Nintendo
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD: Remastered Ghosts of the Past
Nintendo Switch gets a new remastered version of one of the Nintendo 3DS classics. Luigi is back for another spooky adventure.
We can’t deny it, Nintendo has been responsible for releasing a very large dose of nostalgia in recent months. While we had games like Endless Ocean, we also had a lot of remakes from Nintendo. Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door, and Another Code are titles that have been interspersed among the new proposals. And the selection of games to be remade is not bad. Adding to this interesting list of games that have remained on other consoles, we have the case of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, a remastered version of the Nintendo 3DS title that became part of the famous Year of Luigi in 2013.
Who’s afraid of ghosts?
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, formerly known as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, is the first sequel to the Nintendo GameCube title in more than a decade. This time around, the ghosts of Evershade Valley have turned hostile after King Boo shattered the Dark Moon. This prompts Professor E. Gadd to seek refuge in his bunker and once again call on Luigi’s help to solve the problem. Luigi will have to go through various buildings in the valley to catch the ghosts and retrieve the pieces of the Dark Moon.
As a good Luigi’s Mansion game, we will be carrying the trusty Poltergust 5000, a ghost-catching vacuum cleaner that is an improved version of the Poltergust 3000 from the first game. We will also carry the Dual Scream, a DS-like device used to communicate with E. Gadd, which also doubles as a map. We will also receive the Strobulb in the adventure, which will allow us to act as a lamp and stun annoying ghosts. Furthermore, we will also have a Dark light device that will allow us to see beyond what some ghosts wish to hide.
The game mechanics are quite simple. We arrive at a mansion and throughout five levels we will solve a small mystery that will allow us to reach the piece of the Dark Moon. On our way we will solve different puzzles that will test our logic as well as the use of our items, all the while dodging and capturing all kinds of ghosts. These puzzles are quite ingenious; if you have played a Mario title, you will know that in some cases they are very obvious, but in others the creativity and elements of each place we visit are there for a reason.
Luigi’s movement is limited to moving, running, using the Poltergust 5000 to suck in and expel air, and using the two types of lights. In general, the movements work well, but you can feel the “tank-like” movement that sometimes doesn’t move quite right. This is because there are moments when it seems to want to make a longer turn than necessary. There is also the option of using a control scheme that is more similar to the original Nintendo 3DS version, where you flip up and down with the Y and X buttons instead of the right stick.
As we progress through the game, we will find new types of ghosts. And if they’re not new, they’ll have some kind of gimmick that we have to figure out how to solve. This gives me variety in the confrontations, which in some cases makes upgrading the Poltergust 5000 a priority.
Each of these levels will have a slight change, but that will allow us to continue our adventure. This also allows for high replayability, as at the end of each level we will be graded based on our time, money earned, ghosts captured and damage taken. In addition, there are several gems hidden throughout each stage, as well as a hidden Boo that will allow us to open an extra level.
In addition to the story mode, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD features a multiplayer mode called ScareScraper, which brings the same experience as the original title. This game mode allows up to four players to explore the floors of a mansion with a series of objectives with a total of four different types. Depending on the rules, you can climb an infinite tower or one with a limited number of floors. This mode can be played either in online mode via Nintendo Switch Online or in local mode.
Visually, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD looks pretty good. For a remaster of a Nintendo 3DS game, the visual improvements are impressive. However, compared to Luigi’s Mansion 3, which was released natively on Nintendo Switch, some areas could have been better addressed. That’s not to say the game looks bad, it’s just not up to the level of the sequel a few years ago. From there, the game runs pretty well, with no visual issues or anything like that.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch game library. If you didn’t get to play the Nintendo 3DS version, this is a great opportunity to get into one of Nintendo’s most underrated franchises. With 11 years of life and coming from a console with less power, the game comes with some details of origin and design but shows that the fun has always been there.