How to combat the scorching summer days? Simple! With a nice cold shiver down your spine. This is one of the reasons why the release of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD on Nintendo Switch in this specific period seems more than fitting: the goosebump-inducing atmospheres of the Dark Manor, the unmistakable gameplay of the series and the natural comic vein of Super Mario’s brother together with the portability factor guaranteed by the hybrid of the Big N outline a product more suitable than ever for the hottest season of the year.
Although the ‘bite-and-run’ gameplay structure of this second chapter of the brand, designed for release on 3DS more than ten years ago, may not seem too brilliant today, in 2024 it is undeniable that it could be ideal for occasional use on the go, as we also underlined in the review of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD.
Imagine being on the beach, of wanting to indulge in a few minutes of video game entertainment between one bath and another; or that you want to take some time off from studying for the summer session; or even being left in the office waiting for the longed-for holidays and having the lunch break all to yourself: the immediate, intuitive and above all hilarious experience of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD could represent the proverbial godsend to wander peacefully in the summer heat. Moreover, in a video game market that increasingly turns towards complex, intricate and demanding productions in terms of time investment required, it is nice to know that Nintendo maintains a development philosophy focused on the purest and most uncontaminated concept of entertainment. But what is Luigi’s Mansion and what makes this series so unique and inimitable? It’s soon said.
Behind every hero there is a little fear
Born on the legendary Gamecube at the dawn of the new millennium and subsequently arrived on 3DS and Switch with two numbered sequels, The Luigi’s Mansion saga is truly unique in the Japanese publisher’s catalogue for a number of reasons. First of all, instead of the legendary plumber in dungarees and red hat, the protagonist is his brother Luigi, painted with a slightly different character compared to the iconic mascot of the Grande N. Armed only with a torch and a special vacuum cleaner, our the unfortunate alter-ego will have to make his way through a mansion infested with paranormal presences of all kinds, trying to overcome his atavistic fear and, at the same time, save the situation.
It’s a dualism that works and amuses as well as acting as a counterbalance to what we’re used to seeing in the classic iterations of Mario’s story in which we embody a flawless and fearless hero who doesn’t lose heart even in the face of the most evil of opponents. In fact, the second obvious difference with almost all the other titles belonging to the ‘Mushroom Kingdom’ is to be found in the clear paradigm shift regarding the game’s atmospheres: whereas the titles dedicated to Mario have in common a joyful and rich subtext of positive feelings, Luigi’s Mansion draws heavily from the Japanese horror tradition to build a rather dark imagery based on ghosts, ghosts, poltergeists and so on. However, this does not mean that it is a product designed exclusively for an adult audienceindeed, the developers at Nintendo (and Next Level Games in the case of the two subsequent episodes) have managed to find the perfect balance to make the adventure suitable for any type of audience, regardless of age or previous level of expertise. And it’s a bit like that concept of ‘Nintendo Difference’ that was so much talked about in the 90s and 2000s: the extraordinary ability of the Japanese publisher to bring experiences to an extremely transversal audience on screen, often based on fresh and innovative gameplay ideas capable of surprising even the most experienced players.
Just to give some examples, just think of the two most modern incarnations of The Legend of Zelda which have been able to revolutionize a formula rooted in decades of success to give fans a completely new interpretation of the brand (also the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom, with its gameplay built on replicas of the objects in the scenario, seems ready to do the same) or to the role-playing genre of the Mario Brothers which was able to merge the long history of the JRPG genre with the typical personality of the franchise (Mario & Luigi Fraternauti alla carica, the unpublished chapter coming out in November, is a further confirmation in this sense).
Upon closer inspection, even Luigi’s Mansion himself brought a breath of fresh air to the creative portfolio of the Big N by sacrificing the canonical structure based on jumps and platforms peculiar to Super Mario products in favor of a more action-oriented recipe /adventure three-dimensional, embellished with an intuitive and incredibly engaging gaming framework.
Fighting spirits, one scare at a time
As we anticipated, the game puts you in the role of the fearful and mustachioed ghost-hunter dealing with mansions teeming with mischievous sprites and all sorts of entities belonging to the realm of the underworld and asks you to thoroughly explore the proposed environments, taking care to capture your opponents with the combo feature ‘flashlight + Poltergust 5000 vacuum cleaner‘. In summary, it is necessary to invest the incorporeal enemies with a dazzling flash of light and then try to absorb them with the powerful appliance that Luigi carries on his back in a hilarious dynamic that represents the stylistic signature of this particular ganglion of the Super franchise Mario.
Of course, the title evolves during the adventure, offering the protagonist new tools of the trade and putting him in front of increasingly dangerous threats, but the core of the experience remains simple enough and enjoyable for anyone. The second iteration, specifically, given its roots as a project designed specifically for a portable platform (typically designed for occasional use)showed off a rigid chapter structure that rigorously divided the progression in order to make it even more immediate than in the past and more suitable for ‘on the go’ use than the classic marathons on the armchair at home. The upcoming HD edition, therefore, maintains the same structure of the original material with the notable plus represented by the new aesthetic design that significantly updates the visual impact of the title.
Finally, there is one more piece in the Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD mosaic that is worth considering during summer gatherings with friends, a bonus content that goes by the name of Tower of Chaos, i.e. the multiplayer section of the title. The latter, designed for four players, guarantees the possibility of multiplying the fun by converting the classic gameplay of Luigi’s Mansion into a series of fun modes that can be played both online and via local communication on the Nintendo Switch.
We move from the classic collaborative missions in search of the ghosts hidden on each floor of the Tower to the more unusual timed modes that require you to go to the exit within a pre-established timer, passing through a sort of treasure hunt that will require all the teamwork possible to bring home the victory. In short, if in solitaire Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD can already be a real delight for any palate, in multiplayer it manages to release an essence that is, if possible, even more delightful, ideal for a fun-filled evening in the company of friends purer.
In essence, in addition to being a sparkling gem in the colorful catalog that the Big N has brought to our screens in its very long history, the Luigi’s Mansion series represents a unique and rare example in the modern videogame panorama both in terms of the gameplay mix and in terms of the imagery proposed, which manages to skillfully mix horror inspirations with the unmistakable humor of the fairytale world created by the pen of Shigeru Miyamoto. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is available exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 27. Are you ready for a good scare?
