It’ll all the time be Luigi’s Mansion: Darkish Moon to me.
I keep 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 develop into a collection. Then I performed Darkish Moon, and all these doubts melted away. I completely beloved Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon again in 2013. Subsequent Degree 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 workforce behind the remasters of The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. I can say with out a second of hesitation, that is the most effective remaster they’ve ever produced of a Nintendo recreation.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is strictly 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 break up between a number of completely different mansions this time round. Each has its personal distinctive visible theme and mechanical hooks. As Luigi you’ll enterprise into these mansions looking for 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. Many of the recreation’s problem comes right down to determining learn how to get the place you’re attempting to go. Locked doorways and secret passages weave by way of 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 targets. 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 quick and the fixed journeys to and from the mansion is usually a little grating. Nevertheless, by a couple of missions in, your targets will develop 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 targets and see in the event you can finest your earlier rating. Whereas this construction definitely 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 manage on a conventional twin analogue controller relatively than the 3DS. The proper stick can now be used to change Luigi’s purpose independently of his motion. Whereas it isn’t as fluid as both of the opposite video games which have been constructed with dwelling consoles in thoughts, it does loads to assist Darkish Moon slot in with the remainder of the trilogy. However aside from controls, Darkish Moon is mild on adjustments. That is primarily the 3DS recreation in HD. That being mentioned, the HD within the title means far more than a decision enhance.
Whereas not as instantly apparent as one thing like Metroid Prime Remastered, Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon has obtained an intensive visible overhaul. That is the place I’ve to present Tantalus plenty of credit score, as whereas practically every thing within the recreation has been rebuilt to a better diploma to element, you might not instantly discover. This all comes right down to how flawlessly they’ve preserved the unique creative intent of Subsequent Degree Video games. I’ve all the time beloved the way in which Darkish Moon seemed in comparison with the opposite video games within the collection. It’s clear with plenty of straight edges used to construct a barely off steadiness world. All of this has been highlighted within the Swap model with model new or modified 3D fashions in each scene. The objective was very clearly to not get this to the identical have a look at Luigi’s Mansion 3, however relatively to easily current the artwork of the 3DS recreation in a method that would maintain up on the massive display, and I’d say they succeeded.
When it does come to technical efficiency and determination, I can’t actually give you any complaints. In reality this is likely to be the most effective picture high quality we’ve ever seen in a primary occasion Swap recreation. Enjoying docked you’ll hit a full 1080p whereas handheld hits the Swap display’s native 720p. Each of those configurations not solely hit their most potential decision, in addition they each have a pleasant go of publish course of anti aliasing. I believe that is particularly essential given the sport’s artwork type. All the tough straight edges seen all through the mansions would present very apparent pixel stair stepping with out correct therapy. As is, even performed on a giant 4K TV, this appears to be like implausible. Body price 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 web Scarescraper mode. However I’d attribute that to on-line connectivity relatively than an precise efficiency downside. I’ll notice 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. Somewhat than simply with the ability to rapidly discover the subsequent obtainable recreation, you’ll need to sift by way of a listing in search of the mode and problem you need, then hope it hasn’t crammed 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 received’t be any higher right here. Whereas that exact challenge largely goes away as the sport goes on, I’d have favored some high quality of life updates for multiplayer. That being mentioned, that is unquestionably the definitive model of Darkish Moon. The love and care with which it has been remastered deserves calling out. Tantalus has finished an unbelievable job right here. The unique work of Subsequent Degree Video games actually shines as their animation and underlying artwork path stay unchanged. That is simply one of the simplest ways to play Luigi’s Mansion Darkish Moon.