Luigi's Mansion

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the game Luigi's Mansion. For the mansion itself, see Luigi's Mansion (location). For other uses, see Luigi's Mansion (disambiguation).
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion boxart
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Nintendo EAD
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo GameCube
Release date Original release:
Japan September 14, 2001
USA November 18, 2001
Europe May 3, 2002
Australia May 17, 2002
Player's Choice release:
Europe April 4, 2003
USA September 25, 2003
Language(s) Deutsch
English (United States)
Español (España)
Français (France)
Italiano
日本語
Genre Action-adventure
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
ELSPA:3+ - Three years and older
ACB:G8+ - Eight years and older
USK:0 - All ages
DEJUS:L - General audience
Mode(s) Single player
Media
Nintendo GameCube:
Optical disc
Input
Nintendo GameCube:

Luigi's Mansion is a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube initially released in 2001, and is the first installment of the Luigi's Mansion series. It marks the second time where Luigi is the main protagonist, with Mario playing a supporting role, the first being Mario is Missing!. The game marks the debuts of King Boo, Luigi's main antagonist, as well as Professor E. Gadd, a major supporting character in the series. It was also one of two Super Mario-related games on the GameCube to continue the use of N64-era artwork and renders, along with Super Smash Bros. Melee (another early GameCube title), though it also introduced the current 3D art direction of the Super Mario franchise, particularly with Mario and Bowser's in-game designs.

A sequel to Luigi's Mansion, titled Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, was released for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems on March 20, 2013, with a third installment released for the Nintendo Switch on October 31, 2019. A remake of Luigi's Mansion, developed by GREZZO Co.,Ltd., was released for the Nintendo 3DS on October 12, 2018.

Story[edit]

Instruction booklet[edit]

And the grand prize is a big, haunted mansion!?

One day, Luigi received an unexpected message: You've won a huge mansion! Naturally, He[sic] got very excited and called his brother, Mario. "Mario? It's me, Luigi. I won myself a big mansion! Meet me there and we'll celebrate, what do you say?"


Luigi tried to follow the map to his new mansion, but the night was dark, and he became hopelessly lost in an eerie forest along the way. Finally, he came upon a gloomy mansion on the edge of the woods. According to the map, this mansion seemed to be the one Luigi was looking for. As soon as Luigi set foot in the mansion, he started to feel nervous. Mario, who should have arrived first, was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but there were ghosts in the mansion!

Suddenly, a ghost lunged at Luigi! "Mario! Help meee!" That's when a strange old man with a vacuum cleaner on his back appeared out of nowhere! This strange fellow managed to rescue Luigi from the ghosts, then the two of them escaped...

It just so happened that the old man, Professor Elvin Gadd, who lived near the house, was researching his favorite subject, ghosts. Luigi told Professor E. Gadd that his brother Mario was missing, so the Professor decided to give Luigi two inventions that would help him search for his brother.

Luigi's not exactly known for his bravery. Can he get rid of all the prank-loving ghosts and find Mario?

Area 1[edit]

Luigi's Mansion (location)
The Mansion.

Luigi, having won a mansion in a contest he did not enter, arrives in Boo Woods and locates it. He enters the mansion and is soon frightened by a ghost, but Professor E. Gadd appears and attempts to vacuum the ghost with his Poltergust 3000. Though his attempt fails, he introduces himself to Luigi before quickly escorting him to his laboratory near the mansion when more ghosts appear. In the lab, E. Gadd tells Luigi that the house is an illusion that has appeared out of thin air, where Mario has been captured by King Boo and his minions. He gives Luigi the Poltergust 3000 to vacuum up ghosts and the Game Boy Horror to communicate with E. Gadd, scan objects, and see a map of the mansion.

Luigi enters the mansion, sucking up ghosts and finding keys, while meeting Toad along the way, until he encounters a portrait ghost named Neville and defeats him with the Poltergust 3000. He does the same to Lydia, Neville's wife, and fights their baby, Chauncey, who sucks Luigi into his crib and fights him as a giant ghost, but is defeated and sucked into the Poltergust 3000. With his ghost-hunting vacuum filling rapidly, Luigi returns to E. Gadd's lab and empties it, turning Neville, Lydia, and Chauncey back into portraits.

Area 2[edit]

This is the Graveyard from Luigi's Mansion.
Luigi after defeating Bogmire

Luigi enters Area 2, another area through a previously blocked door and fights more ghosts. After defeating The Floating Whirlindas, he enters the Storage Room and hits a switch, which opens a fake door where 50 Boos and their leader, King Boo, are hiding. All of them escape, flying into different rooms of the mansion. Luigi returns to E. Gadd's lab and E. Gadd tells him that the Boos were the ones who released the portrait ghosts. Luigi must capture the Boos to weaken their power, as they are stronger in greater numbers. So Luigi goes through the many rooms of the mansion, vacuuming up any Boos he sees. He also meets Madame Clairvoya, a fortune teller ghost, who tells him to bring her any of Mario's items he finds lying around in the mansion so she can get details on his whereabouts. The items are Mario's Hat, Mario's Glove, Mario's Shoe, Mario's Letter, and Mario's Star. After sucking up Shivers the butler, Melody Pianissima, Mr. Luggs, and Spooky the dog, Luigi enters the Cemetery and fights the shadowy ghost, Bogmire. He defeats him and sucks him into the Poltergust. Afterwards, Luigi returns to E. Gadd's lab once again and empties the Poltergust to turn all the ghosts back into portraits.

Area 3[edit]

Luigi Looking in the Secret Altar
Luigi looking at the Secret Altar

Luigi enters a third area into the courtyard. Down the well, he sees into King Boo's altar and discovers that King Boo has imprisoned Mario in a portrait. Luigi becomes desperate to save his big brother as he reaches out for him. He goes through new rooms of the mansion, finding Mario's items and vacuuming up ghosts, including portrait ghosts Biff Atlas, Miss Petunia, Nana, Slim Bankshot, and the twins Henry and Orville. After Luigi brings Madame Clairvoya all five of Mario's items, she tells him that she sees Bowser in a vision, which is shocking because Mario defeated Bowser and she suspects that King Boo revived him. With her job done, she tells Luigi to suck her into the Poltergust so she can return peacefully to her portrait. After he does so and defeats 20 Boos, he enters the balcony and fights Boolossus, a Big Boo made up of fifteen Little Boos, and he lures him into either unicorn statue to split him into his individual Boos and sucks them all into the Poltergust. Then, Luigi returns to E. Gadd's lab once more and empties the Poltergust to turn all the ghosts, including Boolossus, back into portraits.

Area 4[edit]

The Breaker Room from Luigi's Mansion
Luigi in the Breaker Room

When Luigi enters Area 4 in the attic, the mansion is suddenly struck by lightning, creating a blackout throughout the mansion. He then goes to the breaker room to turn the power back on, but finds it locked. Luigi looks for the key and soon encounters a ghost named Uncle Grimmly and defeats him to get the key. After he turns the power back on, he catches more Boos and portrait ghosts, including the Clockwork Soldiers, Sue Pea, Jarvis, and Sir Weston, before entering the room of Vincent Van Gore, one of the most prominent portrait ghosts who is painting regular ghosts. He sends several waves of ghosts after Luigi, but Luigi defeats them all, causing Van Gore to go into a state of depression and Luigi sucks him into the Poltergust without much resistance. He then goes to the Secret Altar down a creepy hallway in the basement and encounters King Boo, who reveals that he was the one who told Luigi that he won the mansion in a contest and set it up as revenge for all the trouble the Mario brothers had caused him. King Boo goes into Mario's portrait, which turns into a Bowser portrait and sucks Luigi into it. In an arena resembling the roof of the mansion with fire in the background, Luigi fights what appears to be Bowser (as Madame Clairvoya's vision had seen), but when he hits him in the head with an explosive, spiked metal ball, "Bowser" is revealed to be a protective suit worn by King Boo. Luigi defeats King Boo while avoiding the Bowser suit's head and sucks him into the Poltergust 3000.

Luigi's NEW Mansion Rank B
Luigi's Rank B mansion.

Luigi returns to E. Gadd's lab one last time and empties the Poltergust to turn all the ghosts, including King Boo, back into portraits. E. Gadd then reverses the Portrificationizer to release Mario from his portrait. After Mario goes through a painful and overwhelming reverse-procedure of all the portrait ghosts captured, he rockets out of the machine, colliding with Luigi, very dizzy and semiconscious afterwards, but otherwise alright. And then, Luigi laughs with tears in his eyes that his brother is safe.

Since King Boo has been defeated, his illusion of the mansion fades away, though the money and jewels Luigi had collected in the mansion were real, and with it he gets a new residence, which varies in size depending on the player's rank.

Gameplay[edit]

The control setting in Luigi's Mansion
The Blue Twirler holding the Nintendo GameCube controller, showing the standard and sidestep controls.

Luigi uses two devices given to him by E. Gadd to progress through the game: the Poltergust 3000 to suck up ghosts and the Game Boy Horror (which is designed to resemble a Game Boy Color) to investigate objects, navigate the mansion and communicate with E. Gadd. On top of its primary function, the Poltergust has various other uses as well, such as sucking up money and being used as a flashlight to help Luigi see and even stun ghosts. Once Luigi collects the corresponding element medal, he can also use the Poltergust to suck up Elemental Ghosts and expel their fire, water or ice powers to fight other ghosts and deplete their HPs so that Luigi can capture them. In turn, Luigi's own HP is lowered whenever he takes damage and requires him to replenish it by collecting Hearts, or risk a Game Over (at which point he collapses and the words "Good night" appears overhead).

Controls[edit]

  • Control Stick - Move (in sidestep mode, the stick does not change Luigi's facing direction)
  • A Button - Examine an object / Open a door / Call out for Mario / Reply to E. Gadd
  • B Button - Turn the flashlight on or off
  • X Button - Search, using the Game Boy Horror
  • Y Button - Check the map
  • Z Button - Check the inventory
  • C Stick - Change direction Luigi faces
  • L Button - Shoot an element
  • R Button - Use the Poltergust

Characters[edit]

Character Description
Luigi
Luigi
The hero and single playable character of the game. Luigi arrived at a mansion he supposedly won, only to find it is extremely haunted. He must push through his cowardice and explore the mansion and find his missing brother, armed with a flashlight and the Poltergust 3000 ghost-catching vacuum.
Artwork of Professor Elvin Gadd holding an early design of the Poltergust 3000, from Luigi's Mansion
Professor E. Gadd
The inventor of the Poltergust, Prof. Elvin Gadd is a paranormal researcher who has a hideout right outside where the mansion appeared one night. He communicates with Luigi throughout the game via the Game Boy Horror, and asks for Luigi's help in recovering his escaped portrait ghosts and the Boos - the latter of which allows E. Gadd to save his game.
Toad from Super Mario 64
Toad
Four of these mushroom-headed people can be found throughout the mansion, at first crying. If Luigi cheers them up, he is able to save with them whenever he speaks with them.
Mario trapped in his portrait in Luigi's Mansion. This is actually a portion of this image, taken from Mario Golf.
Mario
Luigi's more-famous brother, who arrived at the mansion beforehand and has gone missing thanks to the ghosts.
Several of the ghosts from Luigi's Mansion.
Ghosts
The main enemies of the game, a plethora of ghosts infest the mansion's dark rooms, from weak-and-simple normal ghosts, the more powerful-and-complex portrait ghosts, and the quick-and-sneaky Boos.
Luigi's Mansion Artwork: Bowser
King Boo
The game's villain, the king of the Boos wants revenge on Mario and Luigi for foiling the Boos in previous games and on E. Gadd for imprisoning his ghost allies in paintings.

Ghosts[edit]

“As a result of extensive research, I have divided ghosts into several categories.”
Professor E. Gadd, Instruction Booklet

Normal ghosts[edit]

Small[edit]

Small ghosts can be sucked into the Poltergust without any resistance. They do not have hearts, so they do not need to be surprised before pulling them in, either. They are not required to suck up to complete a room; if a room is completed and the lights turn on while they are still present, they will fade away. The exceptions to this are the Elemental Ghosts, which remain in lit areas.

Ghost Description Locations (normal) Locations (PAL Hidden Mansion)
Mice
Blue and Purple Mice in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Blue Mouse
Tiny ghost mice that slowly scuttle along the floor, moving through walls. Hallway 3 Anteroom, Armory, Kitchen, Safari Room
Breaker Room, Butler's Room, Hallway 1, Hallway 2
Blue and Purple Mice in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Purple Mouse
Tiny ghost mice that walk along the floors and walls. Hallway 2
Hallway 1, Hallway 3
Gold Mouse captured from Game Boy Horror
Gold Mouse
Tiny ghost mice that appear randomly in certain places or after examining a piece of cheese. They move extremely fast, but catching one earns a large amount of treasure. Dining Room, Fortune-teller's Room, Hallway 2, Hallway 3, Kitchen, Safari Room, Sealed Room, Study, Tea Room
Bats
Purple bats in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Purple Bat
Swarms of bats that attack Luigi when he approaches. Hallway 2, Hallway 3
Gold bats in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Yellow Bat
Swarms of bats that attack Luigi when he activates the Poltergust. Hidden Room☽︎ Breaker Room
Hallway 2, Hallway 3
Elemental Ghosts
Fire Elemental Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Fire Elemental Ghost
Small spirits that spawn from strong flames after the Fire Element Medal is collected. Sucking them in lets the Poltergust shoot fire. Ball Room, Butler's Room, Cold Storage, Dining Room, Graveyard, Study, Hallway 2, Hallway 3, Roof, Sitting Room
Water Elemental Ghost.png
Water Elemental Ghost
Small spirits that spawn from sources of water after the Water Element Medal is collected. Sucking them in lets the Poltergust shoot water. Bathroom (2F), Boneyard, Courtyard, Kitchen, Sitting Room, Washroom (2F)
Ice Elemental Ghost.png
Ice Elemental Ghost
Small spirits that spawn from frosty areas after the Ice Element Medal is collected. Sucking them in lets the Poltergust shoot ice. Balcony (3F), Ceramics Studio, Kitchen, Pipe Room, Tea Room
Flying Fish
Flying Fish model from Luigi's Mansion
Pink Flying Fish
Floating ghosts that spawn endlessly and float through the air, moving at medium speeds. Courtyard Ball Room
Flying Fish model from Luigi's Mansion
Green Flying Fish
Floating ghosts that spawn endlessly and float through the air, moving at fast speeds. Ball Room, Butler's Room, Courtyard
Pipe Room
Miscellaneous
Shining Ghost
Shining Ghost
Meteor-like ghosts that cannot be fully sucked in, but pulled against the Poltergust's nozzle and released to shoot them out at a high speed. Observatory
Spark in Luigi's Mansion
Spark
Slow-moving spiky red ghosts that come out of walls and explode. Hallway 2
Hallway 3, Hallway 4

Large[edit]

Large ghosts must be stunned in order to show their hearts before they can be sucked up. Often times, this is done by shining the flashlight on them. Before they can be pulled all the way in, the Poltergust needs to pull on them enough to bring their HP down to 0.

Ghost HP Description Locations (normal) Locations (PAL Hidden Mansion)
Punching ghosts
Three Gold Ghosts in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Gold Ghost
10 The most basic ghost enemy, these orange ghosts appear from behind Luigi and punch to attack. Anteroom, Armory, Sealed Room, Sitting Room, Wardrobe Room Cellar, Roof, Storage Room, Tea Room
Astral Hall, Balcony (3F)☽︎, Billiards Room☽︎, Butler's Room☽︎, Conservatory☽︎, Dining Room☽︎, Kitchen☽︎, Master Bedroom☽︎, Nursery☽︎, Parlor, Safari Room☽︎, Telephone Room☽︎, The Artist's Studio
Purple Puncher in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Purple Puncher
20 A magenta-colored intermediate ghost which attacks Luigi by punching from behind. Armory, Kitchen☽︎, Storage Room Kitchen, Parlor, Pipe Room, Roof, Safari Room
Anteroom, Balcony (3F)☽︎, Cellar, Conservatory☽︎,Fortune-teller's Room☽︎, Laundry Room, Nana's Room☽︎, Nursery☽︎, Sealed Room, Telephone Room☽︎, The Artist's Studio
Blue Twirler in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Blue Twirler
30 Powerful ghosts that slam the ground around them to attack. They are the strongest of the physically attacking ghosts. Armory, Sealed Room Anteroom, Cellar, Laundry Room, Parlor, Pipe Room, Roof, Storage Room, Tea Room, Wardrobe Room
Balcony (3F)☽︎, Bathroom (2F)☽︎, Fortune-teller's Room☽︎, Hidden Room☽︎, Nursery☽︎, Rec Room☽︎, Telephone Room☽︎, The Artist's Studio
Element-protected ghosts
Temper Terror.png
Temper Terror
10 White-sheeted Gold Ghosts with fiery energy protecting their hearts. They must be hit with a water attack before they can be stunned. Bathroom (1F)☽︎, Boneyard☽︎, Sitting Room, Washroom (2F)
Flash in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Flash
20 White-sheeted Purple Punchers with icy energy protecting their hearts. They must be hit with a fire attack before they can be stunned. Hidden Room Armory, Tea Room
Butler's Room☽︎, Kitchen, Roof
Blue Blaze in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Blue Blaze
30 White-sheeted Blue Twirlers with watery energy protecting their hearts. They must be hit with an ice attack before they can be stunned. Telephone Room
Safari Room, Tea Room☽︎
Grabbing Ghosts
White Grabbing Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
White Grabbing Ghost
10 Lavender ghosts that latch onto Luigi from behind, slowing him down until shaken off. Bathroom (1F), Pipe Room, Tea Room
Astral Hall, Billiards Room☽︎, Hidden Room☽︎, Rec Room☽︎, Safari Room☽︎, The Twins' Room☽︎
Red Grabbing Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Red Grabbing Ghost
20 Ghosts that latch onto Luigi from behind, damaging him until they are shaken off. Armory, Laundry Room, Storage Room Astral Hall, Bathroom (1F), Roof, Tea Room
Master Bedroom☽︎, Pipe Room, Study☽︎, The Artist's Studio, Washroom (1F)☽︎
Turquoise Grabbing Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Mirror Ghost
20 Teal damaging Grabbing Ghosts that can only be seen through a mirror until they are stunned. Wardrobe Room
Mirror Room
Waiter in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Waiter
10 Stocky cyan Grabbing Ghosts that shuttle food to Mr. Luggs, ignoring Luigi completely. Dining Room
Purple Grabbing Ghost in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Cinema Ghost
20 Purple damaging Grabbing Ghosts that can only be seen by their shadows against a projected backdrop until they are stunned. Projection Room
Masked ghosts
Artwork of a Ghost Guy from Luigi's Mansion.
Shy Guy
20 Differently colored masked ghosts that jab at Luigi with spears. Their masks must be pulled off with the Poltergust before they can be stunned. Hidden Room, Laundry Room, Sitting Room, Tea Room
Astral Hall☽︎, The Artist's Studio, The Twins' Room☽︎
Ghost Guys from Luigi's Mansion.
Dancing masked ghost
20 Multicolored Shy Guys that dance in pairs. Their red-and-white masks must be removed before they can be stunned, but catching one causes its partner to start pursuing. Ball Room, Roof
Hallway ghosts
Ceiling Surprise in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Ceiling Surprise
0 Harmless lavender ghosts that dangle down behind Luigi to startle him, usually in hallways. Bottom of the Well, Courtyard
Hallway 2, Hallway 3
Purple Bomber.png
Purple Bomber
0 Purple Ceiling Surprises that drop a bomb when they appear. Sealed Room Armory, Bottom of the Well, Pipe Room, Safari Room
Courtyard, Hallway 2, Hallway 3, Hallway 4, The Artist's Studio
Bowling Ghost from Luigi's Mansion
Bowling Ghost
0 Yellow ghosts that roll a purple ball at Luigi in the hallways. Roof, Telephone Room
Hallway 2, Hallway 3, Hallway 4
Miscellaneous
Garbage Can Ghost from Luigi's Mansion
Garbage Can Ghost
40 Sloppy green ghosts that drop banana peels on the ground every few moments rather than attack. Armory, Safari Room, Wardrobe Room Astral Hall, Roof, Storage Room
Dining Room☽︎, Laundry Room☽︎, The Artist's Studio
Mr. Bones in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Mr. Bones
30 Skeleton ghosts that throw a bone, then fall apart, which is the only time they are vulnerable. Telephone Room Astral Hall
Boneyard, Graveyard
Luigi finding a Speedy Spirit in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Speedy Spirit
10 Cyan-colored Gold Ghosts that hide in objects in dark rooms, flying away at high speeds when discovered. If caught, they drop a large amount of treasure. If stunned and not vacuumed immediately or if left alone for too long, they disappear forever. Billiards Room, Breaker Room, Cellar, Conservatory☽︎, Dining Room, Hidden Room☽︎, Kitchen, Nana's Room, Nursery☽︎, Rec Room, Sealed Room, Storage Room, Study, The Twins' Room, Wardrobe Room

Boos[edit]

PeekaBoo in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Luigi discovers PeekaBoo in the Butler's Room.
Main article: List of Boos in Luigi's Mansion

There are 50 (excluding King Boo) Boos that hide in the various rooms of the mansion. 35 of these are named to differentiate between them, while the remaining 15 are smaller ones which make up the third Boss of the game, Boolossus. The magic of the King Boo's spells increase based on the number of his minions nearby. Because of this, Luigi must capture 20 Boos to break the seal designed to block Boolossus from him. After capturing 20 more (hence, five more after what he gets from Boolossus), the seal separating Luigi from King Boo is broken. If Luigi catches all 50 Boos, he will be rewarded with the extremely valuable Gold Diamond. Each of the 35 main Boos' names are puns. For example, "Booigi" is a pun on "Luigi" and "Game Boo" is a nod to the Game Boy.

The 35 main Boos can only be found in rooms that have been cleared and lit, where they hide in interactive objects and occasionally switch positions when they laugh. The Boo Radar helps to find them, but a Boo Ball and a bomb hide nearby and also shuffle positions. When a Boo is discovered, it attempts to flee to another room, with some also trying to attack Luigi from behind. Boos can have anywhere from 30 to 300 HP and lack hearts, meaning they cannot be latched onto, but also cannot pull Luigi - as such, he must keep pointed at them manually. Their HP goes down at a steady quick rate in light areas, but if they travel into a dark one, their HP falls much slower. If a Boo is left in another room for too long, it will hide in the new room, or if left in a hall, in its original room.

Portrait ghosts[edit]

Main article: Portrait ghost

In his exploits, Luigi captures up to twenty-three gallery ghosts (five are optional). These ghosts (excluding the third and the final/fourth boss) have 100 HP, but their hearts are not automatically shown like other ghosts: Luigi must find each ghost's weakness before he can suck them up. The following are listed in the rough order they can be caught in the game:

Area One[edit]

Ghost Gold frame Necessity Location Description Biography and heart quote
Luigi's Mansion
Neville
The Bookish Father
Gold frame artwork of Neville.
1
Required Study Neville is found reading on his rocking chair, launching a book from the bookshelf at Luigi. Occasionally while Luigi is looking away, he will yawn, exposing his heart. Age 42
"Neville spends his afterlife reading all the books he missed while living."
"Ho ho ho ho... Go ahead, try to find me. I can see you, but you cannot see me, ho ho ho ho..."
Luigi's Mansion
Lydia
The Mirror-Gazing Mother
Gold frame artwork of Lydia.
2
Required Master Bedroom Lydia is found brushing her hair at the mirror. The curtain on a nearby broken window needs to be opened, allowing a gust of wind to mess up her hair and exposing her heart. Age 34
"She's stashed her secret savings away to prepare for her long afterlife."
"Isn't my hair just gorgeous? Of course, I do spend a lot of time on it. I was so bored cooped up in that painting... Now I spend all my time in front of the mirror. It seems to scare people, though, so everything is coming up roses!"
Luigi's Mansion
Chauncey
The Spoiled Baby
Gold frame artwork of Chauncey.
4
Area boss Nursery The first boss, Chauncey sleeps at his crib until Luigi moves his rocking horse. After he wakes, Chauncey follows Luigi while making teddy bears fly at him. Luigi needs to use a ball to hit Chauncey, which angers him into shrinking Luigi into a battle arena on his crib. Chauncey then attacks by leaping around and launching rocking horses and balls at Luigi; hitting him with a ball again stuns him and exposes his heart. Age 1
"He cries loudly and never sleeps through the night, but since he was born a ghost, this seems natural."
"Horsey... rocky... horsey..."
"Stay away!"

Area Two[edit]

Ghost Gold frame Necessity Location Description Biography and heart quote
Luigi's Mansion
The Floating Whirlindas
The Dancing Couple
Gold frame artwork of The Floating Whirlindas.
10
Required Ball Room The Floating Whirlindas dance above spinning floor plates. Their hearts are exposed after the husband exclaims and they pose for each other. Age ??
"Once the local waltz champions, they can no longer compete since their feet don't touch the floor."
"So, you can see me? Well, that may be, but you will never find my weakness!"
"I don't think this gent can even see us!"
Luigi's Mansion
Shivers
The Wandering Butler
Gold frame artwork of Shivers.
8
Required Butler's Room Shivers is found pacing in the Area 2 hallway. Luigi needs to use fire on his candlestick, causing him to panic and flee to his room. He ends up accidentally sitting on the candle, however, exposing his heart. Age 72
"He wanders the house, endlessly searching for his master's will. He hopes he's included in it!"
"Ah, the beautiful Melody will not even give me the time of day... What must I do to win her? Passion! Yes! That's it! I will show her I burn for her! My unbridled passion will scorch her soul!"
"The burning flames of unbridled passion! Or... wait, how about the passionate flames of unbridled burning?"
Luigi's Mansion
Melody Pianissima
The Beautiful Pianist
Gold frame artwork of Melody Pianissima.
5
Required Conservatory Melody is found playing her piano. Luigi needs to start up the other instruments to cause her to appear, then answer a trivia question about her music correctly. After this she sends her music sheets to attack Luigi. Sucking them all up causes her heart to be exposed. Age 26
"Despite playing moving melodies, she has a surly disposition. Oddly enough, she loves video games."
"Hmph! This ragamuffin looks as if he couldn't play a note!"
"Show him the power of genius, my music sheets!"
Luigi's Mansion
Mr. Luggs
The Glutton
Gold frame artwork of Mr. Luggs.
11
Optional Dining Room Mr. Luggs is found gorging himself on a plate of yellow food. The candles next to him need to be lit with fire, and then the food needs sucked up while preventing the two Waiters from refilling it. Once the food is gone, Luigi needs to avoid an onslaught of several fireballs Mr. Luggs belches at him. Eventually, he will tire out and his heart is exposed. Age 30
"He prefers all-you-can-eat buffets to three meals a day. He ate himself to death but still wasn't satisfied."
"No one can see me in this darkness! No one no one no one noooooooooo-one!"
"It's so bright here. Everyone can see me eat! ...I don't care, I'll just keep eating!"
Luigi's Mansion
Spooky
The Hungry Guard Dog
Gold frame artwork of Spooky.
13
Required Boneyard Spooky is found resting at its doghouse. When it sees Luigi, it tries to latch onto him while barking. Luigi needs to suck up a Mr. Bones disturbed by the barking, causing it to drop a bone which distracts Spooky and causes its heart to become exposed. Age 4
"This creepy canine will sink its chops into any seemingly edible thing in sight."
"Woof woof woof!"
Luigi's Mansion
Bogmire
The Cemetery Shadow
Gold frame artwork of Bogmire.
19
Area boss Graveyard The second boss, Bogmire emerges from a lightning-struck grave and warps Luigi to his arena. Bogmire makes shadowy copies of himself while teleporting around. The copies can be sucked into the form of a ball of shadowy goo, which can be launched onto Bogmire to expose his heart. Age ??
"A product of the mansion's fear and despair, he's not sure who to fear or what to despair these days."
N/A

Note: Although Luigi first meets Madame Clairvoya in Area Two, he captures her after he begins Area Three.

Area Three[edit]

Ghost Gold frame Necessity Location Description Biography and heart quote
Screenshot of Biff Atlas from Luigi's Mansion
Biff Atlas
The Bodybuilder
Gold frame artwork of Biff Atlas.
16
Optional Rec Room Biff is found lifting a barbell. Luigi must repeatedly knock a punching bag into him, angering him further until he is stunned on the third hit, exposing his heart. Age 26
"This kind body builder loves muscles and lilies. Why lilies? They symbolize purity."
"Look at this buffness! I'm huge! How'd you like to be my punching bag, weakling?"
Luigi's Mansion
Miss Petunia
The Bathing Beauty
Gold frame artwork of Miss Petunia.
6
Required Bathroom (2F) Miss Petunia is found taking a hot bath, and blasts Luigi with scalding water if she sees him looking in. By cooling her bath with ice, her heart is exposed. Age ??
"The Miss Ghost runner-up from six years ago, she hasn't had much modeling work lately."
"Ahh...a piping hot shower!"
Luigi's Mansion
Nana
The Scarf Knitting Granny
Gold frame artwork of Nana.
3
Required Nana's Room Nana is found knitting in her rocking chair. Luigi needs to knock over her basket of three yarn balls, and hit her with each while avoiding her movement and eye lasers. Once hit with all three, her heart is exposed. Age 76
"She's still knitting the scarf she never finished in life. It now stretches to 871 feet."
"Hey, it's a funny man. Should I play with him?"
A screenshot of Slim Bankshot.
Slim Bankshot
The Lonely Poolshark
Gold frame artwork of Slim Bankshot.
17
Optional Billiards Room Slim is found pacing the pool table and occasionally playing 3-ball pool, causing the balls to bounce around the room through the air. After he is hit with three balls, his heart is exposed. Age 29
"Slim's a legend in the world of competitive pool. Too bad he's never played a living soul."
"You want some of this?"
Luigi's Mansion
Henry and Orville
The Twin Brothers
Gold frame artwork of Henry and Orville.
14
Required The Twins' Room The twins appear when Luigi spins their helicopter mobile, and they then challenge him to a game of hide-and-seek. Once both are found, they attack him while riding a toy car and plane. When a vehicle is sucked up, that twin's heart is exposed. Age 5
"The twins like to play hide and seek, but since they both hide, the game never seems to end."
"SMASH!"
"Guh-waaaa!"
Luigi's Mansion
Madame Clairvoya
The Freaky Fortune Teller
Gold frame artwork of Madame Clairvoya.
7
Required Fortune-teller's Room Madame Clairvoya is found in front of her crystal ball when the flashlight is shined on it long enough. She provides clues based on the five of Mario's items Luigi finds throughout the mansion, after which she exposes her heart willingly. Age ??
"Her close connection to the spirit world lets her see nearly 49 days into the future."
"Destiny chooses our paths..."
Luigi's Mansion
Boolossus
Jumbo Ghost
Gold frame artwork of Boolossus.
22
Area boss Balcony (3F) The third boss, Boolossus combines from 15 Mini Boos after taking Luigi to its arena. As a Boo, it lacks a heart entirely, and also lacks HP. It bounces around after him and must be moved against a unicorn statue to temporarily pop it back into the smaller Boos. These Boos must be frozen and sucked up. They get more wary and erratic the fewer of them remain, while the combined form gets smaller, faster, and slipperier. Age ??
"When the shy, timid Boos get together, their body and their attitude get BIG!"
N/A

Area Four[edit]

Ghost Gold frame Necessity Location Description Biography and heart quote
Luigi's Mansion
Uncle Grimmly
Hermit of the Darkness
Gold frame artwork of Uncle Grimmly.
20
Required Wardrobe Room☽︎ Uncle Grimmly is found in front of a mirror during the blackout. Occasionally, he tries to be spooky by sticking his arms out and moaning, exposing his heart. Age 45
"Adrift in the darkness, he tends to keep to himself, which suits the rest of the family just fine."
"Nobody will find me because I'm old, cranky and, by gum, people are afraid of me!"
Luigi's Mansion
Clockwork Soldiers
The Toy Platoon
Gold frame artwork of Clockwork Soldiers.
15
Required Clockwork Room The Clockwork Soldiers stand at attention until all the cuckoo clocks in the room are activated, at which point they march after Luigi to attack with their popguns. The Poltergust much be used to unwind their keys to the point they fall out, exposing their individual hearts. Age ??
"They once belonged to a tightly-wound toy collector, but now they march on their own without any winding."
"Heyyyyy, stooooppp lookkkinnnggg at meeee!"
"Squeak squeak"
"The valve... The valve..."
Sue Pea in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Sue Pea
The Dozing Girl
Gold frame artwork of Sue Pea.
9
Optional Guest Room Sue Pea is found sleeping in her upside-down bedroom. Water must be sprayed on her three times to wake her and expose her heart, though this also angers her into launching her dolls at him. Age 7
"What was meant to be a short nap seems to have turned into eternal rest for sweet Sue Pea."
"I won't wet the bed... I promise."
Jarvis in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Jarvis
The Jar Collector
Gold frame artwork of Jarvis.
12
Optional Ceramics Studio Jarvis is found in a pot and challenges Luigi to a Whac-A-Mole-style game involving freezing him when he pops out of his different jars. Afterwards, he gets mad and launches his jars while he continues popping out of the remainder, heart now exposed. Age ??
"He loves his antique jars so much that he now lives in one. He can hardly contain himself!"
N/A
Sir Weston in the game Luigi's Mansion.
Sir Weston
The Chilly Climber
Gold frame artwork of Sir Weston.
18
Required Cold Storage Sir Weston is found frozen in a block of ice, summoning icicles to drop. By lighting a bonfire on both sides, Weston is awakened and sends trails of icy spikes along the floor at Luigi. Continuing to flame the ice block eventually shatters it, exposing Weston's heart. Age 30
"This strange fellow's icy abode may be the reason he hasn't warmed up to being a ghost."
"Darn, I love the cold, I mean, I just plain love it!"
Vincent Van Gore
Vincent Van Gore
The Starving Artist
Gold frame artwork of Vincent Van Gore.
21
Required The Artist's Studio Vincent Van Gore is found painting, and sends several waves of normal ghosts he painted at Luigi. Once all of his ghost paintings are gone, his heart is exposed. Age 59
"Despite failing to sell a single painting in 30 years, this stubborn man refuses to let his art die."
"Now does he grasp zee power of my creations?"
Luigi's Mansion
King Boo
Gold frame artwork of King Boo. Final boss Secret Altar The fourth and final boss, King Boo is found watching Mario's painting and takes Luigi to an infernal recreation of the mansion's roof. He battles him in a giant costume of Bowser capable of charging around, throwing spiked bombs, inhaling, and breathing fire. One of the spiked bombs must be grabbed and launched into his face during his next breath attack. This temporarily knocks off the head and sends King Boo panicking out of it, while the head continues to spit ice at Luigi. As a Boo, King Boo lacks a heart and as such cannot be properly latched onto while sucking, but he also cannot pull Luigi. With 500 HP, King Boo has the most health of any individual ghost in the game. N/A

Obstacles[edit]

Various haunted objects also impede Luigi throughout the game.

Obstacle Description Locations
Armor Certain suits of armor have maces held high, which they swing forward when interacted with. If Luigi is in front, he will be damaged. Armory
Banana Peel Litter the floor and cause Luigi to slip if not sucked up. They are usually dropped by Garbage Can Ghosts. Dining Room
Bomb Bombs are found in furniture near Boos or dropped by Purple Bombers. They create a huge explosion. Various
Book A book is repeatedly launched at Luigi from a bookshelf by Neville until it or Neville is sucked up. Study
Chandelier The foyer's chandelier will drop on Luigi should he stand under it before completing Area 1. Foyer
Doll Clown-like dolls are launched at Luigi by Sue Pea after he wakes her up. They respawn until they or her are sucked up. Guest Room
Fake door Doors with no entrances behind them, they flatten Luigi if he tries to walk through them. They can be burned away. Hallway 1, Hallway 2, Hallway 3, Hallway 4, Laundry Room
Flame wall Large walls of fire block certain doorways until extinguished with water. Hallway 3, Kitchen
Icicle Icicles grow from the ceiling, dropping when Luigi moves under them. Cold Storage
Jar Jarvis's collection of pots, which he launches at Luigi during their battle. They respawn until they or Jarvis are sucked up. Ceramics Studio
Music sheet Melody Pianissima's music sheets she uses in her battle. Sucking them all up renders her vulnerable. Conservatory
Pan/pot An assortment of pots and pans launch themselves at Luigi until they are all sucked up or all the ghosts in the room are defeated. Kitchen
Refrigerator The refrigerator's heavy door slams into Luigi and damages him if he opens it from the front. Kitchen
Plate Various plates launch themselves at Luigi until they are all sucked up or all the ghosts in the room are defeated. Tea Room
Shed The door to the shed a Toad hides in will damage Luigi if he opens it from the front. Courtyard
Teddy bear Three stuffed bears launched by Chauncey at Luigi until they are sucked up or Chauncey is hit with a ball. Nursery

Items[edit]

Money[edit]

Normal Mansion Total score: 142,390,000 G

Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score
Gold Coin Gold Coin 5,000 G 1536 7,680,000 G Bill Bill 20,000 G 1260 25,200,000 G Gold Bar Gold Bar 100,000 G 61 6,100,000 G
Blue Jewel Blue Sapphire 500,000 G 10 5,000,000 G Green Jewel Green Emerald 800,000 G 10 8,000,000 G Red Jewel Red Ruby 1,000,000 G 10 10,000,000 G
Blue Diamond Blue Diamond 2,000,000 G 5 10,000,000 G Red Diamond Red Diamond 5,000 G 2 10,000 G Gold Diamond Gold Diamond 20,000,000 G 2 40,000,000 G
Small Pearl Small Pearl 50,000 G 76 3,800,000 G Medium Pearl Medium Pearl 100,000 G 76 7,600,000 G Big Pearl Big Pearl 1,000,000 G 19 19,000,000 G

PAL Hidden Mansion Total score: 186,440,000 G

Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score Image Name Score Maximum Count Maximum Score
Gold Coin Gold Coin 5,000 G 1686 8,430,000 G Bill Bill 20,000 G 1425 28,500,000 G Gold Bar Gold Bar 100,000 G 76 7,600,000 G
Blue Jewel Blue Sapphire 500,000 G 5 2,500,000 G Green Jewel Green Emerald 800,000 G 5 4,000,000 G Red Jewel Red Ruby 1,000,000 G 5 5,000,000 G
Blue Diamond Blue Diamond 2,000,000 G 30 60,000,000 G Red Diamond Red Diamond 5,000 G 2 10,000 G Gold Diamond Gold Diamond 20,000,000 G 2 40,000,000 G
Small Pearl Small Pearl 50,000 G 76 3,800,000 G Medium Pearl Medium Pearl 100,000 G 76 7,600,000 G Big Pearl Big Pearl 1,000,000 G 19 19,000,000 G

Luigi's NEW Mansion[edit]

All of the money, with a perfect score in the NTSC version.
Main article: Luigi's NEW Mansion

All of the money and treasure Luigi collects is used to build Luigi's NEW Mansion in place of the old one. The size and general quality of the mansion depends on exactly how much he collects, with the lower ranks featuring smaller mansions and the upper ranks featuring larger mansions. A painting of the mansion Luigi receives then appears at the front of the Gallery, with Luigi's total money on the bottom-left corner. The message reads "Welcome to Luigi's NEW Mansion!" unless Luigi achieves Rank A or H. The requirement to achieve Rank A was increased significantly during localization for PAL regions.

  • Rank A: Finish the game at or above 100,000,000G (NTSC) or 150,000,000G (PAL). + Message: Congratulations! Your mansion is complete!
  • Rank B: Finish the game with 70,000,000 to 99,999,999G (NTSC) or 70,000,000 to 149,999,999G (PAL).
  • Rank C: Finish the game with 60,000,000 to 69,999,999G.
  • Rank D: Finish the game with 50,000,000 to 59,999,999G.
  • Rank E: Finish the game with 40,000,000 to 49,999,999G.
  • Rank F: Finish the game with 20,000,000 to 39,999,999G.
  • Rank G: Finish the game with 5,000,000 to 19,999,999G.
  • Rank H: Finish the game with 5,000 to 4,999,999G. + Message: The haunted mansion disappeared without a trace...
  • The Rank A Mansion appears at the side of Luigi Circuit in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! However, Rank D is shown in the opening of the sequel, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.

Mario's items[edit]

Luigi may find several items that Mario has dropped in the mansion. Once he has received one, he can show it to Madame Clairvoya for information of Mario's whereabouts.

Item Location Text
Mario's Hat in Luigi's Mansion.
Mario's Hat
Laundry Room You found Mario's Hat! And it's been laundered recently!
Mario's Letter
Mario's Letter
Courtyard You found Mario's Letter! I wonder what it says...
Mario's Shoe
Mario's Shoe
The Twins' Room You found Mario's Shoe! It smells...like Mario's feet.
Mario's Glove
Mario's Glove
Projection Room You found Mario's Glove! Eew... It's a little sweaty.
Mario's Star LM.png
Mario's Star
Observatory You found Mario's Star! My, what a glittering beauty!

Miscellaneous items[edit]

Professor E. Gadd's Gallery[edit]

Professor E. Gadd had trapped the portrait ghosts into paintings during his past ghost adventures and put them for display in his personal gallery - until King Boo released each of them. As Luigi recaptures gallery ghosts, they will be framed in three colors: bronze, silver, or gold. The frame color of non-boss ghosts depends on how much HP Luigi sucks in one go, which produce pearls:

  • Bronze. Only small pearls, which Luigi earns one of for every 10 HP sucked in one go. The portraits show the ghosts in poor quality.
  • Silver. At least one medium pearl, which the ghost gives up for every 50 HP sucked and every 10 after. So for 60, 70 and 80 HP in one go, Luigi earns another medium pearl. The portraits show the ghosts in better quality.
  • Gold. The only big pearl possible is given up if Luigi can suck 90 HP in one go. The portraits of the ghosts are often just what they looked like when Luigi captured them.

If Luigi sucks all 100 HP at once, no extra pearl is awarded. The maximum amount of money to be gained per portrait ghost is 1,600,000G: 4 small pearls, 4 medium pearls and 1 big pearl. Boss gallery ghosts' (Chauncey, Bogmire, Boolossus, and King Boo) frames and quality are determined by how high Luigi's health is after capturing the ghost.

  • Bronze. If Luigi fails to keep his health above 60 HP, he will get this painting.
  • Silver. To get this portrait, Luigi's health must be kept above 60 HP at the end of the battle.
  • Gold. To obtain this high-quality painting, his health must not have declined below 90 HP at the end of the battle.

Hidden Mansion[edit]

Once the player beats the game for the first time, the quest can be restarted in the normal mansion or the "Hidden Mansion". In the Japanese and North American versions of Luigi's Mansion, the Hidden Mansion differs from the normal mansion in only two ways, and is treated simply as an alternative to the main campaign:

  • Luigi takes twice as much damage when hurt.
  • The Poltergust 3000 is 1.5× stronger. In addition to improving its reliability in regard to capturing ghosts, this helps improve Luigi's chance of earning larger pearls, and thus acquire nicer frames for the portrait ghosts.

Additional changes were made to the Hidden Mansion featured in the European and Australian versions of Luigi's Mansion, making it more of a standard hard mode with better rewards. They are listed as follows:

  • The PAL Hidden Mansion is mirrored from left to right when compared to the Normal Mansion. The NTSC version keeps the layout the same.
  • There are more normal ghosts around the mansion; for example, in The Artist's Studio, Luigi must fight five of each ghost instead of three. More powerful ghosts are also encountered earlier than in the Normal Mansion; for example, in the Normal Mansion, Blue Twirlers are unique to Area 4 and the blackout, while in the PAL Hidden Mansion, they appear as early as the first room of Area 1.
  • Bosses are more difficult, such as having different attacks. Chauncey's rocking horses, for example, are much bigger and swerve left to right, instead of going straight, while his beach balls spawn from the near side of the bed instead of the far side. Bogmire's attacks remain mostly the same, but he and his clones move and attack much faster. Another example is the Boolossus battle, in which the player rides around on the Poltergust 3000's wheels while trying to pop Boolossus, which makes movement more slippery.
  • Boos are usually more agile and difficult to catch. Most of them have more HP, although some have the same, and some have less. The ones with less HP are often much faster and can leave a room in seconds, or cross a room within a second to round Luigi and attack him from behind, especially in Area 4.
  • Fewer hearts are available. Locations that have hearts in the Normal Mansion do not have them. Hearts that heal 50 HP exist in the Courtyard by vacuuming the Slim Bankshot-like statue, and rarely in the Foyer when checking the drawer.
  • Speedy Spirits and Gold Mice always drop a Blue Diamond when caught, raising the maximum possible amount of money from 142,390,000G to 186,440,000G.[1] Because the amount of money required for an A rank was increased to 150,000,000G (instead of 100,000,000G in the NTSC version), this means the Hidden Mansion is necessary to play through in order to get an A rank.
  • Instead of 40 Boos, 45 are required to fight the final boss.

Quotes[edit]

Main article: List of Luigi's Mansion quotes

Luigi[edit]

  • "Hello?"
  • "MARIO!/MARIOOO?/Mario?/M-M-M-M-Mario?"
  • "Way to go, genius. Got the hang of that thing yet?"
  • "Exquisite..."

Mario[edit]

  • "Get me outta here!"
  • "'Ey, Luigi, what's the hold-up?"

Professor E. Gadd[edit]

  • "I'm getting too old for this ghost-catching tomfoolery."
  • "I swear, this house seems to have more and more ghosts every day!"
  • "Alright, youngster! Look lively! Follow me, posthaste!"

King Boo[edit]

  • "I don't plan to give up my favorite decoration. I like Mario where he is."
  • "This Mario painting looks lonely... I must have a Luigi painting as well! Then my gallery will truly be complete! Bleah HA HA!"
  • "I am not afraid of you, fool! I fear only that infernal Poltergust 3000 you carry on your back! Stupid machine!"

Development[edit]

The idea for Luigi's Mansion was first centered around exploration many different rooms, similar to The Legend of Zelda's dungeons. Mario was initially chosen as the protagonist. The team wanted the location to be a huge house from the start, and it began as a "Japanese-style Ninja house." After some playtests, the setting was retooled to resemble a dollhouse, as the player would always be looking through one of the walls to see the rest of the room. As the lighting scheme was developed, the team focused on darkness and shadows, which turned the dollhouse into an "American-style haunted mansion." With the change in setting and the new emphasis on ghosts, Luigi was chosen to be the new protagonist, as the team wanted a cowardly character and Mario was more known for being brave. The portrait ghosts were created in order to distinguish them from the rest of the Super Mario franchise' ghosts, namely Boos. The team also considered using no characters at all from the rest of the Super Mario franchise besides Luigi and Mario to establish the game as not just "another chapter in the Mario series," though they eventually resolved to use the series' characters sparingly.[2]

As development for Luigi's Mansion took place alongside the Nintendo GameCube's development, the team was able to make recommendations for increasing the console's capabilities. Among those requests was dynamic lighting, something that team chiefly wanted, which was eventually added to the graphics chip. Working with the Nintendo GameCube instead of the Nintendo 64 saved a lot of time that might have otherwise been spent overcoming the latter console's technical hurdles. The game had also started development before the Nintendo GameCube's console was designed, though the team wanted to use two analog sticks from the start and base the controls largely around the sticks, generally simplifying the controls. Once the controller was finalized and put into use, many of the game's testers commented on how the C Stick was uncomfortable to use for a long time, causing a redesign that made it wider and more comfortable for thumbs.[2]

The game's elements, fire, water, and ice, came as a result of the team wanting to "display fire water, and atmospheric effects realistically." Early on, dust clouds used a fixed animation every time the dust was interacted with and the team wanted to make it more interesting through dynamic interactions. One programmer worked on the dust for six months. Another effect that the team handled was the "stretch" effects produced by the ghosts when being vacuumed and a lot of work was spent making sure it functioned properly. Motion capture was used in the game's intro (notably while Luigi is walking in a "very cowardly way") and ending.[2]

A lot of time was spent discussing how difficult the team wanted the game to be. This led to work on a control scheme that only used a single analog stick, which was eventually scrapped, though it led to the "Standard" control scheme being added with the "Sidestep" control scheme. This also led to keys automatically showing which door they opened on the map and the team felt that players would be frustrated otherwise. Eventually, the team concluded that they wanted the difficulty to be well-balanced, which was important for a launch title. In a similar vein to Yoshi's Story, they wanted the game to only need a few hours to beat, but also make the player feel motivated to replay it again. This philosophy led to an emphasis on puzzle elements and not item collection and the ability to ignore certain elements of the game.[2]

The game's schedule was tight; there were several arguments between the designers and the programmers over which features might not be implemented, but by the end of development, more ideas were being added and not many features were removed. The ability to turn off the flashlight was among those late features, after a suggestion by Shigeru Miyamoto to let the players do more with the other buttons. Miyamoto also suggested that Luigi immediately tap the wall when pressing A Button instead of going through a long animation. Luigi's whistling and humming, as well as his ability to call for Mario, were all added late into the game's cycle as well. The humming came about after the team decided that background music would be uninteresting and Luigi's call came about after a staff member suggested it to reinforce Luigi's goal of finding Mario. The team intended for their end result to not be scary for the players; the team wanted to create something innovative that functioned well just from a technical standpoint. They spent time creating a unique style to the game and not worrying about how it matched up to other games, as their game is "different, unique."[2]

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Luigi's Mansion staff

The original game's producers were Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and the director of the game was Hideki Konno. The music was composed by Kazumi Totaka and Shinobu Tanaka. This was the last original entry in the Super Mario franchise to be produced under Hiroshi Yamauchi's administration as president of Nintendo.

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Luigi's Mansion pre-release and unused content

Concepts for Luigi's Mansion, such as character designs, were being planned during the Nintendo 64's lifetime. Many rooms had different names in one or more early builds; for example, the Foyer was originally called the "Entrance". The Poltergust 3000 used to have a pressure meter and, if it overheated, the Poltergust 3000 would ignite and injure Luigi.[3] The Poltergust's shape is also more rectangular in one or more early versions.

Glitches[edit]

Main article: List of Luigi's Mansion glitches

Shadow Bogmire Glitch[edit]

This glitch occurs when Luigi faces a wall just as a Shadow Bogmire is about to sucked in. The Shadow Bogmire becomes stuck on the nozzle of the Poltergust 3000. The outline of the ball that was supposed to be the Shadow Bogmire becomes stuck on the wall Luigi was facing. To end this glitch, the player must have Luigi take damage, hit a wall, or release R Button.

Reception[edit]

The game has received mostly positive reviews. GameSpot gave the game a 7.9/10, saying that it featured creative and refreshing ideas, but it strays too far from the Super Mario franchise.[4] IGN also gave it a positive review, giving it a 7/10, praising its graphics, sounds, and gameplay, but heavily panning the lack of any replay value.[5] Nintendo Life gave it an 8/10, claiming it's a well-crafted game, but criticized how short the length of the game was.[6] The game was mainly praised for its clever features and for giving Luigi a starring role. However, it was criticized for its short length.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo GameCube Matt Casamassina,
IGN
7/10 Luigi's Mansion is fun while it lasts, it really is. The control is top notch, the puzzle solving elements mildly enjoyable, and the house a big, unexplored thing overflowing with spirits. The technology powering the game is phenomenal, you won't find better lighting and shadow effects, not to mention cloth physics, in any other game for a good while to come...The problem is that the game doesn't really offer much in the vein of variety. Exploring room after room and hallway after hallway only to suck up ghost after ghost becomes redundant. And the adventure ends abruptly five or six hours after it's started...This may be Nintendo's internal flagship launch title, but it's certainly not the GameCube equivalent of Mario 64, as many of us were hoping for.
Nintendo GameCube Shane Satterfield,
GameSpot
7.9/10 Luigi's first solo excursion has flashes of brilliance and is fun while it lasts, but the short amount of time it takes to complete it makes it a hard recommendation. There is some incentive to play through the game a second time, but even that can be done within an average rental period. If you're a serious video game collector or just want a game that will adequately show off your new console, Luigi's Mansion is worth picking up. But for everyone else, a trip to the local rental shop should suffice.
Nintendo GameCube Tom "Mugwum" Bramwell,
Eurogamer
7/10 Luigi’s Mansion is a delightful little game, instantly appealing to anybody with more than a passing interest in its heritage, but it isn’t the GameCube equivalent of those platform classics I name-checked at the start of the review. A competent, atmospheric adventure and truly a new direction for the characters, but at this length it simply isn’t worth the £35, let alone the cost of the console. If Miyamoto’s vision of shorter games more often is to become reality, then the pricing structure will need serious adjustment.
Nintendo GameCube Jacob Crites,
Nintendo Life
8/10 What Luigi's Mansion lacks in content and longevity, it makes up for with a remarkably well-crafted and unique single campaign that will keep you consistently entertained from front to back. It's not quite on the same level as Mario's better outings, but the game is so entirely different from anything Mario has ever starred in that it feels almost unjust to compare them; and, really, it's this complete departure from the Mario formula that makes the game so successful in the first place. The gameplay design is so uncommon that it's pretty difficult to slap a genre label on it, but suffice to say that if you consider yourself a gamer, you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot.
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 78
GameRankings 79.16%

Awards[edit]

Luigi's Mansion won the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for audio in 2002.[7]

Sales[edit]

Luigi's Mansion is the 5th best selling game for the Nintendo GameCube, having sold approximately 3.33 million copies, including 2.19 million in the US, 348,000 copies in Japan and 100,000 units in the UK, as of 2020.[8][9][10]

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Luigi's Mansion.

Media[edit]

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Luigi's Mansion media.
Audio.svg Menu
File infoMedia:LM Menu.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Main Theme
File infoMedia:the mansion.oga
0:30
Audio.svg The Lab
File infoMedia:LM The Lab.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Mansion (Light Room)
File infoMedia:LM Whistle.oga
0:30
Audio.svg Game Boy Horror's Ringtone
File infoMedia:LM Game Boy Horror Ringtone.oga
0:30
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Adaptations[edit]

Luigi with the Poltergust 3000 (or a lookalike). Page 146, volume 26 of Super Mario-kun.
Volume 26 of Super Mario-kun

Luigi's Mansion appears in volume 26 and volume 29 of Super Mario-kun. In volume 26, which usually follows the story of Paper Mario, the Luigi's Mansion section is condensed into one chapter. The story begins similarly to the game: Luigi wins a mansion. He tries calling Mario's name, but Mario is absent. Luigi then treks to the mansion by himself. After a walk through the forest at night, Luigi is horrified to see his mansion. There, he meets a harmless Boo (案内役 テレサ) that leads him into the mansion. Inside the mansion, he and the Boo find a vacuum, so he tests it on the Boo, much to the Boo's anger. Luigi proceeds to vacuum the ghosts and he even encounters a Ghost Guy, which he doodles on its face.

Luigi then finds Mario trapped in a painting. Luigi is then ambushed by Bowser. Luigi attempts to run behind Bowser, but Bowser twists his head and burns Luigi. While Bowser throws a spike ball, Luigi uses his vacuum to deflect it at him, knocking off the head. King Boo flies out and Luigi proceeds to suck in King Boo, breaking the spell and freeing Mario. The Bowser head, still flying, lands on Luigi's head and Mario, mistaking him for Bowser, fights him. Once Mario realizes his mistake, he immediately regrets what he's done and the Boo watches them. Despite the chapters being seemingly disjointed, Luigi later joins Mario during a fight with Huff N. Puff and uses a new Poltergust to vacuum the Tuff Puffs.

Not much is known in the segment in volume 29, but Toad travels along with Luigi.

Charlie Day, the voice of Luigi in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, has publicly expressed interest in doing a Luigi's Mansion film if the Super Mario film is successful enough to spawn future installments, though nothing has been confirmed.[11]

References to other games[edit]

Luigi's Game Boy Horror sprite

References in later media[edit]

  • Super Smash Bros. Melee: A Luigi's Mansion trophy appears in this game, which depicts Luigi using the Poltergust 3000.
  • Super Mario Sunshine: One of the game's bosses is named King Boo in the English version, though the character is otherwise unrelated to the antagonist from Luigi's Mansion. Professor E. Gadd is said to have invented F.L.U.D.D. and Bowser Jr.'s magic brush and is mentioned by Bowser Jr. as "a strange old man in a white coat". A Pianta cleaning the ducts of Hotel Delfino in the episode 'Mysterious Hotel Delfino' at Sirena Beach wishes that someone would suck up the ghosts in the hotel with a vacuum, as a reference to the Poltergust 3000.
  • Mario Party 4: The Gaddlight is an item in the game used to repel Boos and keep them from stealing coins or stars.
  • Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Luigi's Mansion appears as an unlockable battle stage in this game. Several of the portrait ghosts appear in the main area, including King Boo's gold frame. Luigi's Rank A Mansion appears in the background of Luigi Circuit.
  • Wario World: The ending conditions to restoring Wario's Castle are similar to those of the endings in this game.
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga: Professor E. Gadd makes a cameo appearance and Luigi occasionally takes out the Poltergust 3000. A few of the ghosts appear in the Starbeans Café and are vacuumed by E. Gadd, while the Luigi's Mansion theme plays.
  • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: A crow in Twilight Town says he will set up an estate pay site named Luigi's Mansion, and his crow friend says that "he's heard that name somewhere before".
  • Mario Power Tennis: Luigi's Mansion is also a playable tennis court that has the ghosts rising from their graves trying to distract the players. Luigi uses the Poltergust 3000 for his defense shot.
  • Super Mario 64 DS: King Boo appears as a boss in this game, capturing Luigi after vowing to catch him in Luigi's Mansion. After he was defeated by Mario, Luigi can be unlocked, which is the opposite of what happened in Luigi's Mansion. There is a minigame in the Rec Room based on Luigi's Mansion called Hide and Boo Seek, where Luigi has to find a certain amount of Boos in the darkness by scribbling out the black to reveal them. Some of Luigi's voice clips were reused in this game.
  • Mario Kart DS: Luigi's Mansion appears as a race course in this game. The Poltergust 4000 (based on the Poltergust 3000) was Luigi's first character-specific kart.
  • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: Professor E. Gadd appears again and has a more major role than in the previous Mario & Luigi game. When the Mario Bros. travel into the past, they meet the younger E. Gadd whose lab is destroyed by a volcanic eruption and he says he will set up a new lab in Boo Woods, foreshadowing Luigi's Mansion. In most scenes with Professor E. Gadd, an arrangement of the Luigi's Mansion theme can be heard.
  • Mario Hoops 3-on-3: Luigi's Mansion appears as a basketball court, where the ghosts from Luigi's Mansion fly around trying to grab the basketball.
  • Super Paper Mario: The main foyer of the mansion appears to be the location of the Mansion Patrol arcade game.
  • Mario Party 8: The ghosts from Luigi's Mansion re-appear in the minigame (which may be somewhat based on Luigi's Mansion) Specter Inspector.
  • Super Mario Galaxy: Luigi appears in the Ghostly Galaxy after being kidnapped by the ghost Bouldergeist and Mario must save his brother. This is the exact opposite of what happens in Luigi's Mansion.
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Luigi's Mansion appears as an unlockable stage and trophy in this game. An arrangement of the Luigi's Mansion main theme is one of the selectable music themes for this stage. In the "King Dedede steals Peach" and "King Dedede steals Zelda" cutscenes of the Subspace Emissary (where Luigi is introduced), a different arrangement of the Luigi's Mansion theme plays.[12]
  • Mario Super Sluggers: Luigi's Mansion is a playable baseball park.
  • Mario Sports Mix: Luigi's Mansion makes an appearance as a basketball court and a volleyball court. He also uses his Poltergust 3000 whenever he uses his special shots.
  • Mario Kart 7: Luigi's Mansion from Mario Kart DS returns as a retro stage.
  • Mario Party 9: In Boo's Horror Castle, there are painting references of Garbage Can Ghosts and Vincent Van Gore. Some of the rooms of the mansion are also referenced.
  • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team: One of the messages floating in Luigi's Dream's Deep says "I fight ghosts!", a reference to this game.
  • Mario Kart 8: Luigi's Mansion can be seen in the background of Baby Park.
  • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: Luigi's Mansion remains unchanged as the stage from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • Paper Mario: Color Splash: The owner of Dark Bloo Inn makes a reference to the game by telling Mario that he had tried to call Luigi earlier to take care of the paranormal activity, but he didn't answer.
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Luigi's Mansion from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returns as a retro battle course.
  • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Luigi's weapons are modeled after vacuum cleaners, in reference to the Poltergust 3000. Additionally, several of Luigi's voice clips from this game are reused.
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Luigi's Mansion once again returns as a stage, with the layout unchanged. Simon and Richter Belmont's debut trailer has Luigi traversing Dracula's Castle with his Poltergust and being extremely terrified of his surroundings before being killed by Death, a clear allusion to Luigi's role in the game and to a lesser extent its sequels. Dracula being the final boss of Luigi's Classic Mode is most likely a reference to his role in the franchise as a whole.
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions: In Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser, Captain Boo complains that there are no mansions inside of the Chucklehuck Woods.
  • Luigi's Mansion 3: Aside from it being one of the game's sequels, the ending has the main location's status varying depending on how much G the player collected, similar to Luigi's NEW Mansion in this game.
  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Luigi uses a flashlight and calls Mario's name in a similar fashion to Luigi's Mansion. In the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing voicemail, Luigi mentions (and puts emphasis on) a mansion when listing examples of residences customers may own. On the map shown in the Super Mario Bros. Plumbing commercial, a street in Queens (located where Farmers Boulevard would be in real life) is named "Mansion Street". Notes from the Main Theme are arranged in the track "The Darklands". King Boo (in his Super Mario design) appears at Bowser and Peach's wedding. The mansion in Luigi's Mansion is featured in leaked concept art for the movie, showing it as a location in the Dark Lands.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ルイージマンション
Ruīji Manshon
Luigi Mansion

Chinese (simplified) 路易吉洋馆
Lùyìjí Yángguǎn
Luigi Mansion

Chinese (traditional) 路易吉洋樓
Lùyìjí Yánglóu
Luigi Mansion

French Luigi's Mansion
-
German Luigi's Mansion
-
Italian Luigi's Mansion
-
Spanish Luigi's Mansion
-

Trivia[edit]

  • The box art resembles the cover photo of the 1990 Christmas film Home Alone.
  • A mistake on page 30 of the American and Australian editions of the Luigi's Mansion instruction booklet shows Professor E. Gadd speaking in Japanese.
  • Totaka's theme can be heard by going to the Training Room and waiting at the tutorial screen (the one where Luigi learns how to use the Poltergust 3000) for 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Luigi’s Mansion – PAL: mansion value
  2. ^ a b c d e Sinfield, George. Luigi's Mansion Official Nintendo Player's Guide, pages 88-93. "Developer Interview" with team members Hideki Konno, Tadashi Sugiyama, and Hiroki Sotoike.
  3. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK0tqxyYlXk&t=500
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ Interactive in 2002. BAFTA. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  8. ^ US Platinum Videogame Chart, The Magic Box. Retrieved February 18th, 2023
  9. ^ Japan GameCube Charts, Japan Game Charts. Retrieved February 18th, 2023
  10. ^ ELSPA Sales Awards: Silver Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Retrieved February 18th, 2023
  11. ^ Charlie Day Confirms Interest in Starring in a Luigi's Mansion Movie (Exclusive)
  12. ^ Gamechamp3000 (April 26, 2008). (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) SSE #27z) King Dedede Steals Peach. YouTube. Retrieved December 13, 2014.

External links[edit]