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Luigi's Mansion (JP), also known as Luigi Mansion in Japanese, is a Mario game, and one of the launch titles for the Nintendo GameCube. It was the debut of the scientist Professor E. Gadd, who would appear in several Mario games after that. The game also marks the debut of King Boo, the king of the Boos who captured Mario and would also appear in several Mario games after that. Luigi's Mansion is the first Mario game to have Luigi in the title and the second to only star Luigi, the first one being Mario is Missing!

A sequel, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was published for the Nintendo 3DS in March 2013. In October 2018, a remake of the original game was also produced for the 3DS system; as well as fitting within Nintendo's recent trend of reviving old games from their backlog for the 3DS, the remake also has 3D features that are finally given the light of day; the original GameCube counterpart was actually built with 3D capability, but this was scrapped from the final console during its development.

A third installment was released in October 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

Plot[]

Luigi's Mansion starts when Luigi got a message saying that he won a mansion in a contest. He told his brother, Mario about this mansion because he didn't even enter a contest. Mario runs into the house immediately to investigate, but then disappeared into the mansion. Then Luigi heads straight into the mansion, but Mario is nowhere to be seen as Luigi believes that he must've arrived early or late. All the doors are locked. But a blob of some sort drops a key for the parlor. Then Luigi heads for the big, double doors, which is the parlor as he searches for Mario, and is assaulted by a ghost. But the ghost ignores Luigi because it is being sucked by an old man holding a vacuum. But the old man is soon defeated by the ghost. They both leave as three ghosts appear. They both introduce each other. Professor E. Gadd tells Luigi about a man very similar to him without knowing that was Mario, but Luigi tells him that man very similar to him is his twin-brother, Mario and he is missing, so Professor Gadd decides to give Luigi two gadgets so he can be safe and find his brother.

Gameplay[]

3DS changes[]

The 3DS version adds a few new changes most notably changing the controls to be more similar to Dark Moon's controls since the 3DS lacks analog triggers and the second stick. The game also adds a Boss Battle mode where the player can face off the bosses in a row.

There is a new co-op feature that features a second greener Luigi. The second player can play the whole game in co-op if they have a copy of the game. If they don't the two players can only do the Boss Battles together.

amiibo Support[]

The game supports 4 amiibo which can be activated in E. Gadd's lab. They act as such

  • Boo - indicates which room has a Boo
  • Toad - Heals you when talking to Toad
  • Mario - Turns Poison Mushrooms into Super Mushroom which recovers health over time
  • Luigi - Can revive you immediately after being defeated

Characters[]

Besides Luigi, Mario, E. Gadd, and Toad, all the characters are ghosts. The Portrait Ghosts are listed below:

Area 1[]

  • Neville- Neville spends his afterlife reading all the books he missed while living. REQUIRED!
  • Lydia - She's stashed her secret savings away to prepare for her long afterlife. REQUIRED!
  • Chauncey - He cries loudly and never sleeps through the night, but since he was born a ghost, This seems natural. REQUIRED, AREA BOSS!

Area 2[]

  • The Floating Whirlindas - Once the local waltz champions, they can no longer compete since their feet don't touch the floor. REQUIRED!
  • Shivers - He wanders the house, endlessly searching for his master's will. He hopes he's included in it! REQUIRED!
  • Melody Pianissima - Despite playing moving melodies, she has a surly disposition. Oddly enough, she loves video games. REQUIRED!
  • Mr. Luggs - He prefers all-you-can-eat buffets to three meals a day. He ate himself to death but still wasn't satisfied. OPTIONAL!
  • Spooky - This creepy canine will sink its chops into any seemingly edible thing in sight. REQUIRED!
  • Bogmire - A product of the mansion's fear and despair, he's not sure who to fear or what to despair these days. REQUIRED, AREA BOSS!

Area 3[]

  • Biff Atlas - This kind body builder loves muscles and lilies. Why lilies? They symbolize purity. OPTIONAL!
  • Miss Petunia - The Miss Ghost runner-up from six years ago, she hasn't had much modeling work lately. REQUIRED!
  • Nana - She's still knitting the scarf she never finished in life. It now stretches to 871 feet. REQUIRED!
  • Slim Bankshot - Slim's a legend in the world of competitive pool. Too bad he's never played a living soul. OPTIONAL (GAMECUBE) / REQUIRED (3DS Hidden Mansion)
  • Madame Clairvoya - Her close connection to the spirit world lets her see nearly 49 days into the future. REQUIRED!
  • Henry and Orville - The twins like to play hide and seek, but since they both hide, the game never seems to end. REQUIRED!
  • Boolossus - When the shy, timid boos get together, their body and their attitude get BIG. REQUIRED, AREA BOSS!

Area 4[]

  • Uncle Grimmly -Adrift in the darkness, he tends to keep to himself, which suits the rest of the family just fine. REQUIRED!
  • Clockwork Soldiers - They once belonged to a tightly-wound toy collector, but now they march on their own without any winding. REQUIRED!
  • Sue Pea - What was meant to be a short nap seems to have turned into eternal rest for sweet Sue Pea. OPTIONAL!
  • Jarvis - He loves antique jars so much that he now lives in one. He can hardly contain himself! OPTIONAL!
  • Sir Weston - This strange fellow's icy abode may be the reason he hasn't warmed up to being a ghost. REQUIRED!
  • Vincent Van Gore - Despite failing to sell a single painting in 30 years, this stubborn man refuses to let his art die. REQUIRED!
  • King Boo/Bowser - The giant Boo adorned with a crown.  It's hard at work on evil plans involving the other Boos. REQUIRED, AREA BOSS!

Enemies[]

Names of Boos[]

  • King Boo (Final Boss)
  • Boolosus (15 Boos)
  • Boo La La
  • GameBoo
  • GameBoo Advance
  • TaBoo
  • Boolicious
  • KungBoo
  • BamBoo
  • Bootha
  • Boogie
  • GumBoo
  • PeekaBoo
  • Boomio
  • Boodacious
  • Booligan (Hooligan)
  • Booregard
  • Mr. Boojangles
  • LimBooger
  • Boonswaggle
  • Booris
  • Boohoo
  • Shamboo
  • Booigi
  • Little Boo Peep
  • Boo B. Hatch
  • Booripedus
  • Boomerang
  • Booscaster
  • Boolivia
  • Boonita
  • UnderBoo
  • TamBoorine
  • Booscaster
  • Boofant
  • Boolderdash
  • Bootique

Items[]

Money

Image Name Score Maximum count
GoldCoin
Gold Coin 5,000 G 1,536
Bill
Bill 20,000 G 1,260
GoldBar
Gold Bar 100,000 G 61
BlueJewel
Blue Sapphires 500,000 G 10
GreenJewel
Green Emeralds 800,000 G 10
RedJewel
Red Rubies 1,000,000 G 10
SilverDiamond
Silver Diamond 2,000,000 G 5
RedDiamond
Red Diamond 5,000 G 2
GoldDiamond
Gold Diamond 20,000,000 G 2
SmallPearl
Small Pearl 50,000 G 76
MediumPearl
Medium Pearl 100,000 G 76
BigPearl
Big Pearl 1,000,000 G 19

Development[]

Through late 1999, the original idea for Luigi's Mansion didn't involve Nintendo characters. Director Hideki Konno (currently involved in the Mario Kart (series) and his team were thinking of creating a game that took place in a single building, originally either a large house or apartment complex. Following this they thought they might use something like a doll house, and started to experiment with Mario characters. Once the game was given the go to release on the GameCube instead of the Nintendo 64, those involved wanted to offer something fresh so instead of Mario they opted for his brother Luigi.[6]

Once Luigi was decided on, they had to start thinking of ideas for the house. They hadn't concluded what the theme would be based on and were thinking of a Japanese style house or a ninja mansion. Eventually, they came to a mansion that had a European and old-United States vibe to it, which eventually led to it being a haunted mansion.[6]

Luigi and the haunted mansion idea were in place, and Mr. Konno started to design maps for the levels based on what he thought of previously. There were some things that they had to remove from the game, such as a desert level and a prairie, which were actually designed during the stages when it was a game that starred Mario, due to it being solely based around the haunted mansion.[6] Early on in development they decided that the game would have three levels and a basement. It was decided that Luigi needs to search for Mario, who is trapped in the mansion. It was also decided that there were not going to be other Mario characters in this game besides Luigi, Mario and Boos, as it would not be another Mario chapter, though Toad is the only other Mario character to appear throughout the Mansion and King Boo uses a robot that is modeled after Bowser.

When asked why Luigi's Mansion was Nintendo's prominent launch title for the GameCube instead of a new standard Mario title, producer Shigeru Miyamoto stated that they wanted to show people that Nintendo is "a unique company that produces unique games. Therefore, we decided to first release titles like Luigi's Mansion and Pikmin."

In 2010, Konno revealed that the developers experimented with 3D when developing Luigi's Mansion, but ultimately decided against it.[7] It was among the many experiments that led to the development of the Nintendo 3DS. In Nintendo Power Konno revealed that he was interested in reviving the franchise on the Nintendo 3DS, but would not confirm any plans to do so.

Legacy[]

Since its release, elements of Luigi's Mansion have been applied to future titles. The most notable feature is giving Luigi spectral flames instead of the traditional fireballs. A battle stage based heavily on it was included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where Luigi's final smash was a spectral blast called the Negative Zone. The stage returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, where Luigi's final smash was replaced by a move based on the Poltergust 5000.

A stadium based on the game appears in Mario Super Sluggers. There is also a race track based around Luigi's Mansion in Mario Kart DS (this course would reappear in Mario Kart 7), wherein some of the Portrait Ghosts' portraits are hanging on the walls, including Chauncey and King Boo. King Boo himself has also appeared in many other games after he was introduced in this game, such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Super Mario Sunshine, but with a completely different design.

Other media[]

Luigi's Mansion appears in volume 26 and 29 of Super Mario-Kun. In volume 26, which usually follows the story of Paper Mario, the Luigi's Mansion section is condensed into one chapter. The story begins similarly to the game: Luigi wins a mansion. He tries calling Mario's name, but Mario is absent. Luigi then treks to the mansion by himself. After a walk through the forest at night, Luigi is horrified to see his mansion. There, he meets a harmless Boo (案内役 テレサ) that leads him into the mansion. Inside the mansion, he and the Boo find a vacuum, so he tests it on the Boo, much to the Boo's anger. Luigi proceeds to vacuum the ghosts and he even encounters a Ghost Guy, which he doodles on its face.

Luigi then finds Mario trapped in a painting. Luigi is then ambushed by Bowser. Luigi attempts to run behind Bowser, but Bowser twists his head and burns Luigi. While Bowser throws a spike ball, Luigi uses his vacuum to deflect it at him, knocking off the head. King Boo flies out and Luigi proceeds to suck in King Boo, breaking the spell and freeing Mario. The Bowser head, still flying, lands on Luigi's head and Mario, mistaking him for Bowser, fights him. Once Mario realizes his mistake, he immediately regrets what he's done and the Boo watches them. Despite the chapters being seemingly disjointed, Luigi later joins Mario during a fight with Huff N. Puff and uses a new Poltergust to vacuum the Tuff Puffs.

Not much is known in the segment in volume 29, but Toad travels along with Luigi.

Awards[]

Luigi's Mansion won the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for audio in 2002.[8]

Sales[]

Luigi's Mansion is the 5th best selling game for the Nintendo GameCube, having sold approximately 3.6 million copies, including 2.19 million in the US, 460,000 copies in Japan and 100,000 units in the UK, as of December 31, 2009.

Trivia[]

  • Some of Luigi's voice clips were recycled in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Kart DS, and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
  • The overseas versions of the game marks the first time Luigi, Mario and Bowser's design styles receive a revamped appearance from the Nintendo 64 Era to their current appearances onward, although Luigi's design in this game is a prototype of his current appearance.
  • The box art resembles the cover photos of the first, fourth, and fifth films in the Home Alone series: Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002), and Home Alone 5: The Holiday Heist (2012).
  • A mistake on page 30 of the U.S. and Australian editions of the Luigi's Mansion instruction booklet shows Professor E. Gadd speaking in Japanese.
  • Totaka's theme can be heard by going to the Training Room and waiting at the tutorial screen (the one where Luigi learns how to use the Poltergust 3000) for 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
  • This was one of the last entries in the Mario franchise to be produced under Hiroshi Yamauchi's administration as president of Nintendo.
  • This is one of the two GCN games to feature N64 era artwork and renders, with the other one being Super Smash Bros. Melee

References[]

  1. Nintendo Everything. (August 21, 2018).Luigi's Mansion for 3DS out on October 12 in North America
  2. https://twitter.com/Nintendo/status/1040360859971670016
  3. Nintendo of Europe. (August 21, 2018). Back on his feet, Luigi hopes his next trip to a haunted house turns out better when #LuigisMansion comes to #3DS on 19/10 – just in time for Halloween!. Twitter. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. Nintendo AU NZ Twitter announcement
  5. http://nintendo.co.kr/news/view.php?idx=171
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Anthony JC (September 2001). "The Making of Luigi's Mansion". N-Sider. http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=414. 
  7. "Iwata Asks: Nintendo 3DS". https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/iwata/iwata_asks_-_nintendo_3ds_30756_30757.html#top. "Iwata: To go back a little further, the Nintendo GameCube system actually had 3D-compatible circuitry built in [...] Itoi: Nintendo GameCube did? And all the Nintendo GameCube systems around the world? Iwata: Yeah. If you fit it with a certain accessory, it could display 3D images. [...] Iwata: We already had a game for it, though - Luigi’s Mansion, simultaneously released with Nintendo GameCube. Itoi: The one in which Luigi shoulders a vacuum cleaner? Iwata: Yeah, that one. We had a functional version of that in 3D." 
  8. Interactive in 2002. BAFTA. Retrieved July 11, 2018.

External links[]

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