Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Elsewhere
Developer(s)	Next Level Games
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Release Date(s)
3DS	NA: March 24, 2013 JP: March 20, 2013 EU: March 28, 2013 AU: March 28, 2013 KO: July 18, 2013 CH: July 26, 2013
3DS	NA: March 24, 2013 JP: March 20, 2013 EU: March 28, 2013 AU: March 28, 2013 KO: July 18, 2013 CH: July 26, 2013
eShop	NA: August 26, 2016 JP: March 17, 2016 EU: October 13, 2017 AU: May 11, 2017 KO: July 19, 2018 CH: March 17, 2016 (Japanese version)
eShop	NA: August 26, 2016 JP: March 17, 2016 EU: October 13, 2017 AU: May 11, 2017 KO: July 19, 2018 CH: March 17, 2016 (Japanese version)
Platform(s)
Classification(s)	This game is a Nintendo Selects game This game uses the Nintendo Network The Year of Luigi
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Download Size	6,752 blocks [1]
Rating(s)
ESRB	03
PEGI	02
CERO	01
USK	02
ACB	01
GRAC	01

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon <sup>(JPJapanese: ルイージマンション2

Romaji: Ruīji Manshon Tsū

Meaning: Luigi Mansion 2)</sup> (also known as Luigi's Mansion 2 outside North America and South Korea, Luigi Mansion 2 in Japanese, or Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon everywhere else) is a game for the Nintendo 3DS by Nintendo.

Originally revealed under the worldwide title of "Luigi's Mansion 2" at Nintendo's E3 2011 Press Conference, this game serves as the successor to the 2001 Nintendo GameCube launch title Luigi's Mansion. A sequel to this game, titled Luigi's Mansion 3, was released on October 2019 on the Nintendo Switch.

It is widely believed that the Nintendo 3DS was chosen for this sequel because the Nintendo GameCube was originally planned to be a 3D-enabled console, thus would've resulted in Luigi's Mansion being 3D. It is the third Mario game to only star Luigi. The first being Mario is Missing! and the second being Luigi's Mansion. An arcade version of the game was released in 2015.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is the first game that was released as part of "The Year of Luigi", honoring 30 years since Luigi's debut.

Story

Luigi with an upgrade or power-up for his flashlight.

Professor E. Gadd has been researching ghosts in Evershade Valley, with some assistance from his friendly Greenies. When King Boo appears and shatters the Dark Moon, breaking it into six pieces and scattering them to each Mansion of the valley, the once friendly ghosts become aggressive.

Luigi, who is at home sleeping with his TV on, wakes up when E. Gadd suddenly appears on his TV screen. He informs Luigi about the situation and asks for his assistance. E. Gadd uses his Pixelator to teleport Luigi through the screen, much to Luigi's objection, into E. Gadd's Bunker in the Evershade Valley to search for the scattered pieces of the Dark Moon and solve this problem. Luigi must explore the Gloomy Manor not far from the Bunker, the Haunted Towers found in a forest, the Old Clockworks found within a nearby desert, the Secret Mine found in the snowy mountains, and finally the Treacherous Mansion, found above a ravine with the ocean around it.

After Luigi gets 4 Dark Moon pieces and rescues two Toads in Treacherous Mansion, the two Toads give E. Gadd a security image as the other Toads did when he rescued them. Once E. Gadd fixes it for a clearer view, it's revealed that Mario is once again kidnapped and trapped in a painting. It also revealed that it was King Boo who captured Mario. Because of this, Luigi heads to rescue him in the Train Exhibit in Treacherous Mansion. It turns out the image was forged to lead Luigi into a trap, and he is ambushed by Big Boo. Afterwards, Luigi and E. Gadd ponder where King Boo and the actual painting are. But then the Parascope picks up strange readings at Treacherous Mansion's terrace. Once Luigi reaches the terrace, King Boo appears and opens up the paranormal portal and releases all of the undead. He then escapes inside with Mario's painting. E. Gadd tells Luigi to capture them all before their very dimension collapses. Luigi succeeds at this and promptly enters the Paranormal Portal, where he reaches the final area of the game, King Boo's Illusion.

After Luigi obtains the last Dark Moon piece from the Tough Possessor within the illusion, E. Gadd attempts to pixelate him back to the Bunker, but King Boo interferes, sending him back to King Boo's Illusion. There, Luigi sees Mario's painting, but King Boo appears and reveals that he broke the Dark Moon in order to put all the ghosts under his control. King Boo also explains that he believes he is the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and wishes to conquer it with his new army. He plans to put Luigi and his friends in paintings as well, and proceeds to battle him.

He succeeds in capturing King Boo, claims the jewel from his crown, and returns to his dimension with Mario's painting. Luigi then meets up with E. Gadd at Treacherous Mansion's Terrace. Mario is freed by Luigi's Dark-Light, and the Toad assistants appear with the Dark Moon pieces. Luigi and the Toads then rebuild the Dark Moon and the ghosts in Evershade Valley returning back to friendly again. E. Gadd releases them from the Vault and they start playing with Mario and company. Even the Polterpup who is constantly attacking Luigi throughout the game has become amiable, and he walks up to Luigi and whimpers. Luigi says "Come here, doggy" resulting in the pup befriending Luigi. E. Gadd smiles as Mario gives him a pat on the back, proud of his brother for overcoming his fears. Then, a Greenie comes in and takes a photo of Luigi and his allies. Luigi returns back home and hangs the picture on his wall. He then goes to sleep on his couch, and his newly-adopted Polterpup comes and naps with him.

It is revealed afterwards, during the credits, that E. Gadd went back to his research on the Ghosts of the Evershade Valley with Luigi joining him for sometime before returning home with the Polterpup. It is shown that Luigi spends a large amount of time with the Ghosts now that the Dark Moon is back.

Gameplay

In this game, the Dark Moon has shattered and Luigi needs to find the Dark Moon pieces. There are 5 mansions in the main game (with a separate sixth mansion being exclusive to multiplayer mode), which house multiple missions in them and share a puzzle-oriented theme. This game also introduces the Poltergust 5000, an upgrade to the 3000 model. Shining light via flashlight is no longer sufficient to stun the ghosts in the game; players now need to activate the Strobulb to stun ghosts. Luigi is also now able to jump while capturing a ghost to dodge incoming projectiles. The Flash Light has another feature called the Dark-Light Device, which shines a rainbow colored light to find things such as the path of Boos or invisible objects. Luigi is also given the Dual Scream, which is an original Nintendo DS. It acts the same way as the Game Boy Horror and displays a map on the 3DS's bottom screen. Cash and gems help with the mission score, as well as with upgrades to the Poltergust 5000. There is also an "extra life" system. The Gold Bones found in certain objects serve as extra lives; this will cause the Polterpup to take the bone and revive Luigi just by licking his face when Luigi loses all of his HP. Luigi can still yell using the D-pad, as well as hum with the music if standing still for a while. The various Toads that are trapped in paintings each have a different fear which requires more problem solving. There is a Boo in each mission that when captured works towards additional missions.

Characters

• Luigi
• King Boo
• Professor E. Gadd
• Toad
• Mario

Ghosts

Luigi and King Boo.

Common Ghosts

• Greenie
• Slammer
• Hider
• Sneaker
• Creeper
• Gobber
• Strong Greenie
• Strong Slammer
• Strong Hider
• Strong Sneaker
• Strong Gobber
• Gold Greenie

Bosses

• Grouchy Possessor (possesses a large Spider) boss of Gloomy Manor
• Harsh Possessor (possesses stair case) boss of Haunted Towers
• Overset Possessor (possesses a clock tower) boss of Old Clockworks
• Shrewd Possessor (possesses frozen lake) boss of Secret Mine
• Tough Possessor (possesses suits of armour) boss of Treacherous Mansion
• King Boo. Final boss fought in King Boo's Illusion.

Midbosses

• Poltergeist (three fought) (Gloomy Manor)
• The Three Sisters, Lucinda (weakest), Belinda (middle), Herlinda (strongest) (Haunted Towers)
• Ancient Poltergeist (Old Clockworks)
• A Strong Greenie, Strong Slammer, and a Strong Gobber, wrapped in paranormal chains (Secret Mine)
• Strong Poltergeist (Treacherous Mansion)
• Big Boo (Treacherous Mansion)

Mansions

There are five "mansions" to beat in this game. The mansions are vastly different from each other, and a couple may not even be considered mansions in the traditional sense. Each mansion has five levels and boss level (an exception is the Secret Mine which only has three levels before the boss level). The fifth mansion is immediately followed by the final boss fight.

• Gloomy Manor
• A-1 "Poltergust 5000"
• A-2 "Gear Up"
• A-3 "Quiet Please"
• A-4 "Visual Tricks"
• A-5 "Sticky Situation"
• A-Boss "Confront The Source"
• Haunted Towers
• B-1 "A Job for a Plumber"
• B-2 "The Pinwheel Gate"
• B-3 "Graveyard Shift"
• B-4 "Pool Party"
• B-5 "Doggone Key"
• B-Boss "Tree Topping"
• Old Clockworks
• C-1 "A Timely Entrance"
• C-2 "Underground Expedition"
• C-3 "Roundhouse Brawl"
• C-4 "Play Catch"
• C-5 "Piece at Last"
• C-Boss "Showtime"
• Secret Mine
• D-1 "Cold Case"
• D-2 "Hit Rock Bottom"
• D-3 "Across the Chasm"
• D-Boss "Chilly Ride"
• Treacherous Mansion
• E-1 "Front-Door Key"
• E-2 "Double Trouble"
• E-3 "A Train to Catch"
• E-4 "Ambush Maneuver"
• E-5 "Paranormal Chaos"
• E-Boss "Stop the Knightmare"
• King Boo's Illusion
• Final Boss "A Nightmare to Remember"

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	86% (based on 43 reviews)
Metacritic	86 (based on 74 critic reviews)
Review scores
Publication	Score
Edge	8/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly	8.5/10
Eurogamer	9/10
Famitsu	35/40
Game Informer	8.5/10
GameSpot	6.5/10
GamesRadar	4/5
GamesTM	9/10
GameTrailers	9.3/10
IGN	9.3/10
Nintendo World Report	9.5/10
Official Nintendo Magazine	92/100

The game was received pretty well receiving a 86 on Metacritic and 85.86% on GameRankings. Famitsu gave it a 35 (9, 9, 8, 9) out of 40.

Sales

In terms of sales, this game was also a success. On its first week of release in Japan, it sold 280,151 according to Media Create. In America, it sold about 360,000 in its launch month according to NPD making it to the 6th best selling game for the month of March in 2013. As of March 31, 2014, it sold 3.98 million worldwide with 1,008,146 being sold in Japan. In France, the game has sold about 393,251 since its launch. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is the 7th best selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, having sold about 3.98 million copies worldwide.

Nintendo eShop description

NA Version

Luigi's Mansion™: Dark Moon is the brand new Luigi's Mansion title on the Nintendo 3DS™ system. This time there are multiple mansions each with unique puzzles and ghosts. Using a vacuum-like machine called the "Poltergust 5000," Luigi™ must explore and hunt ghosts in these mansions to complete specific missions for the great ghost researcher Professor E. Gadd. But shining the flashlight is no longer enough. Luigi must activate the new strobe function at just the right moment to stun the ghosts first, then catch them using the Poltergust 5000. Each mansion is filled with different gimmicks and puzzle elements, and exploring them can be a spooky challenge.

EU Version

Luigi is back on a mission to remove a bunch of stubborn ghosts from some super-spooky mansions in Luigi's Mansion 2 for Nintendo 3DS. Armed with his trusty "Poltergust" ghost-grabbing vacuum cleaner, Mario's brother takes centre stage to capture those pesky phantoms. Sure, Luigi's the nervous type who'd rather be as far from these ghosts as he can get, but a reluctant hero can still save the day! This hair-raising title is the first sequel to the 2002 Nintendo GameCube launch title, Luigi's Mansion, and brings back all the thrills of the original with bags of new fun features too. The stereoscopic 3D visuals bring the murky mansions, ghastly ghosts and spooky surroundings to life, so you can experience all the haunting chills and supernatural fun the game has to offer.

Pre-release and unused content

The game was originally going to be named Luigi's Mansion 2 in both European and American versions, but the latter had its name changed some time later. Early trailers featured minor differences in aesthetics, enemy placement and level design.

Glitches

Toad through the floor

In Old Clockworks' Mission C-5: Piece at Last, after saving Toad from his Painting, if the player heads to the Maintenance Hub, shoots the Toad across the chasm to the floor above (leading to the Service Elevator room) and makes their way to him, the Toad will fall through the metal floor. There is no explanation for this glitch.

Luigi's third arm

If Luigi calls with the +Control Pad at the same time he does something else, such as opening a door, he will put his arm down instead of using it normally. However, the animation will otherwise be unaffected. For example, when Luigi wipes his hands at the end of a level, he will only use one hand, as the other will be resting by his side. This glitch is easiest to see when Luigi gets a call from E. Gadd or picks up a gem. The glitch ends after the mission ends or Luigi is controllable again.

References to other games

• Super Mario Bros. - When Luigi sees Mario's painting in King Boo's Illusion, the Super Mario Bros. Ground theme is briefly played. Also, the Fright Knight's Ghost Container description states he was a knight looking for a princess, but she was always in another castle, referencing what the Mushroom Retainers say after being saved.
• Luigi's Mansion - The mansion poster featured in the this game can be seen briefly on the wall during the opening. Luigi's house bears a strong resemblance to the Rank D Mansion during the end of the game. In the first Mansion, Luigi opens the main door and says "...Hello?" in a scared voice. This is a tribute to the first game's opening sequence. The Toads trapped in paintings is very similar to Mario's situation from the game, but Mario himself is again trapped in a portrait. Boos also have names that play on the word "Boo" just like in the first game. Also in the later missions in the Treacherous Mansion, and after finishing the game, Luigi calls out "Mario" when using the + Control Pad instead of calling out "Hello" or "Yoohoo", another reference to Luigi's Mansion. E. Gadd references the Ghost Portrificationizer and King Boo's painting, and in Luigi's Mansion, when he first meets Luigi, he says he "knew [their] paths were destined to cross". When he meets him Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, he says "he knew [their] paths would cross again". King Boo also states that his imprisonment in a painting at the end of the first game was his primary motivation for his actions in Dark Moon. Additionally, several Boos in the Japanese version are renamed after Boos from the original Luigi's Mansion, implying that they are the same characters.
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time - The Safe Room is shaped like E. Gadd's head on the outside, much like his lab on Thwomp Volcano. The DS time radar's idea is re-used for the Dual Scream.
• Mario Kart DS - By the version of the Poltergust going from the Poltergust 3000 in the original Luigi's Mansion to the Poltergust 5000 in Dark Moon, the Poltergust 4000 kart from this game is acknowledged.
• Mario Strikers Charged - An arrangement of pause menu background music of Mario Strikers Charged is heard in the elevator in Gloomy Manor. Both games were developed by Next Level Games, and share the exact same three composers (Mike Peacock, Darren Radtke, and Chad York).
• Mario Kart Wii - Many of King Boo's voice clips were taken from this game.
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl - The Scarescraper colors for Luigi are orange, light blue and pink, which resemble three of Luigi's alternate colors.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns - The spears used by Strong Greenies in the Treacherous Mansion or ScareScraper have masks on them resembling Kalimba.

References in later games

• New Super Luigi U - Artwork for King Boo and Luigi can be seen in some Ghost Houses as a metallic sign.
• Mario Kart 8 - Parts of the Library Piano music can be heard in the Twisted Mansion course.
• StreetPass Mii Plaza - A puzzle swap panel appears based on this game.
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS - The Poltergust 5000 appears as Luigi's Final Smash, replacing the Negative Zone from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There is a trophy of Polterpup in the game as well. Luigi's blue color scheme resembles the blue Luigi color in the Scarescraper mode in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - The Gloomy Manor theme appears as a selectable music track on the Luigi's Mansion stage, as well as a Luigi's Mansion series cover version which includes several music tracks from the original and this version. The Poltergust 5000 Final Smash reappears in this version of the game. Luigi's blue color scheme resembles the blue Luigi color in the Scarescraper mode in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
• Mario Party 10 - The Luigi amiibo board appears based on this game, having a model of the Gloomy Manor and a sign with a Greenie on it on the board.
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge - The Mini Luigi levels are based on this game, and feature Gloomy Manor in the background (and on the world map).

Promotion

The Play Nintendo website features a skill quiz on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.

Trivia

• On Miiverse, they set up a community for the game even though it's a game for 3DS. People there usually post a funny reaction of the thumbnail (which was Luigi screaming).
• This is one of the rare Nintendo games that was not released on Friday in Europe. The game was released on Thursday, March 28, 2013, because Friday, March 29, 2013 was Good Friday. In some European countries, the game was released on March 27, 2013.
• For a limited time, players in Europe could purchase the retail version of the game with a glow-in-the-dark cover, and a Boo stress ball as a pre-order bonus.
• The first letters of each mansion, possessor, and bonus mission, in the order of the story, make out the word "ghost". If ScareScraper is included, it will also spell "ghosts".
  • The trick is left intact in the German and Dutch translation. The first letters make out the words "geist" in German and "spook" in Dutch. In Dutch it only works with the first letters of the possessors and bonus missions, however. In the French translation, the first letter of each bonus mission in order read "Luigi".
• Though they are all labeled as mansions, neither the Old Clockworks or Secret Mine are actual mansions.

Videos

Nintendo 3DS - Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon E3 Trailer

E3 Trailer.

See also

• Luigi's Mansion
• The Year of Luigi

External links

Official sites

• Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon at Nintendo.com
• Japanese website
• Official American website
• European website
• Oceanian website
• Korean website
• Chinese (Hong Kong) website

Videos

• E3 2011 Trailer
• New Luigi's Mansion 2 gameplay
• Luigi's Mansion 2 TGS Trailer
• [9] Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon Gameplay
• Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon Overview Trailer
• Luigi's Mansion 2 Commercial (Japanese)
• Luigi's Mansion 2 Commercial (European)
• Final Boss Battle + Ending

Music

• [10]