Video Game Review: Luigi's Mansion

Luigi's Mansion

Graphics:	8
Sound:	7
Story:	3
Fun:	5
Controls:	6
Overall:	4.5

Luigi's Mansion is less an average game. The main problem with this game, and it usually is with other titles, is that it's way too short. You could beat it in one rental period and do it without trying. This game shames all other Mario titles, because it isn't a plat former, it has no jumping, it has no Koopas, and it has no Mario. This doesn't seem like a Mario game. It tries to be a "Ghost Busters meets Resident Evil", and this has been quoted many times. The only good game is a long game, or if it has a lot of replay value. This game is neither. It is fun, but it isn't long and it doesn't have replay value, and those factors knock it down. A game like this might have been a breath of fresh air, but it isn't. It has nothing! The story is simple and stupid. Luigi has won a haunted Mansion, and Mario said he would meet Luigi there to check the place out. Luigi finds the Mansion, but no Mario. Luigi soon realizes that King Boo has stolen Mario and has locked him in a painting. Ghosts that have come to life from the paintings of a weird scientist haunt the house. Luigi must find his way through the Mansion, along with the help of the obsessed scientist, a vacuum, and his courage (wink wink). You must dodge past ghost mice, killer weight lifter ghosts, a baby ghost, a fat turkey eating ghost, and every other ghost you can think of. Along the way, Luigi find little element tokens that allow him to blow fire, ice, and water through his vacuum. These are used to capture certain kinds of ghosts, and get passed certain areas of the mansion that are unaccessible without them. You go through every room in the mansion; the laundry room, the bathroom, the garden, the basement, the dinning room and so on. As you go through the Mansion, you must also capture boos that have wandered off. You don't collect stars or anything else in this game, but you do collect money for whatever reason. There is no reason to collect money. The graphics are excellent as well. They are based on visual effects rather than raw power. Everything in this game is able to be moved or sucked up. Things such as mist, shower curtains, rugs, you name it. When you suck up rugs, they stretch out and move realistically which is pretty amazing. The lighting effects in this game are unbelievable as well. Everything is so realistic. When entering a pitch black room, you turn on your flash light. The room lights up, not a shadow out of place. These graphics are really cool. The ghosts and other figures are perfectly rounded off and have excellent animation. Luigi yelling "Mario!", humming to the theme music, crying out loud when a ghost comes out, the annoying sounds of the ghosts, the strange pinball sounds when you suck up a ghost. These are all creative and sound great. The theme music could use a little more magnitude, because you can't even here it. Is it good? I wrote this review on a bad day, so it is pretty weak. However, Luigi's Mansion isn't worth it to buy, unless someone just dropped it by your house for free. It has no replay value, and it is too short.

"Not Worth It"

-Niloc

Archive note: The original publication day is unknown; this review existed by March 30, 2003.