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A good start...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 28 / 32
Date: September 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I'm in Japan right now, and Gamecube has been released. I played it on a display thingy outside a video game store. The story is like this:

Luigi goes into a mansion. There he finds Toad sitting on the ground crying. He tells him something about Mario. THen you meet some weirdo professor guy who teaches you how to catch ghosts. THen you start your journey.

Each unexplored room starts off with no light at all. Armed only with a flashlight and a vacuum, Luigi tries to suck up cash. While he greedily gathers money, ghosts appear behind him and try to kill him (duh). So Luigi whips around with his flashlight and immediatly begins the battle to suck up the ghost. The only difficult parts about this process are: 1, If you don't have the proper timing, the ghost will disappear before you can even begin to suck it up. 2, If there is more than one ghost, there other can hurt Luigi and cause the other ghost to escape the vacuum cleaners grasp.

This game is pretty cool, and it's on my list for games to get.

Luigi's Mansion: Luigi's Solo Debut!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 27 / 31
Date: November 18, 2001
Author: Amazon User

After playing this game on my imported Gamecube (review posted on this website), I have quite a lot I'd like to tell you, the consumer. So without further to do, here I go:

After being Mario's sidekick for more than a decade, Luigi has finally been given the chance to star in his own game! Starring in his very own 3D game for the first time, Luigi has become the Peter Venkman of the 21st century by taking up the mantle of a ghostbuster in Luigi's Mansion. An extreme departure from what Mario Bros. games have been in the past, Luigi's Mansion features some refreshing ideas but fails to match the classic status of Mario's adventures.

The story in Luigi's Mansion is adequate enough, but there are few if any twists or turns. After receiving a strange letter from his brother Mario, Luigi heads out to meet him thinking he's won a mansion in a contest he doesn't remember entering. Upon reaching the mansion, Luigi is greeted by a short, bald scientist named Professor E. Gaadd, who explains that the mansion only appeared a few days earlier and is overrun with ghosts. Professor Gaadd goes on to explain that he met a fellow with a red cap shortly after the mansion appeared and hasn't seen him since. Luigi, realizing the fellow in the red hat is Mario, sets off for the mansion after Gadd equips him with a flashlight and the Poltergust 3000, a modified vacuum cleaner that can be used to trap the ghosts.

Controlling Luigi is fairly simple, but it takes some time to get accustomed to it. The left analog stick controls his movements, while the C stick controls the direction he points his flashlight and vacuum cleaner. It's the same control scheme that is found in most modern first-person shooters, and after a few awkward moments you'll be swinging Luigi's vacuum around with precision. Opening doors and examining objects is done with the large A button. The Z button is used to check inventory, the X button is used to view Luigi's ghost-sensing Game Boy, and pressing the Y button brings up a 3D map of the entire mansion. Learning to accurately aim the vacuum is one thing, but sucking up stalwart ghosts with it is another. To catch a ghost, it must first be stunned with Luigi's flashlight. Once stunned, its heart will appear, which is the cue to start with the vacuuming. Pressing the R button will make the vacuum suck air and begin to bring the ghost in for capture. But it won't be snared without a fight. Ghosts will pull Luigi around the room as he attempts to snare them, but holding the analog stick in the exact opposite direction of the ghost will make the process easier.

The Poltergust 3000 has more than one use. It can also be used to shoot objects or spray a variety of ammunition such as fire, ice, and water by pressing the L button. If you press the left shoulder button all the way, the vacuum will fire a projectile. As mentioned earlier, a ghost's heart must be seen before the ghost can be captured. But it's not always as easy as illuminating the ghost with a flashlight. That works for the majority of drone ghosts located in the mansion, but there are 23 special ghosts in the house that must be snared in different ways. This is where the puzzle elements of the game come into play. Some ghosts require Luigi to perform special tasks before showing themselves. One particularly buff ghost must be drubbed with a heavy bag before being captured, and another must be struck with billiard balls before it's vulnerable. It's essential for Luigi to search every last nook and cranny of each room, because items can be hidden virtually anywhere. At the end of the game, you are rewarded for how much money has been collected, so finding every last coin, gold bar, and jewel is worth the time. Luigi's Mansion progresses in a completely linear fashion. Once Luigi exterminates a room of ghosts, the lights will come on, and more often than not, a chest will appear with a key inside. The 3D map will then automatically appear to show you which door the new key opens. This same process repeats until the end of the game. If Luigi's Mansion were as long as most Mario Bros. games, the lack of gameplay variety would be an issue. But just when things start to become tiresome, the game ends.

There are a few problems with the graphics that should be mentioned. The GameCube has been heralded for its texturing abilities, but most of the textures in Luigi's Mansion are low resolution and look muddy and pixelated when viewed up close. This is understandable considering the impressive variety of textures in each room, but it can be distracting nevertheless. In true Nintendo form, the graphical emphasis is placed on the lead character. Luigi is made of plenty of polygons and is expertly animated right down to his vacuum hose, but it doesn't leave many stray polygons for other things. The result is cramped environments filled with angular objects. When the game engine does happen to draw a lot of polygons, the textures have a tendency to shimmer. Other slight issues include an occasional flickering shadow and glitchy reflections when entering rooms. These graphical issues wouldn't be nearly as noticeable if the rest of the game didn't look so consistently good, and the last thing those who play Luigi's Mansion will complain about is its visual prowess.

Luigi's first solo excursion has flashes of brilliance and is fun while it lasts, but the short amount of time it takes to complete it makes it a hard 5 star recommendation. There is some incentive to play through the game a second time, but even that can be done within an average rental period. However, if you're a serious video game collector or just want a game that will adequately show off your new console, Luigi's Mansion is worth picking up.

I hope this review assisted with deciding which game to purchase for your Nintendo Gamecube. (...)

Tons of fun, until you beat it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 23 / 26
Date: December 23, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Don't be fooled that Luigi's Mansion, a game that is only good, serves as the Nintendo Gamecube's star title. By now, that honor belongs to Super Smash Bros. Melee, and at launch it was held by the likes of Rogue Squadron 2 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Here to give you the word on Luigi's Mansion is Nintendorks' Eric Denney.

"It's been very difficult to come to a decision on just what to rate Luigi's Mansion. Luigi is the closest thing to a Mario Flagship title that we saw for GameCube launch, and the bar has been set almost impossibly high after Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World, and Super Mario 64. In the end, while still a solid game, Luigi's Mansion doesn't deserve a spot next to the predecessors.

Now that the ugly comparison is out of the way, lets examine the merits and faults of Luigi's Mansion in its own right. What we have in Luigi's Mansion is a fun, solid adventure title with little to no replay value.

While the game concept is hardly fresh (and indeed been nearly beaten to death by Capcom), Nintendo still manages to pull it off with characteristic grace. Using the Poltergust vaccum to suck up the ghosts, and mastering the timing of using the flashlight (or other objects) to make the ghosts vulnerable injects a breath of fresh air into the game. At the same time, it proves to be a good example of how to properly program a game for the GameCube controler. Every button is put to good use, and it isn't hard to believe that the game was designed to make the most out of the controller. It wouldn't surprise me at all if future games in the haunted mansion genre start to pick up on some of the controller ideas in future installments.

Luigi's Mansion is a fun game, but hardly worth the full retail price. You can rent it once, twice, or even thrice and have a great time with it. A rental time, however is about all the time you need for it. I'm no game wizard (in fact, I rather suck at figuring out game puzzles), but I breezed through this game effortlessly. I wouldn't call it easy, but it isn't more than moderately challenging even at its best. Rent it, and you take it back satisfied. But there are just too many great GameCube games out now to spend the full $on Luigi's Mansion."

Better than walking through pipes!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: November 10, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Don't be fooled by the appearance of this game. Luigi's Mansion is the best choice for a launch game for the Nintendo Gamecube. Its intuitive gameplay and supurb lighting effects makes this game a sure hit for fans of all ages. The controls are a bit tricky at first but it provides you with a better handle over your main character, Luigi. I played this at my local Cubeclub and it was fantastic. I came in thinking that the game would be fun but nothing too extraordinary, after playing it I was blown away by its unique scenario and its ability to mix puzzle, action, adventure, and comedy in equal amounts throughout the game. This game simply has the best lighting effects I've ever seen, and it IS very original.(It's not Ghostbusters with Luigi thrown in.) Whether you're a long time Mario Bros. fan or a newcomer to games, Luigi's Mansion is all around fun and a soon to be classic in gaming history.

quote:"Yeah! All right!"

give it a break!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 21 / 23
Date: February 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

ok, its true this game is pretty short. it has four main areas to defeat each with a ghost boss to fight. still, there are a few goodies our friends at nintendo stuck in there to keep us busy. there are 50 BOO ghosts that you must hunt down to gain bonus points after you beat the game. you can look for marios 5 missing clues, you can go hunting for the 3 treasure rooms and the rare golden cheese. with all that said, more about those 4 areas. each area has a number of sub bosses that must be defeated for keys to open doors. there are about 28 of these ghosts all together. once the game has reaches the 4th area limit, the manion goes dark and stays like that untill the section is completed. this part is pretty scary. to top is off, the final boss is very very very very very HARD!!! so dont expect to have him beaten in one day. it took me a week just to beat him. once the game is over, your total score ir ranked by how much money you found, all the BOOs you found, all the bosses and sub bosses you defeted, and any other bonus items you have. the higher your total, the better yout letter grade will be. once you have your rank, you get a sort of new masion. the higher you yout rank, the better and nicer the new mansion looks. there isnt a huge diffenrce with the game once you play it with the new look, but it still makes you feel proud you did it. to wrap it up, the game is kinda short but still is an instant classic that is bound to be up with Donkey Kong Country(SNES) and Mario 64.

Awesome game! You should better buy this on Nov. 18th!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 20
Date: November 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I played this game at Dragons Den at the Cross County Mall in New York (yeah!). Although it was the Japanese version, it was still awesome. This game starts off with some really cool FMV's and then it says "Press Start!" You press start and there is a picture of a Mansion and a picture of Professor E. Gadd, (the crazy scientist) for options. You click on the mansion and the game shows Luigi walking toward the mansion, looking at his map. You go inside with only your flashlight. You go to the second floor and try to open both doors. They are both locked. You go back downstairs and a key falls from the sky. (wtf?) You bring it back upstairs and open the door in the middle. Then you see Professor E. Gadd trying to catch a orange ghost with the Polguster 3000 (the vacuum)and it gets away. He gives it to you and sends you in the training room. Go to the middle water pump and press A on it. A ghost comes out behind you and it's your first encounter with a ghost. You flash it with you flashlight for one second and a purple circle with a number 10. Hold the R trigger and you will suck it in with your vacuum. Hold down R and chase it with the control stick. You need to be really good, this requires a lot of hand/eye coordination. You have to do this a couple of times. He will take you back to his room, and choose the second choice (I don't know what it said). You will go back to the main entrance of the mansion with Toad crying. Talk to him, and he'll say that he brought Mario with him and he got lost. He will also ask you to save your data on your Memory Card 59 (available on Amazon.com for 14.99). Then your adventure begins. You better get this game! It's awesome, just like I described it. I hope you like this review. It's more like a walkthrough! LOL :)

Very fun, very cute little game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 23 / 27
Date: March 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

While Mario gets zillions of games to himself every year, it's not often that Luigi gets his own lead, unless you count 1993's MARIO IS MISSING on the SNES.

In this cool little game, Luigi goes Ghostbusting in a haunted mansion (one of those Scooby-Doo types) that he has mysteriously won in a competition he didn't even enter. The mansion is crawling with spooks of all kinds but Luigi get's help from a crackpot inventor living nearby. Now armed with a special vacuum cleaner, Luigi must clear every room in the mansion and find his missing brother, who has apparently vanished inside.

The gameplay is simple and very easy to get the hang of. Some of the rooms you clean up require some extra investigation and puzzle solving so be sure to check everything (I though the piano room was a cool puzzle to solve) and use your Gameboy Horror to have a good look round.

The graphics in Luigi's Mansion may not be up to the standard of Super Mario Sunshine but they're still very, very smooth and look amazing. Some of the SFX look highly realistic and there's no loading times at all between scenes. The music sounds like it's been done on a Commodore 64 and doesn't sound all that great but it's a cute little theme and I thought it was very funny when Luigi would whistle it whenever it wasn't playing.

The mansion itself isn't that big and you'll finish the game in about a week, but when you have this much fun playing it is still worthwhile.

Rent It, Don't Buy It.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 35 / 49
Date: August 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Like most Nintendo games, this game is original and is fun to play. It has great graphics and interesting character designs. However, it is very easy, and can be won in 5-10 hours (unless you are very young). After you win it you won't want to bother with it any more, so go somewhere you can rent it for a week and enjoy it, and be done with it. Save your money and wait for Super Mario Sunshine.

Lots of Fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: December 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Luigi's Mansion is simply put, a fun game. It's easy to learn and play (I only had trouble with the last boss) and very entertaining. It's short (around 10 hours for an average gamer) but great.

Graphics (9.5): Though cartoony, Luigi's Mansion showcases the power of the GameCube. The textures are beautiful and very detailed. I have never noticed ANY framerate slowdown. The game is eye candy.

Sound (9): The sound and music, presented in Dolby Surround, are just great. The music has typical Nintendo charm and is quite repetitive, but somehow, it NEVER becomes annoying. Overall, very good.

Gameplay (8.5): Albeit repetitive, sucking up ghosts with the vacuum is quite fun. There are many different types of normal ghosts who can each be beaten in a different way, larger ghosts who are a little tougher, and finally boss ghosts who can be fun and aggravating. There are other things to do, too, including finding Mario's lost items and turning the power back on, but I wouldn't want to spoil the story for you.

Control (10): The controller feels like it was designed for the game. It just works. It uses all the buttons, and often uses both sticks at the same time. This may be quite difficult for beginners, but there is a training room to help you master your technique. The pressure-sensitive L and R buttons can be used to control the force of your vacuum, but that function is almost useless during gameplay.

Lastability and Replay Value (5): Ouch. The game's only flaw is its length. By the time you're really into the game, it's over! Games this good should not end so soon. Don't be fooled by claims of a hidden mansion when you beat the game. There is such a thing, but the only difference is that your vacuum is more powerful. You may want to play the game a few times to increase your final score, but after that it's over.

Final (Not an average) (9): Luigi's Mansion is great. If you're looking for an easy game that you can actually complete for a change, this is for you. It's worth purchasing for families, younger kids, and new gamers. However, hardcore gamers may be disappointed with the length, and I therefore recommend a weekend rental for them.

Luigi's Mansion - Quality, however not long

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 17 / 22
Date: January 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Luigi's Mansion, to put it simply, is the perfect weekend rental. The title garnered a total of ten hours of gameplay out of me, and has not been touched since. Don't get me wrong, the game wasn't bad or anything, it was just really short.

Boasting some new gameplay as opposed to the usual platformer fare, the puzzles in Luigi's Mansion, as well as bosses, were fun while they lasted. A fairly simple game, Luigi's Mansion is not something that an experienced gamer should probably buy, unless they'd just like it in a collection for some reason.

For the family game, this doesn't do too badly, although the fifty dollar price tag isn't justifiable. A good game for teaching parents and small children to play a game, I'd recommend Pikmin as a puzzle game over this, and Mario Sunshine as a Mario game above this.

Three stars justifies the good quality, as well as super short playtime. Try renting it before buying it.

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