Review: Luigi's Mansion

Gameplay
Luigi's Mansion is a game released as a Gamecube launch title back in 2001. It is rather interesting because it is unlike most Mario games. Instead of playing as Mario and stomping Goombas, you play as Luigi and suck up ghosts using the Poltergust 3000, a vacuum like machine.

The game starts with Luigi winning a "fabulous" mansion. Mario, seeing it as suspicious, run off to check out the mansion himself. After hearing no word of Mario, Luigi then goes. He makes it to find not a fabulous mansion, but an old, creepy, run down mansion. He walks inside to find an old dark foyer and a bunch of locked doors. After looking, he sees a glowing ball carrying a key, which it then drops. Luigi grabs the key and uses it to unlock a door to a parlor, to then be greeted by an unwanted ghost, who is then
attacked by Professor Elvin Gadd. The ghost, however, gets out of Gadd's clutches. He then takes Luigi back to his lab and tells him about ghosts and capturing them. He then gives him the Poltergust 3000 and the Gameboy Horror. As I mentioned before, the Poltergust 3000 is used to capture ghosts. The Gameboy Horror is used to keep track of caught ghosts, check maps and check surroundings in order to make Luigi say funny things. After that Luigi starts his quest to search the mansion and save his brother.

The game is fairly simple and fairly fun. The controls are very good, no complaints. There is one problem I do have and that is replay value. After you beat the game, it starts over and you must catch all the ghosts all over again. What you do get is the Hidden Mansion, which is basically a harder mode of the game. In my opinion, the game is long, but short at the same time, but it was a launch title so it isn't going to be pure gold.

Hey look, pure gold!

Something that really interests me about the game is beta elements. If you were to play this then see the original, you would probably be shocked. First off is the game over sequence. In the beta, the sequence would show a rather messed up and dreary picture of Luigi leaving the mansion in a deep depression (please be careful looking at this if you have younger siblings who scare quite easily.)

Is the murder over?

Yes, that's Luigi, after he lost the game and didn't make it to Mario. Apparently, Nintendo realized this would probably scar many children for life, so they replaced the creepy britches leaving the mansion game over with Luigi losing his health, dropping to the floor dead, the screen turning black and white and the phrase"Good night!" appearing in eerie letters game over. It may sound mind scarring, but it is rather comical.

Yeah, that's less scary. Moving on, crew!

Next is the ghosts. Originally, the had noses, sharp teeth and rather weird and more realistic eyes. They took away the noses and made the eyes and teeth more cartoonish. Here are some pictures below. Originals will be shown first, then the in game versions.

The second strongest. He fits the description more.

The weakest. Note he doesn't have
a nose.

The strongest. He is rather large and looks like before. 

Two other ghost. They are probably
weaker versions of the ghosts seen above. 

The three main variants after more work and polishing. 

Along with these, I found this from the beta.

Luigi's nighmares are real now.

Obviously, this is of Luigi screaming. This was possibly taken out for the same reason of the game over screen, to prevent panic attacks because Luigi is seen screaming in the game a lot, but not to this extreme. 

Graphics

For a launch title, the graphics are definitely good. Though not the best, they still show the big switch between Nintendo 64 and Gamecube. This was only the beginning of the switch so many more was to come, if not more. They also do fit the game nicely, with a combination of cartoonish and eerie. They indeed are not bad during Mario's switch between laid back to slightly serious. Check and mate, moving on.

Sound/Music

This I may not have much to say on because there is not much music to hear. The most used tune is the normal mansion theme, which is remixed between these circumstances, creepy organ when in a hallway, Luigi whistling when in a cleared room of any sort and monsters growling when in an uncleared room. Each boss has its own song and they are all very well made and fit the boss quite clearly. Sounds are very well especially the famous Luigi yelling, "Mario". What I like is that Luigi's tone changes depending on how healthy he is, from curious and positive when healthy to scared and upset when weak. 

Overall

This game is a good game for your collection, no exceptions. It may not be 100% strong, but it is still fun and eerie in ways. If you like weird and mysterious, get it. If you don't, still try it. It does make a good time consumer any time. Also if you like it, please try the sequel, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon which comes to 3DS this holiday season, well, if anyone has a 3DS. Thank you and enjoy all that comes in the future.

Gameplay-4

Graphics-5

Music-4

Sounds-5

Controls-5

Overall-9.6