Luigi's Mansion

The Good
--> A good launch title for the Gamecube, good graphics overall with stunning lighting effects.

--> Music is appropriately creepy and dynamic. Sound effects are good as well.

--> Humorous story and ghosts, it's very entertaining watching the cowardly Luigi's reaction to the events unfolding around him.

--> Fun action-adventure gameplay

--> It's fairly cheap now, at $20 or under. A good title for the budget-minded gamer looking to expand their GC library.

The Bad
--> It's pretty short, an experienced gamer can get through the game in under 10 hours, though you may want to play through the game a few times to obtain the best ranking.

--> While a decent challenge, even the most casual gamers should have little problems with this game once adjusted to the Resident Evil-esque control scheme

--> The final boss, while cool, wasn't quite as challenging as a final boss should be.

The Bottom Line
After years of playing second banana to Mario, it's finally Luigi's turn in the limelight. After receiving a notice that he has won his own mansion, Luigi excitedly calls his brother to tell him the good news. While trying to find his way to his new mansion, Luigi becomes lost in a strange wood. Soon he happens upon his mansion, and discovers it wasn't exactly what he bargained for, it's infested with ghosts! Worse yet, they have kidnapped his brother Mario! Luigi talks to Professor E.Gadd and is equipped with the professor's invention: a vacuum equipped to suck and contain ghosts. Slowly he proceeds into the mansion to rid the infestation, and save his brother...

    Gameplay consists of proceeding through the halls of the mansion, sucking up low-level ghosts, and invading the haunts of the tougher portrait ghosts, exploiting their weaknesses (found by gazing at their heart) and sucking them up to gain access to locked doors, eventually leading you to a boss ghost for the area. 
    The analog control stick is used to control Luigi, the C-stick is used to aim the vacuum or flashlight(used to freeze ghosts), the Right and Left triggers are used to suck up ghosts and expel elements (fire, water, ice).


   The graphics are very nice with detailed textures, cool lighting and reflections, and detailed models. The coolest effect in the game is how the objects in the environment react to your vacuum, such as sucking the tablecloth off of a table, open curtains, or having to suck piles of dust to clear a path. The animation of Luigi and the ghosts is very fluid and often humorous. Every type of ghost has a unique personality, some like to sneak up on you, some are found of throwing bombs, and some just like to be gluttons, leaving the remnants of food behind. Each portrait ghost has a unique personality as well, from the musician to the couple dancing on the rotating dance floor. While not a system showcase to the degree of say Metroid Prime, this title is still a decent representative of the Gamecube's power.
     The music is spooky, atmospheric and often funny. It's nothing to write home about, but still, very nice. Sound effects, from Luigi's calls to Mario, to the clink of coins and the yelp of a startled ghost are are well done and appropriately cartooney.

     With a few improvements, primarily the length of the game, this game could have gone from good to outstanding. As it stands, however, I recommend this title to any Gamecube owner looking for a good adventure game, or a unique gameplay experience. Now that the game is selling for $20 and under, there is no reason you shouldn't pick it up. A very entertaining game, while it lasts.

The Good
For everyone who ever thought that Luigi ought to have his own game, this is the one. Luigi's first chance at solo stardom. That alone is enough to make me like the game, but even more, it's pretty fun in a Ghostbusters kind of way. The game controls are easy to master, and the graphics are beautiful, particularly the various rooms of the mansion.

The Bad
For starters, the game is just too short. Most people will get through it in about six hours, and after that, if you really want to, you can play through the "Secret Mansion" really the same mansion with extra traps, but most people won't have the patience to do that, particularly in light of the game's other two major flaws: clueless AI and terrible camera angles. Admittedly, the clueless AI really isn't that bad. However, the bosses and tougher ghosts have exactly one method of getting Luigi; the follow him relentlessly. That's it, nothing more complex than that. As for the other problem, the camera is likely the most irritating thing in the entire game. It is essentially fixed in a flat 3rd-person view, on level with Luigi. While it occasionally moves, the inability to view an entire room without resorting to the "Gameboy Horror" is incredibly irritating.

The Bottom Line
Despite it's flaws, Luigi's Mansion is a pretty fun game. By this time, you should be able to pick it up in the used section for a reasonable amount of money, and it's worth having in your library. For everyone who wanted Luigi to have his own adventure, this is a must have. Let's just hope that next time Luigi will get his own princess to rescue, instead of having to save his brother the glory hound.

The Good
Even though I may be quoting many other people when I say this I think it is good to see that Luigi had finally got his own game, even though the game seems to like pointing out how much of a wimp he is. I liked the way that Luigi can react with the rooms he enter after he clears all the ghosts so even though the lights are on and there are no enemies left in the room there still may be some secrets Luigi will be able to find before he moves on. The idea of the vacuum cleaner or poltergust 4000 was a imaginative idea and a good one, a good way for the programmers to be able to hide things on top of shelves and such.

The Bad
It was WAY WAY WAY to short. I guess it is a bit unfair saying that because I had just finished playing FFX and I was foolishly expecting at least 15-20 hours gameplay, but sadly my fun was stopped dead in its tracks at a poor 6 hours. And they could have at least tried a bit harder on the secret mansion at least try to put new things in so it doesn't pretty much seem to be the same game over again.

The Bottom Line
An amusing game for someone who is looking for a little bit of entertainment. But don't expect a big unfolding story because you wont get one.