LUIGI’S MANSION 2
7 cert, Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS
From broadsheets to tabloids to social media, everyone’s got something to say about the celebrity ageing process, but public figures should take a leaf from Luigi’s book: the Italian plumber (younger sibling of the iconic Mario) is looking better than ever at 30 – a veritable eternity in videogame character years.
Luigi's Mansion 2 is a long- belated sequel that finds the reluctant hero shaking and shrieking all over again in a haunted old house.
There’s an over-arching story about ghosts running amok in a lab and mankind being in jeopardy, but the game focuses on Luigi’s chores, all of which are paranormal- related: explore haunted rooms, solve puzzles, gather necessary items and find and capture spirits.
The phantoms and their locations are decidedly retro: Inanimate objects become animated, the furniture looks antique and the gadgets have a cogs-and-bulbs old-fashioned charm.
Gameplay is unusual and distinctive, but also intuitive and easy to master. For example, the little skirmishes with the ghosts involve powering a Hoover, then arching the nozzle to catch them in the vacuum. Every little gizmo (such as the augmented torch that highlights invisible objects) is slightly eccentric, but each has a clear, natural use.
The game's packaging is charming as well: comedic horror music abounds (theremins and ominous clarinets) in the background score that Luigi hums along to, while the phantoms are bratty and droll, evoking Slimer from Ghostbusters in appearance and behaviour. The tone is distinctly that of a light-hearted Nintendo romp, but the haunted house theme echoes old-school comedies Abbott and Costello and Scooby Doo .
Amusing animation and engaging, unique gameplay make Luigi's Mansion 2 one of the better games to appear on the 3DS so far, and a perfect home for Mario's eternal second fiddle.