Luigi's Mansion Review

Luigi has previously had only one solo adventure game. Or the very poorly made Mario is Missing edutainment game that many people hate. So he was an obvious choice for an adventure game where Mario was kidnapped and he had to explore a haunted mansion, correct? That is true, and Luigi's Mansion is an excellent, if in some ways slightly underwhelming game.

Graphics

Some of the best on Gamecube. Paper Mario looked good. Super Mario Sunshine like good as well. But this game literally blew them out of the water in graphics quality, showing exactly what a Mario type adventure would look like with far more detailed graphics, amazing lighting effects and a level of realism unheld by most other Mario games. Yes, Sunshine and Galaxy look great, but compared to the detail in even the smallest areas here, they kind of look a bit empty on closer inspection.

Plus, who doesn't agree the ghosts look brilliant, and are actually see through at all times, something the Boos in past Mario games generally were not before this.

Sound

Excellent music. In fact, the music sure does build the atmosphere of this game, and some areas such as the music room are excellent, with references to past Mario games. And the music in boss battles in my opinion is pretty darn good, and catchy.

Gameplay

The way this game goes is great. The controls are extremely precise, and you really don't complain about the controls so much in most occasions (maybe except where you must shoot a falling star at a planet in the distance or are trying to fight Boolossus). But generally the gameplay is great.

Length

This is where in my opinion, it is slightly, but not as disappointing compared to other Mario games. There are only four areas, and while the second and third are excellent lengths for sections of the game, the first and fourth are way too short in comparison. The first is only 7 rooms including the Foyer, which does seem short to me. The final one is too spread out to feel like there is much to explore, with a few rooms in the attic, a few in the basement and others in the rooms between. It just makes you want more of the game. A good eight areas would be far better in my opinion, maybe with a large basement and attic (both separate sections), an area in the forests outside the mansion and maybe just another wing in the actual mansion itself.

Overall

I would probably say it would get 9/10 overall, with the last point totally because of the shortness of the game in it's entirety. The graphics are good, sound is great and the atmosphere cannot be beat, but the length needs serious doubling.

Buy Luigi's Mansion