System: Nintendo GameCube
Genre: Action/adventure
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release date: November 18, 2001
ESRB rating: E
Players: 1
Memory size: ?
Save: Yes
Memory card blocks: 3
LM screen shot

Overview

In Luigi's first starring role since Mario is Missing, Mario is missing again! To make matters worse, ghosts have overrun Luigi's mansion. Wielding only a flashlight and vacuum, Luigi sets out to rid his mansion of the undead intruders.

With help from his "Game Boy Horror" and Dr. Oya Maa, Luigi goes from room to room exterminating ghosts. The method is simple: shine the flashlight on a ghost, and use the vacuum to suck them in. When a room is cleared, Luigi might find a key to get into another locked room. At first, this type of gameplay seems repetitive, but, true to the Mario series, we can expect some clever puzzles and challenges along the way.

All the video game sites that got a chance to play Luigi's Mansion already have claimed that the controls seem awkward at first, but controlling Luigi becomes second nature with just a little practice. I'll explain. Luigi is controlled with both analog sticks on the GameCube controller; the stick on the left moves Luigi around, while the stick on the right controls Luigi's upper body. Other actions seem a bit simpler: The R Button switches the vacuum on/off, the A Button lets Luigi open doors or speak to people, and the Y Button shows the map.

Luigi's Mansion arrives November 18, sold separately along with the launch of the Nintendo GameCube.

Screenshots

First, a couple translations.