Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon Critic Reviews

This is a game unlike any other. Incomparable, yet instantly accessible. The best Nintendo games have a marvelous knack of building the perfect worlds for the perfect heroes and this is the foundation on which Luigi's Mansion is built. Cracking.

While the system has been blessed with multiple must-have Mario adventures, it's a delight to say there's now an essential one from his often overlooked sibling too.

The pride in the Nintendo legacy is apparent in every single aspect of this title; the attention to detail, and sheen of professionalism is everywhere. It’s a triumph - visually one of the best handheld titles ever seen, and in terms of capturing your emotions, Luigi has you on board from the first sequence. You want to guide him to victory (and safety!) because he is just so darn sweet.

Dark Moon’s multiplayer is an incredible local experience that should have you shouting with your friends in no time. Online play, however, loses a bit of that experience’s immediacy. The only way to convey anything is to select one of four preset phrases from the D-pad, which hinders communication.

If Dark Moon was just a single-player experience, it would have been a fleeting, yet enjoyable adventure. But with the addition of an infectious multiplayer element that can't be replicated anywhere else, it makes Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon even better than its predecessor, and one of the clear-cut best games on the 3DS.

Overall, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is very easy to recommend. It's fun, charming, and one of the best games available on the 3DS.

Every haunted room seems to breathe with an inventive charm and delicate attention to detail that make this game one of the best reasons to own a 3DS. Catching ghosts is a rewarding occupation, and the vast amount of hidden collectables could have you fighting to exorcise your inner completionist. With the addition an unexpectedly inventive and enjoyable multiplayer experience, 3DS owners will be hard-pressed not to cut Luigi just a little more respect.

Shows Nintendo at its inventive best. It’s an essential game in the 3DS’ increasingly impressive line-up, and though I sometimes wished that it would leave me alone to explore more at my own pace, it’s otherwise difficult to fault a game this detailed, absorbing and masterfully made.

It has more heart than any game in recent memory.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a fantastic adventure full of charm and personality, with gorgeous graphics and more than enjoyable mechanics. A control scheme that screams for the second analog stick and a somewhat disappointing last mission are the only minor drawbacks of a more-than-recommended purchase.

A must-have for 3DS owners.

Overall, this is definitely a sequel worth checking out. Even if you’re not familiar with the original GameCube title, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to love about the sequel.

Regardless of whether you played Luigi's Mansion, this sequel stands on its own merits, and in the process, became another fine entry in the growing 3DS library of quality titles in need of enthusiastic owners. Relish the experience.

It's gorgeous, as close to a playable cartoon as anything since Zelda: The Wind Waker. That's a big name to drop, but if Luigi's return doesn't quite put him in that class, it puts him in the running among Nintendo's finest.

Luigi's back, in his best game yet. Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon is a joyful adventure, remarkably polished, easy to fall in love with and full of stuff to discover and to play with. Visually outstanding, the game surpasses - in every way - the original Gamecube game, but the multiplayer mode is still archaic.

This is an excellent action adventure game design. At its best, it is full of surprises, dynamic battles and logic puzzles. Once you enter the haunted house you don’t want to check out until the last ghost is caught.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 is an excellent puzzler wrapped in charming design, clever gameplay and gorgeous visuals through a lengthy campaign that (mostly) plays to 3DS’ strengths.

Luigi's Mansion 2 is a great game that has solid gameplay with well-designed levels. Looks good, plays better and improves so many elements of its predecessor.

Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon is one of the best titles by Nintendo in recent years. Almost a real Killer Application, at least if you look at it with the eyes of an old fan.

As solo game or shared with friends, Luigi's Mansion 2 is an essential experience for the Nintendo 3DS.