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

Early Ideas
Luigi's Mansion was originally built with the intention of being in 3D. The GameCube was built with 3D components which could be activated by an unreleased add-on (that would have cost more than the console to buy). Another unreleased add-on would have allowed the Game Boy Advance to be used as an external Game Boy Horror in conjunction with the game. This second add-on was released in the form of a cable but is only compatible with games designed with it in mind.

Early Builds
Old issues of Nintendo Power (pictured below) contain details of early elements in screenshots and articles. In (this image), the page makes note of an unused Hunter Portrait Ghost who would have wanted to add Luigi's head to his collection of other heads. This Portrait Ghost would have appeared in the Safari Room and may have been removed due to the fact that his dialogue would have frightened younger children. The guide also stated that to summon Madame Clairvoya, Luigi had to check the crystal ball with the Game Boy Horror instead of his flashlight.

Early Iterations
The game was first revealed at Nintendo Space World 2000 as a Tech Demo designed to show off the graphical capabilities of the Nintendo GameCube.

Luigi's Mansion was later showcased at E3 in 2001, with notable changes to the design of the disc. A newer version of the game, more closely related to the final version, was later revealed at Nintendo Space World 2001.


 * Luigi's Poltergust 3000 was originally called Poltergust 400, and was supposed to have a pressure meter ranging from 1-10. If the meter reached to 10, the vacuum would burst out flames, causing Luigi to fall backwards, and lose some HP. The Poltergust 3000 was slightly bigger, and heavier. The early ghost meter was similar to the elemental meter, but would show how many ghosts have been caught. The life bar was different; the health numbers were outside of the heart, and written as a fraction (100/100), or no fraction in later versions. The Boo meter would be shown as just a number not a fraction. Coins would have a coin meter as well. Originally, the Boo Radar was supposed to show the player where ghosts were, not just Boos within a room. Originally, the Game Boy Horror would have a animated Clock Radar or Border which would spin around the screen from left and right to tell where the both ghost, and Boos were. The Game Boy Horror was originally supposed to be a Game Boy Color. Also, the Game Boy Horror was supposed to show the player what Luigi was seeing without going into first-person view. The Boo Radar's beep was different. The icons on the Game Boy Horror would have cartoonish style as well as the heart icon, and a more realistic design in the final. The Game Boy Horror also had a clock. In a Nintendo Power Magazine, it was stated that Luigi had to save Mario in 24 hours. There are two theories on Luigi's game over screen, one it is believed if the player lost, or got a game over, or didn't save Mario in time, the mansion along with Mario would disappear, or Luigi would be shown looking like he was possessed by ghosts. The clock's function was to show Luigi how much time he had left. In a boss battle Luigi could ride on the Poltergust 3000 and maneuver himself on it to catch Boolossus and his Boo's.


 * The original plot was that Luigi walks in to the Foyer and sees a blue ghost in the mirror that scares the wits out of him. The blue ghost then chases Luigi as Luigi slides down the stairs handrail. Luigi avoids falling chandelier lights while being chased by the blue ghost, and dashes up the stairs to the Parlor room, where there are many blue ghosts surrounding him in circles much like Boolossus Boo's. Later Professor E. Gadd comes in, and saves him from the ghost.


 * The Foyer was originally called "Entrance", and the door to area two with vines was already open, and there was no need for a key, it also had a different texture instead of the normal heart-shape design. The mirror in the Foyer had no cloth covering it, as well as Toad missing. In the first (picture below) it shows the original Parlor which was called "Living Room" at that point. In the room, it had an extra side-chair pulled way out in front of the china table and; the table also had a cloth on it, and the painting on the wall were ghosts, while the final were humans, and the door to Anteroom was boarded up. Finally, one sofa was seen at the left of the room, and two other sofas were seen to the far right, one which was not used in the final game the table to the right had no cloth on it as while. The early Wardrobe Room had a green treasure chest of some sort. In the Study the chair next to where Neville sat, had a table, as well as him having 50 HP, coins instead of orbs, and gave the player a green treasure chest filled with coins. The Master Bedroom was originally called "Bed Room 1", and there was a drawer with a lamp on it between, two beds, and a wardrobe the the far left; sucking up Lydia was slightly different since the window could not be used but she would look at the player instead. Many ghost would also inhabited the room, having the player suck up the ghost first, then Lydia, Lydia had 50 HP and no orbs but instead had coins, and gave the player a treasure chest full of coins after completely sucking her. In the Nursery, Chauncey was missing and the room was instead filled with ghosts; one rabbit was on the shelf to the far right with two teddy bears one in the middle, and the other to the far left, and the room was originally called "Child's Room"; the crib was slightly far from the wall standing a bit in the left-middle of the room, and no picture above where the treasure chest containing the key and some coins for area two would be. The door to the basement was boarded up. The Ball Room was boarded up. The Laundry Room was boarded up. The Dining Room was also accessed through a door after entering the area two door in the Foyer, then moving left though the hallway, this door in the final is a false door, also it featured two boarded up doors, which would have gone to the Billiards Room, and Projection Room, and just one china cabinet in the middle between the two boarded up doors. Many early ghosts were supposed to be in the Dining Room. The Kitchen was also supposed to have many early ghosts, and some kind of Chef Ghost holding an apple or food (pictured below). In the Boneyard orange Punchers and Flying Fish were suppose to be thought possibly replacing the Skeleton Ghosts. In a early build of the game, Spooky doesn't appear to be a ghost, he's more so full of life, and a sever lack of Bogmire area behind the Boneyard. The Bathroom was not supposed to have any ghost other than just Boos, but the washroom next to it had ghosts that were supposed to be caught, and it was originally called "Lavatory". The door to the second floor there were a bunch of boxes sacked up blocking the door. Many doors were boarded with wood much like the Sealed Room, probably because it was a demo, and they hadn't finished most rooms at that point. In the Conservatory both a saxophone, and French horn, were originally on the wall as well as steps, and Luigi could walk up the steps, and shake either saxophone or horn, paintings replace both instruments in the final, it also had a boarded up door across from Bathroom (1F). Lack of pink Flying Fish while entering upon the area three door. Nana's Room had the yarn spinner at the back of the room instead of in the front, and Nana had a severe lack of emotion while being sucked up. The Billiards Room was boarded up. The Fortune-Teller's Room was boarded up. The Telephone Room had gold mice. The Breaker Room was slightly different since there was no switch to flick, and a completely different layout, the Breaker Room also had pink Flying Fish. The Sitting Room had no cloth on the table. The Safari Room didn't have tiger mats, but tables that, had tiger mats on them. Ceiling Surprises, Purple Bombers, and Bowling Ghost do not appear in most hallways, as normal ghost inhabit the hallways instead. Finally the original Mansion had 3 top windows, no chimneys, and no grave stones, and a broken horse drawn carriage outside the gates of the mansion. E. Gadd's Lab and other things are not outside of the mansion.


 * Originally a Purple Basher ghost much like an orange ghost would appear; the ghost would scream behind Luigi causing him to lose 50 HP especially when the player was in a hallway. Orange ghosts were originally supposed to be white/light pink (similar to the Grabber Ghost's color) and had smaller eyes, fangs, a row of teeth, and different shaped heads. Purple Punchers were also a lot different; they had fangs, were lanky, were orange in color, had smaller eyes, and had a big nose. Flashes were supposed to be silvery ice in color and were much like Purple Puncher ghosts. Blue Twirlers were similar to the Purple Puncher having a purple color, fangs, teeth, and small eyes around a big nose. Blue ghosts playing a game of cards were also seen in the Parlor Oddly enough, a variation of this image appears in the final on E. Gadd's machine. There were many more early ghosts. All main ghosts had 50 HP and lack of many HP orbs. Multiple small Boos were seen in several rooms at the E3 presentation. They came out of the walls and could be in dark or light. They had no tongues, more fangs, and they bounced, and floated, and could be sucked in using the vacuum easier. Because of this there were probably more Boos than the current 50. Many Boos had high amounts of HP. King Boo and his minion's designs also changed; he was smaller, had smaller fangs, and had no crown. The regular Boos resembled less thicker versions of their final appearance. Boolossus also changed in that he was slightly smaller, and had no tongue. Many Boos had more or less HP than usual. White mice also were in the game, and bats were white, and gold. There was also lack of mini-ghosts, and some boss ghosts in many rooms.


 * There was an unseen gameplay element, where whenever a Purple Basher ghost popped up behind Luigi, the scene would close up on Luigi, and he would scream, and the word "BAAHHHHH" would show up in a comic style. Luigi would end up crawling backwards on the ground as a result. Also spinning coins could be collected when finishing a room, instead of just regular coins laying completely on the ground, like in the final. Also, the red vases around the mansion were originally blue, although in Super Smash Bros. Brawl a blue vase is seen in the background. The door that Luigi opens to enter in the mansion is different in the final, as well Luigi's hand is shown more. Candles were red originally but the final candles were blue. Also when finishing any room different music would be played much like Christmas music. Luigi would normally hold his flashlight with two hands instead of one, and he would scream very differently than in the final. Finally, light didn't stun ghosts that much, but it could possibly hold them a little longer to suck them up. The game's main menu was slightly different as it said "Skip Intro From The Beginning". Originally the mansion had an RPG-type quality which included real-time changes of rooms and also an underground cave-like basement. There was also a prairie and desert level when it was tentatively using the Mario theme. There would be a three stories mansion along with a basement. Most of these ideas were on the original Nintendo 64 plannings. Luigi's Poltergust 3000 could spray water for unlimited time, with no need for a elemental meter, possibly because the elemental medals hadn't been thought about yet. There were also other cutscenes, such as Luigi looking back and seeing all of the items in the hallway move (in a trailer).


 * If you notice on pg. 38 the area two door looks as if it's being opened, by having the vains removed just recently. According to Nintendo Power in the Luigi's Mansion guide section, many early elements are presented. One of the which is where in a picture of the mirror room the player sees a turquoise grabbing ghost seen in the mirror indicating that were originally supposed to be that color, for unknown reason(s).

Trivia

 * The Japanese version of the game kept Luigi's BETA hurt sound while US and Europe versions didn't.
 * The GBH's timer and first person view is still in the games code and has been found and made into AR codes.