamecube joypad. Further elements are thrown into the mechanics to keep the gameplay fresh, such as solving a basic puzzle (being mischievous by opening curtains, playing instruments to a Super Mario Bros. theme and all that) or using fire, ice and water to progress further. It may not stretch the grey matter but it makes for damn addictive stuff… On top of all this it looks damn fine too. The aesthetics are just plain showing off, with dust particles gliding in the air, shadows being cast off objects after being hit by the torch and partly transparent ghosts in almost every room. We’re sticklers for the fine details – they distinguish the bloody great from the mediocre – and they’re here in abundance, making the game engaging. Luigi has more personality than the cast of EastEnders put together, shivering, whistling and with the tap of a button wails ‘Mariooo’ with real desperation. You can rock furniture as well to earn extra cash… in fact we could ramble on about those little things like senile old men, recounting the war. Yet as satisfying as it is capturing ghost after ghost, attempting to get all of those elusive fifty boos and collecting every last coin, note and jewel, there just isn’t enough of it. Whilst half of the joy with this game is adopting a leisurely pace and exploring every last nook and cranny, it’ll still take next to no time to rattle your way through to the final boss. Luigi’s Mansion is disappointingly short and whilst it isn’t the ‘thirty-minute’ romp that some quarters have made it out to be, it’s not the sprawling adventure of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or even Super Mario Sunshine. To use a N64 analogy it's less Mario 64 and more Yoshi’s Story. That’s not to say its rubbish – we couldn’t have enthused about it for a whole review if it was. At £20 the game is a much more attractive proposition but a lot of the appeal lies in the old gaming staple of the high score. The more motivated amongst you will want to get all of the Boos and get enough lucre to get the top grade but beyond that there is little substance. Saying that it does maintain that unmistakable Nintendo quality – it is a game you’ll reminisce about and will want to play again in a few months. Ultimately it would be too easy to write off as ‘cute’, ‘childish’ and ‘disappointing’ as you’ll love every moment of it. Better that than thirty levels of utter tripe.
Luigi's Mansion was a release title for the Nintendo Gamecube, that shows off what the Gamecube could do, graphically speaking. This game seems to be more of a tech demo, but it still comes off as one extremely fun and i... Read Full Review
This is a one of a kind game. This game is outstanding in quality, and for it's time the graphics were not half bad.This is a unique game that has a lot to offer. I've completed this twice and i still continuously find t... Read Full Review
