GENRE
	Action
	DEVELOPER
	EAD
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	no
	WII EXCLUSIVE
	only-gcn
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	November 2001
	BUY NOW AT

Hands-On Impressions of the Final Version from Japan
by Noah Ward

All right, let's get the questions out of the way. The "Super Mario 64 Courtyard" analogy was only accurate in the sense that E3 2001's demo was just a chunk of the game's training grounds, but not an accurate ratio comparison of the game's size or length. Yes, it's not a lengthy experience (probably about 5 - 7 hours for skilled gamers). No, there is nothing else besides the mansion and its grounds. No, Luigi does not have as much gameplay depth, moves, or power ups as his big brother. No, it is not on par as a console-game-defining-experience as Super Mario 64 or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was. Yes, it is more "tech demo" than true classic.

However, few rival systems have had launch titles that were as fun or maddeningly addictive. For all the "No's" that have met our high expectations, Luigi's Mansion defies odds and delivers a worthwhile experience.

The title has loads of personality and style, a one-note soundtrack that never bores, and something so many other games can't get down: fun factor. With that said, while Luigi's Mansion isn't everything we'd hope for in a Miyamoto launch title, the trip is fun indeed.

At its core, the gameplay isn't much deeper than early Mario games, such as Mario Bros. 2 or even the very first Mario Bros. Years down the line, the core concept of Luigi's gameplay, not to mention Luigi as a stand-alone mascot, could evolve into a title akin to Super Mario 64 in terms of its depth. Here, however, is only a beautiful, very Disney-styled romp that is entirely easy to pick up and play, and just challenging enough to cause the player a little frustration, yet never leave him or her feeling ultimately defeated.

The interior of the mansion and the character design would fit in with any episode of Smurfs, Disney's Snow White, or Fantasia's Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence. Everything is gorgeous and sumptuously detailed-- not to mention full of dust and "real world" particle and lighting effects that make gamers also oo and ahh over rival titles like Metal Gear Solid 2. The mini-/boss ghosts are full of personality and incredibly different and interesting. It's also surprising how each room out of the many in the mansion are all completely different yet feel they belong in the whole. Otherwise, there is little to be disappointed in the visuals of the game, aside from the mirrors that frequently seem to have a heavy blur on them and the rare extremely low quality texture.

Yet once you're done being overwhelmed by all the graphic details, all that remains is the gameplay. Fortunately, as repetitive as it may sound (and, in writing, it is), putting the game down is hard. There's always one more Boo to chase from room to room as it cackles and slips through walls and hides elsewhere, there's always one other secret "hot area," like a ceiling fan or a dresser, concealing gold and gems, there's always one other totally unique and puzzling mini- or main-boss ghost you want to beat. Not to mention the endless fun you can have making Luigi yell out "Marioooo..." in countless variations depending on his (Luigi's) health level.

The dual analog stick control of Luigi's movement, which seemed a huge barrier to enjoyment at E3 2001, has been inversed and is now, therefore, a breeze, aside from the times you have to make your right thumb jump from the C stick to the A button. Yet this issue is more a result of the controller's design than the extremely intuitive controls of Luigi's mobility.

On the music front, there's really only one tune or song to the game-- and it's an instant classic. While the soundtrack seldom, if ever, strays from this melody, it's presented in such a multitude of ways-- from haunted instruments, to Game Boy-ish 8 bit bleeps, to Luigi's whistling or humming, it's completely addictive and propels you forward.

The only other noteworthy audio detail is the old scientist who provides Luigi with his vacuum pack. In the Japanese version, he has a peculiar voice coupled with vocal outbursts that make him sound near exactly like the Jawas from Star Wars. George Lucas had to have used this same voice for the little glowy-eyed bandits.

It's surprising that a game with so much more story and dialogue than Wave Race: Blue Storm, and with so fewer unique voices than WR:BS, has much less voice acting than WR:BS. Instead, we have redundant little voice samples that chirp out whenever a full chunk of text is displayed. On that note, for all of you non-Japanese speaking Nintendophiles out there, this is a definite don't import on account of all the text, clues, and directions that come up only in Japanese.

Luigi's Mansion is challenging and will grant a great sense of satisfaction as you beat boss ghosts or manage to be quick enough on the draw (surprisingly, split second reaction time is very important in this title) to get the many varied, sneakier small ghosts. Puzzles with deceptively simple solutions and chasing Boos add just enough depth to the game, yet without any other completely different enemy types or variety in environment, it's appropriate the game is as short as it is. Thankfully, U.S. gamers who will-- and by all means should-- get this game will likely have also purchased another title or two (from a much greater selection than Japan's current market) to keep them occupied once this delightful ghost-busting romp is done.

--Noah Ward

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