Release date: 2019
Version played: Nintendo Switch in 2019
The third entry in the series featuring the less famous of Nintendo’s Brooklyn plumbers, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a 2019 action puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch. When Luigi, along with Mario, Peach and the Toads are invited to the Last Resort hotel, the heroes are soon captured by the hotel owner Hellen Gravely and Luigi’s nemesis, King Boo. As Luigi runs away, he discovers the Poltergust G-00, which allows him to suck up the ghostly inhabitants of the Hotel as he attempts to rescue his friends and family. There are collectables across each of the hotel’s floors, where almost everything not bolted down can be sucked into the Poltergust to earn currency.
+ Luigi is a bonafide star, and his constant terror at the most mundane things is hilarious and adorable. His animations are consistently smooth and always bring a smile to my face. For added hilarity, make Luigi slip on a banana peel after crying out for Mario a few times
+ each of the dozen-plus ghost bosses are unique and an absolute joy to figure out. A personal favourite was DJ Phantasmagloria, a DJ with a massive red afro, who was great in her own right, but came in tandem with her own dance crew
+ the Sims-like gibberish all characters speak is hilarious, especially when interspersed with “puppy” and “I did it”. The various variations on
+ the vacuuming is incredibly satisfying, as things like pillows or vases explode into currency or just junk, all of which can be sucked up with the new and improved Poltergust G-00. A level based on Egyptian tombs comes full of sand, which be sucked up or blown around at will
– the “tank controls” are a bit frustrating (that is, pressing left rotates Luigi left, no matter where he is stationed on the screen at that time). I’d have preferred a way to make it ‘push the direction you want to look’ instead
– a few small quality of life improvements would be welcome, such as the ability for bulk purchasing of the items in the store
> Mario is a real jerk, though perhaps not intentionally
Should you play this game: I absolutely loved everything about this. Luigi himself, the gameplay, the audio, the level design and the other characters all clicked together to make this one of the best games on the Switch, and a late contender for game of the year.
MoshFish Reviews 