★★★★ | Who you gonna call?
I have fond memories of the original Luigi’s Mansion 2. Initially released 12 years ago on the Nintendo 3DS — my favorite handheld gaming console at the time — it was a gloriously inventive puzzle adventure that made the most out of its hardware.
Today, the original looks inarguably quaint, especially in comparison to its more refined third part. But, once again, Nintendo proves just how important game curation and restoration can be: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD retains the brilliance and whimsy of the original, while updating everything else to modern standards.
The result is a fantastic trip down memory lane, hampered only by the price tag, which asks for a premium.
What immediately stands out is how timeless Nintendo’s gameplay design feels. While the controls can prove a tad fiddly, the level design and gameplay loop both remain close to perfection. Every puzzle is fun and accessible; each room features something new to marvel over. And if you get lost, the constantly available tutorial mechanic — in the shape of a Nintendo DS -style phone! — is always at hand.
The visual improvements are spectacular across the board. This is a superlative remake, one that captures everything about the original while improving things elsewhere. The world feels alive and tactile, from little bits of paper and dust floating around the place to the creaking floorboards and closets. The ghosts are animated and gorgeous, and the new lighting effects look better than ever.
My biggest gripe centers around the ghosts themselves. While the smaller ones are a treat to hoover up, only occasionally bucking against the somewhat stiff controls, it’s the bosses that prove the biggest annoyance. Already difficult in their 3DS form, the battles are ported almost 1:1 onto the Switch, and they’re the only thing that hasn’t aged gracefully. Often, it takes too long to figure out exactly what you’re supposed to do with each boss, and failure in the fight can set you back anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your skill level.
A more gracious checkpoint system would not have gone amiss. Or even a newly revamped saving mechanism, for that matter. They’re both little things, but also quality of life improvements that could make a major difference for the new generation of gamers. And, let’s face it, us older ones who aren’t as spry as we once were.
It’s difficult to have too many sour grapes when the rest of the game is such fun. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD makes me smile far more often than it frustrates. I love how animated Luigi is, and how the ghosts all distinct character to them. Easter eggs feel boundless, and even though I remembered a surprising number of them from years back, it still felt like a thrill to revisit each one.
There’s also an optional co-op mode that unlocks a few hours into the main campaign. It’s fine, but mostly a nice addition to an already solid game that didn’t really need it. I played it with a partner for a few hours, and we haven’t touched it since. Instead, both of us have gone back and replayed the full game constantly over the past week and a half.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is yet another gem from Nintendo’s remastered library. One that reminds us how many great games are still waiting to be rediscovered in their backlog. It’s true that the third Luigi’s Mansion is the better, more refined game, and that asking for a full price for a remaster is steep. But there’s so much to love and play here that maybe, just maybe, it’s fine this time around.
Especially if you’re only just now getting into the franchise, or you’re introducing the next generation to it. There’s no better time to jump in, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD hasn’t aged a day.