When Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD was announced for the Switch, many fans expected a straightforward remaster that barely deviates from its 3DS original. Unfortunately, that expectation has proven correct, and although this horror puzzler looks cleaner and controls better than ever before, those expecting a major revamp will be disappointed.
Anyone who has played the original Luigi’s Mansion 2, or Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon as it was called in North America, will know what to expect when playing this remaster. King Boo has broken the Dark Moon and scattered it around the world, driving legions of ghosts insane. Naturally, it’s up to good old Luigi to stop them, with help from Professor E. Gadd and his new friend Polterpop, a ghost dog who is the best boy. (Oatchi, be damned.)
Instead of the singular mansion of its GameCube predecessor or the large hotel of its sequel, Luigi’s Mansion 2 tasks the titular green plumber with exploring multiple mansions to find all the Dark Moon crystals. Really, the game should be called “Luigi’s Mansions”, but that’s a topic for another day.
Like the 3DS game, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is much more linear than the series' first and third games. Rather than letting you explore the mansions at your own pace, Luigi is teleported back to E. Gadd after fulfilling an objective, turning the Metroidvania series into a level-by-level play. The decision to take Luigi out of these mansions after fulfilling a story point was a mixed bag then and it still is, ruining the flow of exploration to accommodate its original portable platform. On the other hand, this level-by-level structure does make this sequel more relaxing, offering a pick-up-and-play mentality not seen in other games.
However, exploring these areas is the main appeal of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and it can be disheartening to be pulled back when wanting to explore more. Finding heaps of cash or extra ghosts to fight is always a delight, but the game often rips you away from its strongest element to push you somewhere else. It was a concession made years ago, and it can’t be changed now, but it would’ve been nice to see some new bonus missions that allowed Luigi to roam free.
Even with the shorter mission-based structure, we can’t deny that going around these areas as Luigi is still plenty of fun. Using the Poltergust 3000 to blow obstacles away or suck in cash or ghosts feels as satisfying as it always has. Thanks to a major improvement to the game’s controls, allowing you to rotate Luigi exactly where you need him to be with the right analog stick, moving and fighting off enemies is a lot smoother than it was on Nintendo’s previous handheld.
Combat is a decently challenging experience in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD tied to the combo of stunning ghosts with your flashlight, then sucking them up with the Poltergust. Taking out one basic ghost is easy enough, but taking on a room full of them is challenging. These ghosts can stop you from sucking up their friends or damage you when you’re not paying attention. Some ghosts will also wear protection against your flashlight, so you’ll have to find a new way to stun them before taking them out.
Combat truly shines when you get to the game’s boss fights, arenas that force you to get more creative with Luigi’s arsenal. Most bosses can’t just be stunned and sucked, so Luigi has to find bits of the environment that can be used to hurt the ghouls. The first giant spider boss is a great example of this, as Luigi has to find three different ways to burn its web as the environment changes per hit. Truly, the game’s boss fights are the star the show, and sometimes manage to make up for the game’s staggering linearity.
Fans who enjoyed Luigi’s Mansion 3 and don’t mind a shorter adventure will have a great time with Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. It’s a good Switch port of a great 3DS game with some spruced-up visuals, but it doesn’t improve upon the original’s clear, controversial flaws.
