It’ll at all times be Luigi’s Mansion: Darkish Moon to me.
I bear in mind again when Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon (or Luigi’s Mansion 2 relying in your area) was introduced for Nintendo 3DS, my preliminary response was stunned confusion. Whereas I loved the unique Gamecube recreation again at launch, it by no means struck me as one thing that might turn into a collection. Then I performed Darkish Moon, and all these doubts melted away. I completely liked Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon again in 2013. Subsequent Stage Video games’ interpretation of this universe is charmingly animated, visually astounding, and simply enjoyable to discover. Now in 2024, this remaster of Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon involves us through Tantalus, the crew behind the remasters of The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. I can say and not using a second of hesitation, that is one of the best remaster they’ve ever produced of a Nintendo recreation.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is precisely what you’d anticipate from the title. That is, from a content material perspective, the very same recreation you performed on 3DS a decade in the past. That comes with each the positives, and the negatives. The sport is cut up between a number of totally different mansions this time round. Every one has its personal distinctive visible theme and mechanical hooks. As Luigi you’ll enterprise into these mansions in quest of items of the titular Darkish Moon, which has been shattered by King Boo. Navigating these mansions will imply fixing puzzles, preventing ghosts, and uncovering secrets and techniques. A lot of the recreation’s problem comes right down to determining the best way to get the place you’re making an attempt to go. Locked doorways and secret passages weave by each mansion making exploring your environment completely the important thing a part of each mission.
Distinctive to Darkish Moon, is a mission system that breaks up your journeys to every mansion into particular aims. As soon as an goal is full, you’ll be whisked away again to a bunker to plan your subsequent outing with Professor E. Gadd. Early on these missions are very brief and the fixed journeys to and from the mansion is usually a little grating. Nonetheless, by just a few missions in, your aims will turn into extra expansive, and also you’ll be free to discover the mansions extra completely. You’ll even be given incentive to return to missions later to seek out hidden aims and see should you can finest your earlier rating. Whereas this construction actually has its moments of being overbearing early on, I discover that it jogs my memory a little bit of 3D Mario. Sure you’re visiting the identical space a number of instances, however every time issues can have barely modified to accommodate your present goal.
I discovered that Luigi feels a bit extra intuitive to regulate on a standard twin analogue controller quite than the 3DS. The suitable stick can now be used to switch Luigi’s goal independently of his motion. Whereas it isn’t as fluid as both of the opposite video games which had been constructed with dwelling consoles in thoughts, it does quite a bit to assist Darkish Moon slot in with the remainder of the trilogy. However aside from controls, Darkish Moon is mild on modifications. That is basically the 3DS recreation in HD. That being mentioned, the HD within the title means way more than a decision increase.
Whereas not as instantly apparent as one thing like Metroid Prime Remastered, Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon has obtained a radical visible overhaul. That is the place I’ve to present Tantalus a variety of credit score, as whereas practically the whole lot within the recreation has been rebuilt to a better diploma to element, you could not instantly discover. This all comes right down to how flawlessly they’ve preserved the unique inventive intent of Subsequent Stage Video games. I’ve at all times liked the way in which Darkish Moon regarded in comparison with the opposite video games within the collection. It’s clear with a variety of straight edges used to construct a barely off stability world. All of this has been highlighted within the Change model with model new or modified 3D fashions in each scene. The purpose was very clearly to not get this to the identical take a look at Luigi’s Mansion 3, however quite to easily current the artwork of the 3DS recreation in a means that would maintain up on the massive display screen, and I’d say they succeeded.
When it does come to technical efficiency and determination, I can’t actually provide you with any complaints. Actually this is likely to be one of the best picture high quality we’ve ever seen in a primary get together Change recreation. Enjoying docked you’ll hit a full 1080p whereas handheld hits the Change display screen’s native 720p. Each of those configurations not solely hit their most doable decision, additionally they each have a pleasant move of put up course of anti aliasing. I believe that is particularly essential given the sport’s artwork model. All the cruel straight edges seen all through the mansions would present very apparent pixel stair stepping with out correct remedy. As is, even performed on a giant 4K TV, this seems to be implausible. Body charge additionally smooths out the considerably uneven efficiency of the unique and maintains a gradual 30 fps all through. The one instances I used to be capable of see any fluctuation in efficiency was when enjoying the net Scarescraper mode. However I’d attribute that to on-line connectivity quite than an precise efficiency drawback. I’ll word on the subject of Scarescraper, that whereas I’m glad the mode stays from the unique recreation, I do want it had an up to date system for becoming a member of video games. Slightly than simply with the ability to shortly discover the subsequent obtainable recreation, you’ll must sift by an inventory on the lookout for the mode and problem you need, then hope it hasn’t stuffed up earlier than you hit the A button.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD doesn’t reinvent the unique by any means. If the mission based mostly gameplay construction bothered you on 3DS, it gained’t be any higher right here. Whereas that individual situation largely goes away as the sport goes on, I’d have appreciated some high quality of life updates for multiplayer. That being mentioned, that is definitely the definitive model of Darkish Moon. The love and care with which it has been remastered deserves calling out. Tantalus has accomplished an unbelievable job right here. The unique work of Subsequent Stage Video games actually shines as their animation and underlying artwork path stay unchanged. That is simply the easiest way to play Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon.
