While it may not be on the same level as the mainlineSuper Mariofranchise, theLuigi’s Mansionseries has made a name for itself as one of the most uniqueMariospin-offs to date. Instead of taking the characters on another platforming adventure or tossing them into an RPG,Luigi’s Mansionhas followed in the footsteps ofGhostbustersby tossing Luigi into all sorts of spine-tingling scenarios. But even though that blend has proven successful, it kind of feels like Nintendo may have forgotten aboutLuigi’s Mansion 2 HD.
It took more than a decade for Nintendo to make a follow-up to the originalLuigi’s Mansion, and then six more before a third one hit store shelves. Now, five years afterLuigi’s Mansion 3launched on the Nintendo Switch,Luigi’s Mansion 2is set to get a remasterin only a couple of days. And while that should be big news, Nintendo has seemingly done very little to actually hype that release up, which makes it feel like the game may not reach the same heights as its predecessors.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD Seems to Have Been Forgotten
Luigi’s Mansion 2 Already Felt Like an Afterthought
After the success of the originalLuigi’s Mansionin 2001, it felt only natural that Nintendo would make a sequel. The game served as a launch title for the GameCube and would go on to become the fifth best-selling title on the console. Yet, instead of following up on it later in the console’s lifetime or on the Wii, it would take 12 years for the studio to revisit it. This follow-up would not be on Nintendo’s main system, but instead, it ended up being a major part of the 3DS library, with the remaster of the original also being relegated to the handheld.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moonwould go on to becomeone of the 3DS' best-selling games, yet it felt like an afterthought. After serving as a major launch title for a brand-new generation of consoles, it seemed strange that the sequel would be a smaller-scale adventure on a handheld device. Additionally, that decade-long wait also seemed a bit odd, since the original was pretty popular. There were at least attempts to make a sequel during that time, but fans still ended up having to wait a bit too long to see Luigi headline another spooky title.
Nintendo Has Done Very Little to Actually Advertise This Game
Now,Luigi’s Mansion:Dark Moonis finally set to make its mainline Nintendo console debut. DubbedLuigi’s Mansion 2 HD, this remaster will hopefully put the spotlight on this smaller-scale sequel, especiallyafter the success ofLuigi’s Mansion 3back in 2019. However, while this feels like it should be major news, it currently seems like Nintendo is doing little to hype it up.
There just has not been that much marketing aroundLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDas the release date nears. The title only made an extremely brief appearance at the recent Nintendo Direct, Nintendo’s social media accounts have not posted about it much, and there are seemingly very few ads. The biggest news to actually come out about this game recently was the factWalmart was allegedly canceling physicalLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDpre-orders, which is never a great sign. Even though the pre-order cancelations are not new for recent Nintendo games, the rest makes it feel like the studio has mostly forgotten about the game.
The lack of marketing forLuigi’s Mansion 2 HDindicates thatNintendo might have already moved on and forgotten about the game.
ManyLuigi’s Mansionfans are excited to get their hands on this remaster, especially since the original was a 3DS exclusive. But Nintendo has done little to really make the game go outside that circle. The minimal marketing seems strange after the success ofLuigi’s Mansion 3, with it even winning the Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2019. While there is a chance that marketing will ramp up, based on the relative silence, Nintendo may have already moved on.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD
WHERE TO PLAY
Friendly ghosts turned fiendish?Sounds like a job for Luigi!The magical Dark Moon that hangs over Evershade Valley seems to calm the ghosts that live there. But when it suddenly breaks apart, the once-friendly ghosts become unruly! Luigi must stumble into action and find his courage to restore the Dark Moon to its rightful place in the sky.Pick the mission: Follow leads across a neighborhood of haunted mansions to find the missing shards of the Dark Moon. With a little help from Professor E. Gadd, you can pixelate from his bunker to your destination and get started! (Luigi will…probably be OK on the other side.)Solve puzzle-y mansions: Each mansion has a distinct vibe and tricky puzzles to solve. You’ll have to use your noodle to find your way through.Discover treasures: Use the awesome air-blasting abilities of the Poltergust 5000 to turn every room upside down and build your fortune. Spend it on equipment upgrades and stuff!
