Mildly amusing cash-in (Luigi's Mansion (GC))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Luigi's Mansion (GC)
Date:	03/09/09 (4 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An easy play

Disadvantages: But too simple and not much to it

I'm a fan of the majority of the Mario games, but was a bit skeptical as to whether Luigi could star in a game by himself - does he have the charm and star power to make it on his own, or is Mario sorely missed? Not to mention, the gameplay videos I saw when it first came out gave me the impression that it'd be quite repetitive.

The premise is rather simple - Luigi is tricked into believing that he has come into possession of a mansion, and so after Mario goes to have a look and doesn't return, Luigi goes to see what has happened to him. It turns out Bowser has taken him hostage, and you're going to have to get him back, armed with...a hoover...

The concept is again very simple - you simply explore the mansion, sucking up ghosts with the hoover, and the more ghosts you collect, the more points you'll get. There isn't anymore to it than this really, which does confirm my suspicion that the game does get a little repetitive after a while, but as I find with a lot of Nintendo titles, I find them fun for half an hour, and then want to play something with a little more substance and attempt at an actual plot.

The visuals are decent for the time in which they're produced, although there's no real hint at any sort of flair, and it reinforces my view that this was just pushed out on the cheap, and mooching off of Mario's good name without directly incriminating him. Also, it can be beaten in a view hours with a fair level of ease, so it's quite lacking in the challenge department also (although this is hardly surprising) - it would have been nice to see a thorough Time Attack mode or something.

Summary: A game for casual gamers more than anything