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Platform Filters:   All Platforms  Xbox   GameCube   PlayStation 2   PC   Game Boy Advance   Site Sections:   Updates  News   Games   Publishers   Developers   Reviews   Previews   Release Dates   Editorials   Glossary   Contact Us		Review:       8th May 2002: Luigi's Mansion  With so many Nintendo fans wanting a Mario game for the GameCube's launch, will this satisfy them until Mario Sunshine? Posted by Marc Hull - GameCube - UK and Europe Nintendo's main project manager, Shigeru Miyamoto, has always tried to add an innovative twist to his games, while also keeping them 'mainstream' enough to gather massive amounts of attention; a balance that has proved to be incredibly popular and gained the company a large (almost cult) following in all the major gaming regions. So, when the GameCube was announced, and everyone looked for a Mario 64-esque title to appear with it, the much anticipated title never materialised. Not only that, but it's likely never to materialise. Sure, there's Mario Sunshine on the way, but the only way to improve on a title as impressive as Mario 64 is to offer something radical, new and original, which early indications show is exactly what's going to happen (and see any similarities with how Zelda's coming along too?). Anyway, in a typically Nintendo-like twist, it's Mario's brother who gets to bask in the limelight of the console's launch, and as you'd expect this isn't really like any game that's come before. No doubt you've read countless news articles in the run-up to the title's European debut and found out the jist of the game already, so I'll make this short. Basically, you control Luigi around a large, eerie mansion, going from room-to-room trying to eliminate any ghosts that may pop out of the woodwork. When one of these spectral monstrosities appears, you have to quickly shine your flashlight on it to stun it, forcing it to reveal it's elusive heart, so that you can then let rip with a vacuum cleaner and suck in the little beast. However, it isn't just a simple case of pressing a button and watching the ghost disappear, since they usually like to put up a bit of a fight. Instead, once you've grabbed onto one with your vacuum cleaner's suction a small counter appears letting you know how long you have to keep in contact with it to finish it off for good. As you're fighting with it, pressing the control or camera stick in the opposite direction to the ghost will increase the cleaner's suction and cause the counter to decrease faster, however if the ghost manages to maneuvre around you quickly enough it can shake you off, so that you have to recapture it again before you can resume luring it into its dusty jail. While initially a bit confusing, this method of despatching ghosts will soon become second-nature as you progress into the murky depths of the mansion. This is probably a good thing too, since later on you can find groups of five or more ghosts ganging up on you at once, and have to shock and try to lure a few at once. However, failure to shock the ghosts before they get too close to you will cause you to lose some vital health points and some cash, the former of which can be recovered by searching for hearts hidden around the mansion. As well as the 'traditional' ghosts, Luigi's Mansion also features many more complex spectres which require some cunning to defeat. The same rules for catching apply to these; you have to lock-on to their hearts and then let rip with the 'cleaner, however the problem is getting them to reveal their hearts at all. While the other ghosts may well wait around long enough for you to shock them with your torch, these will disappear when you turn to face them, requiring you to work out a puzzle unique to each. These start off pretty easy, with one of the first simply requiring you to wait until he yawns before you can reel him in, however the later ones are more tricky, such as 'Nana' who simply sits in a room, knitting regardless of what you are doing. You'll also need to make good use of the resources the game offers you, by examining each item in every room for health, cash or a way to capture a particularly pesky ghost. For later puzzles, you'll even need to find medals which gives Luigi the ability to eject fire, water and ice from his vacuum cleaner, allowing him to kill 'elemental ghosts' and open previously blocked doors. The mansion itself is split into several floors, ranging from the roof right down to the dark confines of the basement. While you are free to wander through any of the rooms you have unlocked, and will often have to go back to previously opened rooms as you progress through the game, there is a linear level structure where you clear a floor, fight a boss, then deposit your captured ghosts back at a lab before moving on to the next. The boss encounters are quite spectacular, and each has a different weak spot that needs to be exploited for you to defeat them. However, with only four areas in total to be completed, the length of Luigi's Mansion could be a problem. While the main game isn't particularly short, it has a certain addictiveness that will cause many people to play it through to the end within their first few goes. A lot of the game is also pretty easy, with only the last area proving to be quite tricky as several ghosts attack you at once in each of the rooms. However, the main fault stems from the title's lack of replay value. With a highly detailed mansion to explore, and so many objects to interact with, you'd expect the game to have hundreds of secrets to uncover, but alas there don't appear to be that many. In fact, other than two secret rooms and some hidden cheese, there isn't much to find under the surface, and even finding the fifty Boos hiding in the rooms you've cleared isn't particularly taxing; you'll probably collect over forty as you progress through the game normally. While the promise of a 'Hidden Mansion' mode once you complete the game for the first time seems promising, it is unfortunately only a mirror image of the standard mansion with different, more difficult ghosts. Graphically, Luigi's Mansion is pretty strong, with a whole wealth of cool lighting effects being used to generate some really nice-looking ghosts. The mansion is highly detailed, with each room containing loads of items to admire each of which cast shadows realistically as the light changes, and mirrors that reflect the surrounding environment. However, there are areas where the title isn't so strong, such as the angular look of many curved surfaces and some low-quality textures, but this doesn't detract too much from the overall game. While lacking a 60hz mode, the game does run well in an optimised 50hz mode, with only tiny borders at the top and bottom of the image and no noticeable slowdown. Also, despite the size of the mansion, the game has no loading screens whatsoever, even going from the title screen into the main game is pretty much instantaneous; quite an impressive achievement! For sound, the game has quiet atmospheric music in the background, as well as the theme tune which is whistled by Luigi when he is in rooms that he's already cleared. Like many games recently, the background track changes as you move around the mansion, picking a style to suit the mood of the on-screen action, however Luigi's Mansion uses this effect particularly well. This is also complemented by the way Luigi reacts to different situations, whistling the theme tune when he's in a familiar room and chattering his teeth when he's in a dark, haunted one. Some may be disappointed to hear that the speech in the game are made up of Banjo-Kazooie-like grunts and mumbles rather than actually reading out the text, however since this only happens rarely in the game anyway it's hardly a big worry. Overall, Luigi's Mansion is fun, original and hugely addictive. Every room you go into has its own unique style and puzzle to solve, and the general look of the game is fabulous. You'll love every minute of play time, it's just a shame that there seems little new to do after you've finished the main game, but don't let that put you off buying it; this really is an experience that shouldn't be missed! Marc Hull             Latest Images:		Review Scores:    Graphics:   Sound:   Gameplay:   Length:   Overall: Click here for our Review Score Guidelines.  Review Summary:  Luigi's Mansion is an unusual, original title, combining both puzzle and action elements to produce a really addictive experience from start to finish. The game shows off some ace lighting effects, and the mansion is vast and detailed, alongside some nice atmospheric music. However, it's not the massive adventure Mario 64 was, and you're likely to complete it within your first few goes.  Related Games:  Luigi's Mansion for GameCube  5  Screenshots  1  Review Click here for All Game Information.
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