Review: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD

What do you get when you combine the slapstick comedy of classic Scooby-Doo cartoons with the paranormal mischief of Ghostbusters and throw it into the charming world of Super Mario? If your answer is anything other than the beloved Luigi’s Mansion series, there’s a good chance you clicked on the wrong review. Starting as a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube, Luigi’s Mansion has since gone on to become a critically-acclaimed trilogy of action-adventure titles. After the success of Luigi’s Mansion 3, Nintendo is taking a step back to remaster its predecessor, Luigi’s Mansion 2; porting the innovative sequel over from 3DS to Switch to be experienced by a new generation. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD launches on 27 June 2024, but does the game still hold up a decade after its original release?

Following the events of Luigi’s Mansion (GCN), poor Luigi still can’t catch a break. In the midst of taking a nice nap after enjoying a plate of cookies and milk, the mad scientist Professor E.Gadd interrupts our protagonist through a TV transmission demanding his help once again, informing him that all the ghosts in Evershade Valley (the main setting of Luigi’s Mansion 2) have gone hostile. Using a new gadget known as the Pixelator, Luigi is instantly teleported to E.Gadd’s bunker where he learns of the unfortunate shattering of the Dark Moon, a celestial body that normally prevents aggression from ghosts in the surrounding area. With the help of E.Gadd’s vast knowledge of the supernatural, the trusty Poltergust 5000 (a new and improved ghost capturing device), and the duel-scream (which functions as both a map and a communicator), Luigi must explore various haunted mansions to recover the missing Dark Moon fragments and stop the ghosts of Evershade Valley from wreaking havoc once and for all. While the narrative of Luigi’s Mansion 2 is simple, the dialogue is very charming and witty.

The Poltergust 5000 is essentially responsible for Luigi’s entire moveset. In its natural state, it simply functions as a flashlight, but it can also be used as a strobulb to active switches, a dark-light to reveal hidden illusions, and most importantly, a vacuum to suck up ghosts. Since the game was designed without the need for traditional camera controls, the right stick adjusts the aim direction of the Poltergust 5000 instead. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD greatly improves upon the controls of the 3DS version, adapting the moveset perfectly to the layout of the Switch. While using the main functions of the Poltergust 5000, the option for motion controls is still available for aiming up and down and looking around, but this can be turned off in the settings.

Unlike Luigi’s Mansion on GameCube, which takes place entirely in one giant mansion, Luigi’s Mansion 2 has five unique mansions to explore. Each mansion is split up into levels, with E.Gadd using the Pixelator to teleport Luigi to and from missions, returning him back to the bunker after each one is completed to collect data on all the ghosts you’ve captured and give a quick briefing about what to do and where to go next. The bunker essentially functions as the main hub, giving you convenient access to the level select screen as well as E.Gadd’s Vault to view everything you’ve collected on your adventure. Although Luigi’s Mansion 2 is mostly linear due to its level-based nature, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for exploration.

Every level in Luigi’s Mansion 2 is filled with environment-based puzzles to solve, ghosts to catch, gems to find, and secrets to discover, including a hidden Boo that will unlock a bonus level if you find all of them in each of the mansions. At the end of each level, you’re given a ranking of 1-3 stars based on your clear time, the number of ghosts captured, the amount of health lost, and treasure collected (which comes in the form of coins, gold bars, and cash that can be used to upgrade the abilities of the Poltergust). Some types of ghosts are much more difficult to capture than others, but most of them require you to first shine the strobulb of your Poltergust 5000 in their direction to stun them before you can vacuum them up. Once you latch onto a ghost (or multiple) with suction, they will begin to fly around the room like crazy, which you’ll then need to continuously pull in the opposite direction that they’re traveling to reduce their health. It’s a very engaging mechanic that evolves in unique ways.

As already mentioned in our preview, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD does not feature any notable new content. However, since the discontinuation of 3DS online services earlier this year, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is now the only way to play the online multiplayer ScareScraper mode (known as Thrill Tower on the 3DS version in Europe). ScareScraper is entirely separate from the campaign and can be accessed from E.Gadd’s bunker (unlocked after completing the first four levels), where you can choose to play online with friends or other ghost hunters from around the world (Nintendo Switch Online subscription required). Local wireless with up to four friends in the same room each with their own Switch and copy of the game is also an available option.

ScareScraper can be enjoyed with up to four players, with everyone playing as Luigi wearing a different coloured outfit. There are three unique game modes to choose from: Hunter Mode, Rush Mode, and Polterpup Mode. In Hunter Mode, you must all work together to hunt down all the ghosts as quickly as possible. In Rush Mode, you all must find the exit to the mansion before time runs out, hunting ghosts and searching objects to collect timepieces that increase your time. And lastly, Polterpup Mode brings everyone to use their dark-light device to search for pawprints and capture all the Polterpups hidden throughout the mansion. Three difficulty options are available for all three modes (Normal, Hard, and Expert) and the amount of floors you must complete can be swapped between 5, 10, or 25, with an endless mode that can be unlocked per game mode after successfully finishing a round of 25 floors. Regardless of mode, every fifth floor has everyone compete against a boss ghost.

While ScareScraper is mostly a cooperative mode, the total scores of each player are displayed after the completion of each floor, sprinkling in a bit of competitive fun as well. The online multiplayer in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD should definitely not be overlooked, as all three of the game modes are an absolute blast, especially with the right group of people. Even though I was only able to play ScareScraper during a 1-hour pre-release gameplay session, I didn’t experience any internet lag whatsoever, and I’m very much looking forward to the public launch of the game so I can fully enjoy everything that the mode has to offer.

The graphical leap from the 800×240 display of the 3DS to the 1280×720 display of the Switch makes playing Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD feel like the time I found out I needed prescription glasses. Not only has the resolution drastically increased, but lighting, textures, character models, and even some of the animations have clearly been improved upon as well. This is not just a simple copy and paste port job from Nintendo like some people have been expecting. Even though Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD has a more simplistically cartoonish art-style than Luigi’s Mansion 3, it still looks gorgeous in both docked and handheld modes. The game runs at a serviceable locked and consistent 30fps without any framerate drops throughout my entire playthrough.

Although it’s a pretty barebones remaster, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is still frighteningly brilliant, taking the 3DS classic to new heights with its improved graphics and quality-of-life changes. While it might be a tough sell for those who played the original due to its lack of new content, it’s also a must-have for Switch owners that enjoyed Luigi’s Mansion 3 and have yet to experience its predecessor. With a terrific single-player campaign and the resurgence of the supernaturally addictive online co-op ScareScraper mode, the sequel to Luigi’s Mansion is now better than ever on Switch and lives up to my expectations.

8.5/10

A copy of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD for review purposes was provided by Nintendo UK.