Luigi’s Mansion is being remade for the Nintendo 3DS.
And based off the trailer, it looks like, well, Luigi’s Mansion.
So I guess that means we’re done here.
Time to pack up the old analysis machine and have it chug away on that Super Smash bros
trailer again.
Bah, who am I kidding--of course there’s some new stuff to talk about here!
So let’s get right to it, shall we?
Okay, just to drive the point home, this is very much the exact same game based on the
trailer.
Because, as you may already know, I was able to almost perfectly recreate the trailer in
the original game for our head-to-head comparison--which you should totally check out if you haven’t
already.
And based on that, the Mansion layout not only appears to be identical, but enemy ghosts
seem to appear in the exact same spots, and even the amount of money that appears looks
to be the same amount.
Heck, we can even just barely see Toad exactly where we’d expect to find him in the foyer,
suggesting that even the Save System hasn’t changed.
So in a general design sense, it doesn’t much of anything much has changed--but things
start to look a little bit different when we take a look at what it’ll be like to
actually play the game, because the 3DS’s hardware dictated that some changes had to
be made.
First up is the dual-screens, which now allows persistent access to the GameBoy Horror on
the touchcreen--look, the branding is still right there--sweet!Luigi even still carries
it in his hand constantly whenever he’s not using the Poltergust.
Someone really should get him a Switch or something though...
And like in the original game, the GameBoy Horror is where you’ll find all of the games
menus, such as the Map, as represented by the Mansion icon, as well as items, represented
by the Coin, and finally Ghosts, as indicated by the--yeah, Ghost.
And since the GameBoy Horror is displayed at all times on the touchscreen, the map can
now track Luigi in real-time, using a classic 2D sprite to represent his exact location.
Otherwise, it seems to function almost exactly as it did before, showing which doors are
locked as well as which rooms you’ve explored.
Even the color coding appears to be the same, with Dark Gray representing locked rooms,
while the brightly colored mark which ones you’ve cleared of Ghosts, with the specific
colors representing which segment of the game that rooms from--the Yellow’ here represents
the first 1 and Blue is the second.
Interestingly, while the map in the original game was fully 3D and isometric, this one
seems to be top-down and 2D, making it unlikely you'll be able to swivel the camera as you
could in the original game.
But you can can still toggle between floors using the touchscreen arrows on the left as
well as zoom in and out with the magnifying glass on the right.
The Boo Counter has also been moved off the main screen and onto the top-left Game Boy
Horror.
Although the Boo Tracker itself--which lights up when a Boo is close--still remains on the
main screen.
Furthermore, it appears that the game will no longer display the name of whichever room
you enter on the main screen, since it doesn’t in this scene whereas it did on the GameCube--which
makes sense since each room’s title is now automatically displayed on the Gameboy Horror’s
map.
Besides the HUD.
It appears as if the controls have seen some tweaks as well.
Because the original Luigi’s Mansion was built-around having 2 analog sticks, one to
move and the other to aim, that wouldn’t quite work on the 3DS since the original systems
only had a single Circle Pad.
So to compensate, it seems the game is using a solution similar to the 3DS sequel, Dark
Moon, where Luigi’s movement and aim are fused together.
Which means that once you begin to use the Poltergust, you’re locked to the direction
that Luigi was facing, which we can demonstrated in this scene, where Luigi uses the flamethrower
without turning at all.
This also suggests that you won’t be able to strafe while using the flashlight, unless
there’s a dedicated strafe button that isn’t used in the trailer
However, like Dark Moon, Luigi can at least still aim up and down, presumably with the
X and B buttons like before, as well as by tilting the system with motion controls--which
we know are back based on this icon that appears when Luigi’s using the Poltergust in a few
scenes.
Although, since it doesn’t appear in every scene, this could mean there’s an option
to disable them.
So ultimately, Luigi does seen to be slightly less dexterius compared to the original--but
it should also be a bit simpler, especially since you won’t have to worry about two
control sticks when reeling ghosts in anymore.
Despite all this, it is possible that the game might have a dual-control stick option
that they just haven’t shown off yet.
Now there is one more thing that the GameCube controller had that the 3DS doesn’t: Analog
Triggers, which allowed you to precisely control the amount of suction power, and wel as how
much water, ice, or fire you expelled.
But since, practically speaking, this barely mattered, it appears that Luigi will likely
just now default to full-power constantly, since we never see anything less being used
in the trailer.
But as for the projectile elements that Luigi could shoot with a full press of the trigger--we’re
guessing that it might be moved to a different button entirely, like the L trigger maybe
So that pretty much covers it for the gameplay, so let’s get to the thing you’re probably
most curious about: the graphics.
Now we’ve already made a full head-to-head video showing the two side by side--but I
wanted to dive in even deeper this time and point out some of the specific differences.
But before we continue, I want to make it clear that Luigi’s Mansion 3DS is still
in development and things could change in the final version of the game.
So perhaps the biggest change is that our main man, Luigi, has had a bit of a Face lift.
In that, he now has an entirely different character model based on his Dark Moon appearance.
Which, yeah, kind of makes sense since the original game was essentially his first modern
appearance in 3D--although I always found that model pretty charming in its own right.
And as part of this, Luigi’s animations seem to have been pretty faithfully translated
to the new model, with the biggest differences seeming to apply to his gait, as he no longer
walks bowleggedly.
Now the 3DS is fundamentally a very different system from the GameCube, and that manifests
in all kinds of ways--such as the substantially lower resolution, which obviously means the
game isn’t as sharp as it was before--although it should be noted that it will likely look
better on an actual 3DS screen than it does here.
And it’s likely because of that the screen that the game has a slightly brighter overall
look too, with dark rooms not being quite as dark as before--which again, might be less
evident on an actual system.
But because of the 3DS’s wider display, you now have a noticeable wider field of view.
Take this scene for example.
On the 3DS, you can see the entire portrait to the right, whereas Its entirely cut off
on the GameCube.
And it might because of wider view that a few additional trees were planted outside
the mansion, which now better frames the manor itself, making it look even creepier and more
menacing.
In fact, this entire outside portion might be the most different of any area we can see
in the trailer.
The gate Luigi passes through has been given a more threatening makeover, now featuring
an arch-design with a spikey top, as opposed to the relatively flat--and almost inviting
circular design of the original.
The tombstones have been slightly rearranged, and the blue torches have seen a size increase
and now have a cool lense flare effect.
The wagon ahead has also been rotated so the side is facing the camera instead of the back.
And then there’s the completely redesigned textures with the path now looking much more
dirt-like--it’s a sign of things to come as it seems most of the textures have been
reworked for the game.
And check out those sweet lightning effects!
Not only are they purple now instead of white, but they brilliantly light up the immediate
surround area whereas the GameCube’s lighting was a bit flatter, lighting up the entire
area instead.
Overall, this outside portion Mansion seems to be a marked improvement over the original--but
it’s when we get inside that things get a bit dicier.
Take Luigi’s flashlight for example, which now looks significantly less realistic.
In the GameCube version, the beam of light shined brighter at the source, with the rays
radiating outward in a realistic-fashion.
Whereas in the 3DS, it just looks like two yellow cones layered on top of each other.
Oh, and do you remember the dust particles that could be seen floating around when illuminated
by the flashlight in the original game?
Well, they appear to be completely missing in the 3DS version--which isn’t terrible
shocking as that was the case in Dark Moon as well.
And speaking of dust, Luigi would kick up dust entire clouds wherever he walked anywhere
in the original game, whereas the effect seems greatly reduced in the 3DS one--to the point
that we almost thought it was gone entirely.
The dropping Chandelier for instance, kicked up a ton of dust in the original game, whereas
none appears in the remake.
The ghosts, too,have lost some of their ethereal beauty.
In the original game, they were highly translucent--as in see-through--while also having a sort of
bloom-like glow.
And not only does that glow appear to be completely missing in the 3DS version, but the ghosts
seem much less transparent, nearly opaque at times.
Take a look at these two--in the GameCube version, you can quite cleary see the wall
through them, but on the 3DS, only the light of the nearby candle shines through.
In another example, we can easily see the piano visible through the woman here on the
GameCube, whereas I can’t say the same for the 3DS.
Ultimately, the ghosts that truly looked otherworldly on the GameCube now look more like clay figures.
But it’s not all bad news.
The dancing ghosts now light up the dance floor--literally, whereas that didn’t happen
in the GameCube version.
Mirrors were another impressive effect in the original Luigi’s Mansion--but on the
3DS, they look more like extremely low-res TV screens.
However,the floor here is another example the reworked textures, as the floorboards
now run both horizontally and vertically whereas they were just vertical before.
The rug has also been updated with a simpler design, than the GameCube’s slightly more
intricate and grittier one, probably so it’s easier to see on the 3DS’s reduced resolution
We can see a similar pattern for much of the carpets or rugs in the game, such as in this
room.
On the GameCube, the carpet had real texture to it, whereas on the 3DS it seems to have
been swapped out for a flat red color.
Some of the pictures visible in the trailer have been redrawn or redesigned entirely.
The one of a vase in the bathroom, has been given a less symmetrical makeover on the 3DS
with a smaller vase.
And the ghost playing the instrument here holds it a little higher in the 3DS version
Besides textures, it some some of the objects you’ll encounter have been altered too.
Door knobs, for instance, now look more detailed, with a new bump on the handle.
The lights on the dropping chandelier also now have a more intricate design, resembling
a blooming flower--oh and the main base has an all-new texture.
And speaking of which, the sheet draped over the mirror also has a redesigned look.
Oh, and while we’re here, the door seems to have lost the metal gate indicating it’s
blocked off for now--and yes, we checked--that’s the case even earlier on too.
We’d be surprised if it doesn’t return since it serves an important visual role--so
maybe it just hasn’t been implemented yet?
And if we take a look at King Boo’s room--who we can just barely see right there by the
way, his chandelier received a similarly impressive makeover, with the glass enclosures now having
an actual design to them.
It also seems to cast a more vibrant glow across the entire room, which whichs to better
illuminate the lion head statues--which also seemed to have been redesigned.
And then, we have the picturesque plumber, Mario himself--and I mean that, as he’s
literally trapped in a painting.
In the GameCube version, it almost looks like he’s trapped behind stained glass--it’s
certainly neat, but I’m not sure if it’s quite the right look.
The 3DS seems to have figured it out though, with it now looking more like an actual painting--you
can even see the brushstrokes in the background.
Interestingly, we can see the 3DS also hides all of the on-screen icons--such as Luigi’s
health--whereas the GameCube version kept them on screen--a small, but nice improvement.
And that’s pretty much it As you can see, Luigi’s Mansion is very much the same game
it was before--just with a few tweaks and additions.
There is one new mode we haven’t mentione dyet though: Boss Rush mode, where you’ll
presumably take on a series of boss fights one after another, to finish as quickly as
possible, based on the timer in the trailer.
Now as they narrator talked about this mode in the trailer, they also show footage of
the gallery--which appears to be expanded, now featuring multiple levels connected via
a staircase.
Neat.
And that’s everything we could dig up on Luigi’s Mansion 3DS.
But make sure to check out our head-to-head if you haven’t already to see if you can
spot any more differences yourself.
And with that, thanks for watching and make sure to click that subscribe button for more
on Luigi’s Mansion 3DS and all things nintendo too.