Luigi's Mansion

 
With the Gamecube and Luigi's Mansion due in stores November 18, I am beginning to get excited (although I honestly expect that date to be pushed back). In preparation for this game I'm gonna write down some stuff about it, including some questions I have. I don't know why I'm doing this, just felt like it I guess. So, here we go.

Star: Luigi!

Other Characters: Mario, Professor E. Gadds, and assorted unnamed (maybe) ghosts

Story: Luigi has won a contest, the prize being a really huge mansion. He and Mario have arranged to meet at the front door of said mansion at midnight, but upon arriving Luigi does not find Mario. Scared as always, Luigi fears the worst, and these fears are at least partially confirmed as he notices a really large ghost. Suddenly Professor E. Gadds shows up and traps the ghost inside his vacuum-like machine. Gadds gives Luigi the machine, a flashlight (for stunning the ghosts), and a Gameboy (for locating the ghosts and a couple of other handy things), and sends Luigi into the mansion.

Goal: Luigi must capture the ghosts by stunning them and then vacuuming up, earn keys (though I'm not sure how) to open the locked doors of his mansion, and eventually find Mario in the process. Can he do it?!

Now, that's all I know about the game, leaving me with lots of questions. I'm going to toss them out there for you to think about.

1. What contest did Luigi win? I'm serious! Because if it's not already a Mario game (Party/Golf/Kart/Tennis), maybe it should be.

2. How did Luigi manage to win? Who the bleep was he competing against? LOL!

3. Who owned the mansion before? Similarly, who had the right to give it away in this aforementioned contest?

4. Why are some of the doors in Luigi's own mansion locked? Shouldn't he have been given the keys?

5. Ok, now for a big question: Who's the antagonist? When I say antagonist, I mean the character responsible for the game's troubles. For example, in Mario 64 Bowser is the antagonist. However, in Yoshi's Island Kamek is the antagonist (you don't fight him, but Baby Bowser is not responsible for the trouble and is probably oblivious to it). So, who is Luigi really fighting? I have a couple theories as to how the game could close:

-Bowser: Of course, Bowser has to be at the top of the list since he has been after the plumbers for a long time. He could have snuck up on Mario, grabbed him, dragged him into the house, and unleashed a new set of Boos to stop any intruders (and indeed I have heard that some Boos like to play games and other Boo Buddy type things). Luigi could meet up with him at the end and battle him for Mario. If this is the case, we could also call this game Mario is Missing 2 (but it's much better than that game, I'm sure).

-Wario: Well, Wario is Mario's personal enemy, so maybe he's responsible for the fat plumber's disappearance. Personally I don't like the idea of this though. Doesn't really seem very exciting. One other thing about Wario though. On the official Nintendo site in the preview of the game, Wario's name is mentioned. It is easily discovered that it ought to say Luigi (Luigi is clearly the subject), but perhaps the writer had Wario on his mind for some reason.

-Waluigi: I hate that this guy exists, but he does. He's Luigi's personal enemy, and if Luigi is going to star in a game then maybe it is his turn to finally be the bad guy. As for why he kidnapped Mario, it could be his trick for forcing Luigi into the dangerous house. Or, perhaps he was trying to kidnap Luigi but in the dark kidnapped the wrong guy.

-Wario and Waluigi: I could see the two teaming up. Not much more to say than I already did though.

-Big Ghost (not previously known, and maybe or maybe not a Big Boo from Bowser's army): If the ghosts are in charge of the house, then when you capture enough ghosts and find enough keys and are able to get to the last room, you could find a really big ghost (who you'll learn some stuff about). It has Mario in his custody (maybe even inside it), and beating it will end the game.

-Mario (but really the ghosts): This is similar to my last suggestion except that you don't have to find out who the lead ghost is (or I guess all the ghosts could share power). The ghosts have Mario in their power and, uninclined to fight you themselves (as I've never heard of any fighting in this game), they control Mario and make him do it. Defeating him will break the spell on him and end the game. Of course Luigi won't kill him (though he might want to), just weaken him enough to break the spell.

-Professor E. Gadds: Ok, the odds of this are like zilch, but I had to toss him in here because his name is so stupid. But seriously, he just HAPPENS to be around, he stays around, and he seems to know a lot. Could this all be a trick? Ya know, that official Nintendo site says that he might know something that Luigi doesn't.

-No One: I suppose when you capture enough ghosts you might just suddenly find Mario in a room deep inside the mansion, completely lost on his own accord or with a little help from the ghosts but without a required battle. Or it could all be a trick and Mario will suddenly walk out of nowhere, completely unharmed and laughing at his little brother (and Gadds might be Toad or someone in disguise, helping him pull off the trick). This seems very anti-climatic though and I hope this isn't the case.

-Something Else: Or it could be something else entirely! If you have any suggestions, Email me and let me know! I might add them in. Same goes for all the questions.

6. What is Mario's state when you find him? I've read that throughout the course of your adventure you'll find his hat and gloves. These are supposed to be signs that he's in trouble, I assume. But, I hope there aren't any more articles of clothing lying around! Really, this could be very disturbing...

7. What other returning Mario characters are in this game? So far only Luigi and Mario have been confirmed. Can that possibly be it? I doubt it. Well all the Mario characters that are possible antagonists obviously, then, could make an appearance. Maybe Daisy will show up, now that she's back in the "Mario circle", and Luigi's partner in Tennis (and girlfriend?). I doubt Peach will show up, unless she's in the ending, happy to have Mario back safely. As for any other Mario character, I really have no idea, though if Peach shows up so probably will Toad and a clone or two.

8. What's the heart thing for? In some pictures of this game there is a little heart at the bottom left hand corner of the screen, and next to it is a number / a larger number (sorry, don't remember what any of the numbers were). This would seem to be a health meter, but as far as I'm aware Luigi doesn't fight the ghosts, so then I'm not sure what he can take damage from. I know some ghosts play tricks on Luigi; apparently there is one that changes a hallway into a bowling alley with Luigi as a pin. I suppose that could hurt. But if it's not health, what is it? Maybe courage. Yeah, and then Luigi gets more courage the more ghosts he catches, and when he gets enough courage... uh, something happens.

9. What kind of items are there? So far I only know of a few items, and Luigi earns them automatically. They're his vacuum thingy, his flashlight, and his Gameboy, all of which will be upgraded by Gadds as the game progresses. Oh yeah, and there are keys, which Luigi needs to open locked doors, although I'm not sure if he has to find them or if he just has to catch enough ghosts to earn them, or some combination of the two. But surely there are other items! If that little heart is a life meter there will have to be healing items lying around. What else? In a huge mansion, at the very least, I could see items that have no purpose but it's just a challenge to find them. I also expect there to be some useful items though. Maybe you are required to find all of Mario's lost things? Still, if they're just three... and there'd better not be any more than that! No, Mario had better be well dressed when you find him or I'll lose my lunch and a lot of other meals besides.

10. What keeps the game interesting? As far as I know all Luigi has to do is go around the mansion, solve these little puzzles to make ghosts appear, shine light on them, and vacuum them up. He has to do this many times because there are lots of ghosts, though I don't know how many of these you might have to catch or how many there are in the first place. But the point is, I don't see where the challenge is. The catching process seems trivial, and if it is not, what can Luigi do (other than get Gadds to give him upgrades [And why the bleep is Gadds so prepared?]) to make catches successes rather than failures? In the absence of catching being a challenge, and with locating the ghosts easy thanks to Luigi's Gameboy, the only challenge I can see is solving the puzzles in order to make the ghosts appear. But this would make Luigi's Mansion a puzzle game, and I have never heard it called that. I hope, I sincerely hope, that this game is not just a cart that shows off the new system's graphical capabilities. I've seen the graphics and they look great, but Luigi had better have a solid adventure here.

11. What's the clock for? In some pictures I've seen a clock. Now I assume the clock starts at midnight, but does it have a purpose? Some games (like Banjo's series) have clocks just to tell you how long you've been playing. Is this one of those games? Maybe, although I could accept a storyline in which Luigi only has until morning (six to eight hours depending on Nintendo's definition of morning) to save his poor lost brother before he becomes his poor lost dead or zombified brother. I hope this isn't the case as I hate these kind of time limits. This would add to the challenge but mostly by making the puzzles harder as you would have to solve them quickly, and again I have never heard this called a puzzle game.

12. Just how many rooms are in this mansion? Really, I'm curious. I assume they're on several floors. There's bound to be a creepy basement and a creepy actic. Maybe a crypt or dungeon? You go in the front doors; are there any back doors, and if so, what's out there? I hope you can look outside the windows and see some scary things. Hey, how about a dumb waiter you can use? Hm...

13. And, of course, the final and most important question: IS THIS GAME GOING TO BE ANY GOOD?!

Again, if you have any comments or questions, Email me!

UPDATE: October 3: After doing some research I found a little more info:

-Toad is in the game (or Toad and several clones). He acts as save points and can do you other favors, but sometimes he won't help unless you bring him something, never mind that Mario's life may be in danger.

-Some of the ghosts look just like the Boos in Mario 64, etc. I will count them as a familiar character's reappearance, and if they're here, is Bowser with them? Or is this an independant army of Boos?

-Luigi can collect coins, gold bars, and I think a third kind of currency though I don't know what it is. I don't know what he needs money for. Does Gadds charge for his services too?

-Luigi needs to find three crystals so he can use cool powers. He also must find the keys.

-The ghosts do attack Luigi and he can be injured. Capturing ghosts, though I'm still not sure if required, is the only way to restore his power, or so I've read.

-This has nothing to do with what I learned today, but I've decided that, assuming you do end up saving Mario, he will probably act grateful. Well, me might be a snob as usual, but if he is grateful, I can imagine him saying, "Thank you so much for to saving my live!" Wouldn't that be funny? If he then says, as in Mario Kart, "See you next time!", that would take the cake. As for the game start up, I expect to hear either, "It's-a me, Luigi!" or "It's-a Luigi time!" Or something close.

UPDATE: October 12: Foshi has some guesses for possible antagonists:

-Kamek, or some other Magikoopa: Perhaps a Magikoopa or Kamek once owned the mansion before Luigi won it. When Kamek (or the Magikoopa) heard that his/her mansion had been taken, he/she was outraged. Mario arrived at the mansion before Luigi did, and the Magikoopa saw him and swiped him. That sounds like a possible theory, I think. Yeah, and that Magikoopa would be waiting at the very top of the mansion with Mario. So, Luigi would try to work his way through the mansion until he reached the top.

-The Koopalings: Maybe all seven Koopalings met at the mansion and saw Mario and kidnapped him. Then Ludwig released a bunch of Boos and ghosts so no one would dare try to pursuit them.

-Someone New: Your best guess is as good as mine!

-Shy Guys, Koopas, etc.: They're dressed as something scary, and just took Mario for the heck of it and locked him in the mansion. Yeah, you'd have to defeat them when they are combined to look like a ghost (don't ask how), then take the Prison Key from them. Then, you'd have one final room to navigate, and, at the end of it, you'd be able to use the key to unlock Mario from his prison and beat the game.

UPDATE: October 27: Most of this comes from Crazy Packers Fan. My comments are in brackets.

Luigi uses the normal stick to move and the C-Stick to face in a certain direction. Luigi must face in that
direction to use his light and vacuum to attack the ghosts. In a screenshot, there was a 55 on a ghost being attacked, probably a health meter or the strength of the attack on it. Luigi cannot run or jump, which makes me wonder what all those buttons (A, B, X, Y, Z) are going to be used for. [The number on the ghost is its stamina, which must be drained to zero for a capture. As for the buttons, A is the action button; it lets Luigi interact with stuff. One of those brings out the Game Boy Horror, and another button turns on and off the flashlight and, I assume, vacuum. One might be used to load water, fire, and ice into the vacuum for shooting. Also, I believe that one stick is for moving, and one stick is for aiming the flashlight and vacuum.]

Here's what I think some of those answers (from above) are:

1. Nintendo wouldn't give us an answer here.

2. Same here.

3. The Professor had to have owned the mansion. Why else would he give those items or know how and why to use them?

4. This is one of those things like why Bow wouldn't give you the Star Spirit. It makes you do more work
and makes the game more exciting and interesting, having to do more work that way.

5. The three best answers to this question are:

-Waluigi: If no one but ghosts are there it HAS to be Waluigi because Bowser always has others around.

-Bowser: Even the strangest games have Bowser as the main bad guy. He could always still show up, just to
stink it up.

-The Professor: A longshot, but if he owned the mansion, he could be giving Luigi a test.

Sorry, everyone, but there is about a -2% chance of the Koopalings appearing. None at all. That is known from past experience.

6. Like Mario's dead. Nintendo wouldn't have done that whether 9/11 happened or not.

7. If Waluigi's the main antagonist, then Daisy will be at the end, 100%. If it's Bowser, there's a 95% chance. If it's the Professor, there's still a 90% chance. What I mean is that Daisy will be in it no matter what. If Bowser is in, then some other Koopas may be in at the end (Magikoopas or Troopas).

8. It has to be some kind of health. How could the game end then? If not, somehow, then maybe some kind
of courage or momentum, or strength to his attacks. But I seriously doubt anything besides health. [I have read that the heart is actually Luigi's courage, but it has the same role as a health meter, except that Luigi gets scared, not hurt. If he gets too scared he shrinks and can't capture ghosts. I don't know if he can be killed (scared out of his wits?), and I don't know how to recover power if he shrinks, because I read somewhere that capturing ghosts are the only way to recover power. Maybe not.]

9. I can't think of anything besides health and keys. Unless they just made up some dumb stuff to make you
work harder, as they always do (think of Flower Fields from Paper Mario).

10. Here's the biggest question mark. I'd think that there would be more than just killing ghosts, but then
again, in all the previews I've seen of this game, there haven't been any signs of anything else. I don't
think this is a graphics show-off, because it was said that this game barely scratched the GameCube's surface graphics-wise. [I hear that there is some puzzle element. For example, in one place you have to pull out two curtains. A ghost will then pull one back to its place. You need to pull it out again, and then you can attempt a capture. You can also use fire, water, and ice to help you catch ghosts (it's not only helpful, it's required at times), and you'd first have to find out when you need to do this, and earn the ability to do so. Does this make the game interesting enough?]

11. I think I saw somewhere that Luigi has one day to finish the whole thing. Probably one of those Zelda
copy-offs (and I hate Zelda), but what if you run out of time? You have to start all over again? Nintendo
wouldn't do that in a Mario game. But this is a new generation of Mario games, so who knows. [I still really doubt that, and I have never seen that anywhere.]

12. I have no idea about the size of the mansion. [I heard 90+ rooms, but that doesn't really mean a lot.]

13. The book I read said 9 out of 10 for a rating. But considering that book calls 5 bad, it doesn't prove that much to me.

UPDATE: November 7: This info comes from Dave.

The main characters are:

Luigi, who has to save Mario.

Professor E.Gadd, the professor who gives Luigi the vacuum.

Mario, who is trapped in the mansion.

Toad, who you'll find on several occasions and can save your progress.

The kidnapper is the leader of the Boos, who is reaching out for Luigi.

Luigi uses the flashlight to stun ghosts and capture them. There are items too:

Helpful Hearts, for recharging Luigi's health (the heart meter is Luigi's HP)

Cash 'n' prizes: Many stuff are in chests such as bills, pearls, diamonds, gold bars, and even coins!

Keys, for unlocking doors

Shrinking Shroom: Like the Poison Mushroom, it will shrink Luigi, disabling him from using the vacuum for a moment.

Vacuum Attachments: There are three elements for the vacuum, fire, water  and freezing mist.

The Game Boy Luigi receives is called the Game Boy Horror. The vacuum cleaner Luigi has is called the Poltergust 3000, and with the flashlight, you can turn it on and off by pressing B. Many secrets in the mansion are hidden so search carefully and thoroughly. Ghosts hate light, as most of them can freeze at the beam. When that happens, it show its health meter, which is your cue to fire up the vacuum. As you try to catch a ghost, try pulling it in with the C Stick and the Control Stick. Relax, if the spirit's health reaches zero, you'll catch it.

Lots of ghosts that will be encountered early in the game can be easily stunned with the light. Be sure to keep your distance and move fast. After all, distance is safety! Sometimes though, you can catch two or
more at once. Some ghosts who resemble trash are slightly stronger and a bit more slippery. They will toss banana peels which will be sucked up if you can do it. Pick them up and pull 'em in carefully 'cause if you slip, you will lose grip. Some ghosts can sneak up on Luigi and can grab onto both of his arms, making Luigi unable to use the vacuum. Move the Control Stick back and forth quickly to bust free and then stun and pull. Some ghosts, though, do not stun easily. Look at their hearts. If any are surrounded by fire use water to put it out and catch the ghost. Other ghosts can only be weakened if you smack 'em with fire or ice.

The leader of the Boos who caught Mario is aptly named the King Boo. Luckily for Luigi, Mario has left lots of clues that'll help Luigi out in every way (gee, this is a big combination of the Real Ghostbusters and Scooby-Doo). The Infra-Red Port on the Game Boy Horror is the Boo Radar. If it flashes yellow that means there is a Boo in the room. If it is close by it will turn red. If that happens, use the Poltergust 3000 to make it materialize. There are Boos in nearly every room in the entire mansion. When you catch all of them you
will earn a prize that is very valuable. However not only are there ghosts but there are also Shy Guys. But as long as they wear their trademark masks, they're immune to light. Suck up the mask, then stun the Shy Guy and catch them. If all the ghosts in the room are caught, the lights in that room will turn on. A butler ghost is in the mansion as well. If he crosses his arms and complains to himself, that means he's susceptible to the vacuum. Once you grab hold, don't let go. As he wiggles about, he will drop pearls on the floor. Once you catch him, pick up the pearls he dropped and continue on.

By the way, how Luigi won the contest was this: There were no contestants! Spooky, eh?

Anyways, we go on. The laundry room holds one of the clues. Check the washing machine. You'll find Mario's red hat inside (maybe Mario was doing laundry when he got caught?). I think the Boos also removed Mario's uniform and hid it in the mansion and all Mario was left are his socks and underwear (possibly boxers). Forget about Bowser: Mario counts! Besides, King Boo is responsible for the trouble.

There are 50 Boos in all. That would be funny though, finding Bow in the mansion. Imagine that. Anyway, Mario has left lots of clue but if you find five of them, go to Madame Clairvoya. Time is running out! Mario's life is in danger and he desperately needs Luigi's help and fast! My guess is that when morning comes the King Boo will swoop down and capture Luigi and drop him off in the same place where he placed Mario.

Dane Bond also says the antagonist is a Big Boo and that you need to find five of Mario's items.

Now, you might be able to get this game on November 18 if you are in America and there are no delays and you're just either smart or lucky. However, due to some circumstances out of my control, I won't be able to get this game or the system until at least the middle of December, and if I survive that long I might wait longer so I can let the price drop a bit, as I'm sure it will start high and gradually fall.

But, maybe the answer to question 13 is no, and I would kind of like to know that before I make the decision to dish out lots of gold coins (converted into dollars, of course), although most likely I will buy the game and system no matter what. So, what I am asking for here is a Review of the game. The first person to send me a Review of this game gets four Koopaling votes.

Wait, but hold your horses! Before you go rushing off to send me a Review, be aware of certain conditions. First of all, Reviews sent to me before November 18 will be put in the trash because the game doesn't come out before then. If you are intending to comment on the Japanese version, don't (if you are fluent in Japanese and can read the game text and manual, then and only then would I accept it, and only if you ask my special permission first). Also, I expect a good solid Review that really tells your opinion of the game in several areas (sound, graphics, challenge, etc.) and then an overall opinion and reccomendation. If your Review is too brief, and perhaps even leaves me with a question as to whether you've really played the game or not, I might post it but I won't give four Koopaling votes and someone else will still have the chance for them. You should be a good part of the way through the game before you write a Review; I don't want it to be first impressions only, as they often prove false. You should have played enough to answer a bunch of the questions above (or at least a partial answer, in the case of Mario characters that appear), and I do expect a general overview of the game which can include some of those answers. And finally, don't give away the ending! Rate it if you want (and get that far), but don't give it away. No, there are too many mysteries wrapped up in it. Give it away and you'll earn my eternal hatred, not four Koopaling votes.

Oh yeah, and I'll also give four Koopaling votes for the first Luigi's Mansion midi sent to me. This can be from the Japanese version, if you happen to own it and are able to make your own midis. I'd better not have any reason to believe that it was stolen from another site! I am a little suspicious about that first (and so far only) Paper Mario midi, but I'll pretend I'm not.

And one other thing! If you know where I can pre-order both the game and the system. please Email me! I've seen two sites pre-selling the game, but none pre-selling the system. Is it just me or does that make no sense?

I'm out of stuff to say. Remember to eat and sleep, don't have a heart attack (if you are about to, just remember you may not ever be able to play if you do), and let's hope this game does the Mario series justice!


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