Have you ever heard the name of a franchise and had a nostalgic feeling? If you are a millennial then you most likely have. Remembering a time when things were easier and the gaming market was rather limited, makes many gamers nostalgic for the past; that is why so many companies continue to release remastered versions of some of their more popular titles. Over the last decade, the number of remastered games has only increased. While some remasterings improve the quality of the game and enhance the overall experience (EX: Resident Evil), others have just seemed like cash grabs targeting nostalgic gamers. So where does Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD fall? Find out in our review.
Before diving into our actual review, let me share with you my previous experience with the franchise. When I was younger, I did not have a Gamecube. The only time I got to play the first Luigi’s Mansion was when at Best Buy playing their show floor Gamecube or when hanging out with friends who had one. In fact, I can say I probably only completed 1/3 of the original game. For years, I hoped that Nintendo would release an HD remastering of Luigi’s Mansion for the Nintendo Switch, but sadly that moment never game; yes, they did port it to the Nintendo 3DS, but that wasn’t the desired platform or quality. Because of this, I held off on playing Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon.
When Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was announced, I knew it was finally time to continue with the franchise. Before jumping in, I was curious how Nintendo and Tantalus Media would update the game to make it playable on the Nintendo Switch. So what changes did they make to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD?
Key Changes
When looking at footage from Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon and comparing it to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, you can tell that the development team has updated the game’s texture, item details, and model design. Due to the Nintendo Switch only having one screen, the development team found a way for key meters and the mini-map to all appear on the same screen without being overwhelming. When playing with the Joycons, players can use the motion controls to adjust the camera; players can turn off this feature in the settings if they prefer to use the sticks instead. The game is now locked at 30 FPS at 1080p vs 240p and an uncapped frame rate.
Gameplay
When you first jump into Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, it is fairly easy to screw up, get lost, and even die. The game allows you to explore and find your own way versus guiding you directly; in fact, we didn’t realize the map existed until reaching the Haunted Towers Act. Unlike the original Luigi’s Mansion, the game is broken up into chapters, setting goals within each chapter for the player to complete. The game is broken up into five acts and a final boss.
Based on the player’s performance within each chapter, they are rewarded with a medal. The medal isn’t of much importance, however, the money you earn in the level is. The money earned goes towards upgrading Luigi’s equipment making life easier for the player. If you feel inclined, you can just power farm coins early on in order to get the upgrades sooner, however, power farming is not required in order to progress; it just can make your life a little bit easier.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 builds upon itself with Luigi receiving new abilities as the game progresses; these new abilities can take a bit to get used to but once you have the hang of it, they are fairly easy to use. The game’s chapter progress does make it easier to just pick up and play if you are on a limited time schedule, however, the constant calling from the professor and returning to the base does take you out of the immersion lessening the horror experience. The boss fights within the game can be a bit challenging at first due to their puzzle mechanics.
Story
Once again, Luigi is called to assist with a ghost problem and Mario is nowhere to be found. With the annoying help of Professor E. Gadd, Luigi must hunt down the Dark Moon fragments scattered between five areas; these fragments will help pacify the ghosts and bring peace to the land. With only a flashlight in hand, Luigi must return to the Gloomy manor and find the Poltergust 5000. After encountering some ghosts, Luigi is summoned back to the professor’s bunker. Upon returning to the bunker, Luigi will deposit any money or ghosts that he found within the level.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 story overall is a fairly decent tale of helping others when they are in need, rescuing family, and finding the courage to keep going even when you are scared. The game’s story could have been better if the chapters were a bit longer or cut entirely so that it is only the act.
Positives
The bone found in each level gives the player an extra life and is a cute teaser for the eventual Dog ghost. When replaying levels, you get to keep the equipment and upgrades that you have already unlocked while playing through the game. Upgrades make replaying levels a lot easier.
Negatives
The professor interrupts the game experience too often and can be a distraction and hindrance. Not all the buttons are used and some have multiple input options to be used. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD also has limited settings options.
Graphics
As previously mentioned before Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD runs at 1080p 30 FPS compared to the Uncapped 240p of the original game. The game does have a few visual bugs but none that are game-breaking, only comedic. The improvements to the environment, objects, and visual effects improve the overall game experience. The level of detail that Tantalus Media has put into the game creates a highly detail experience that makes it easier to find objects and to hunt the ghosts.
Players can adjust the game’s brightness within the settings. Additionally, you can turn off the mini-map if you want to be able to explore without knowing where your targeted objective is.
Controls
Out of all the games I have played on the Nintendo Switch, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD‘s controls are probably the most annoying. As a primarily Xbox player, the buttons’ layout and uses seemed fairly confusing. The game’s original stick sensitivity seemed fairly high and the motion controls were more of a pain than a fun experience. Playing with a pro controller feels like a better overall experience.
In the settings menu, players can adjust the stick sensitivity and invert the controls. Players can also choose to turn off the omnidirectional-looking and just move the camera in horizontal movements; this setting’s change actually makes the game harder to play than the base controls. The player can disable the motion controls for the Joycons or turn off the Rumble sensitivity.
Audio/SFX
While playing through Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD I kept feeling exhausted. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure why I kept feeling tired. After playing the game on multiple occasions, I discovered that the game’s audio speed was what was making me so tired. The game’s music BPM (Beats Per Minute) is fairly slow early into the game making it more melodic. As the game progresses, certain levels theme have an increased speed making it easier to enjoy the music. If the ringtone for the 3DS was the speed at which we heard the opening levels soundtrack, the game would have been a lot easier to get into; the soundtrack itself doesn’t feel as spooky as the first game.
Replay Value
Since I did not replay the original Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon, I have had a different experience than those who played the game originally. For those who did play the original, they should be happy with the quality of life improvements that the game has received. As someone who is playing it for the first time, outside of trying to collect everything and 100% it, it doesn’t feel like a game that I would come back to immediately. I could see myself playing it again in 10 to 20 years as part of a Luigi’s Mansion marathon, but without a change in levels or game difficulty, it does not feel worthwhile to replay.
Verdict
As someone who was excited to play Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, I can say it looks good on paper and visually, but something is missing. The quality of life updates did not bring enough changes to the game to warrant an HD remastering vs a port. The story is fun to experience but the mini-chapters within each area detract from the overall experience; the game has also lost its horror roots. Small chapters for children are fine, but for adults, it can be tedious to have to load in and out of missions. The controls could have used a little more fine-tuning or customization ability to make the game more enjoyable but it is still playable.
Visually, the game looks good, so if you did not play it on the DS or have been waiting to play it then it is worth picking up. Once you complete it, there is not much to bring you back to it outside of the ScareScaper. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is definitely worth picking up if you have never played it but it is not one you need to rush out and buy; definitely keep an eye out for it to be on sale during the holiday season.
A review copy of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was provided for review purposes.
