Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, known as Luigi's Mansion 2 in European languages, is a Nintendo 3DS game released in 2013 as a sequel to the 2001 Nintendo GameCube launch title Luigi's Mansion. This is the third game to feature Luigi as the main character with Mario playing a supporting role, the first two being Mario is Missing! and Luigi's Mansion. An arcade version of the game was released in 2015. Another sequel, titled Luigi's Mansion 3, was released worldwide on October 31, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.

The game's plot revolves around Luigi defeating King Boo once again while collecting shards of the Dark Moon to restore peace to the ghosts of Evershade Valley. Unlike its predecessor, much of the gameplay revolves around completing missions in different haunted locations, as opposed to the entirety of the game's exploration taking place in a single mansion. However, capturing ghosts and collecting treasure remain major mechanics in the game.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was the first game to be released as part of the "Year of Luigi," honoring 30 years since Luigi's debut.

Story
Professor E. Gadd has been researching ghosts in Evershade Valley, with some assistance from his friendly Greenies. When King Boo appears and shatters the Dark Moon, breaking it into six pieces and scattering them to each mansion of the valley, the once friendly ghosts become aggressive, forcing E. Gadd to retreat into his Bunker.

Luigi, who is sleeping at home with his television on, wakes up when it suddenly displays static. When he touches the screen, E. Gadd suddenly appears and scares Luigi. He informs Luigi about the situation and asks for his assistance. E. Gadd uses his Pixelator to teleport Luigi through the screen, much to Luigi's objection, into E. Gadd's Bunker in Evershade Valley to search for the scattered pieces of the Dark Moon and solve this problem. Luigi must explore the Gloomy Manor not far from the Bunker, the Haunted Towers found in a forest, the Old Clockworks found within a nearby desert, the Secret Mine found in the snowy mountains, and finally the Treacherous Mansion found above a ravine with the ocean around it.

After Luigi gets four Dark Moon pieces and rescues two Toads in the Treacherous Mansion, the two Toads give E. Gadd a security image as the other Toads did when he rescued them. Once E. Gadd fixes it for a clearer view, it is revealed that Mario is once again kidnapped and trapped in a painting. It also revealed that it was King Boo who captured Mario. Because of this, Luigi heads to rescue him in the Train Exhibit in the Treacherous Mansion. It turns out the image was forged to lead Luigi into a trap, and he is ambushed by Big Boo. Afterwards, Luigi and E. Gadd ponder where King Boo and the actual painting are. Suddenly, the Parascope picks up strange readings at the Treacherous Mansion's terrace. Once Luigi reaches the Terrace, King Boo appears and opens up the paranormal portal and releases all of the undead. He then escapes inside with Mario's painting. E. Gadd tells Luigi to capture all the ghosts before their very dimension collapses. Luigi succeeds at this and promptly enters the paranormal portal, where he reaches the final area of his journey, King Boo's Illusion.

After Luigi obtains the last Dark Moon piece from the Tough Possessor within the illusion, E. Gadd attempts to pixelate him back to the Bunker, but King Boo interferes, sending him back to King Boo's Illusion. There, Luigi sees Mario's painting, but King Boo appears and reveals that he broke the Dark Moon in order to put all the ghosts under his control. King Boo also explains that he believes he is the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and wishes to conquer it with his new army. He plans to put Luigi and his friends in paintings as well and proceeds to battle him.

Luigi succeeds in capturing King Boo, claims the jewel from his crown, and returns to his dimension with Mario's painting. Luigi then meets up with E. Gadd at the Treacherous Mansion's Terrace. Mario is freed by Luigi's Dark-Light Device, and the Toad Assistants appear with the Dark Moon pieces. Luigi and the Toads then rebuild the Dark Moon, and the ghosts in Evershade Valley return to being friendly again. E. Gadd releases them from the Vault, and they start playing with Mario and company. Even the Polterpup who constantly disrupted Luigi throughout the mansions has become amiable, and he walks up to Luigi and whimpers. Luigi says, "Come here, doggie," resulting in the pup befriending Luigi. E. Gadd smiles as Mario gives Luigi a pat on the back, proud of his brother for overcoming his fears. Then, a Greenie comes in and takes a photo of Luigi and his allies. Luigi returns home and hangs the picture on his wall. He then goes to sleep on his couch, and his newly adopted Polterpup comes and naps with him.

It is revealed afterwards, during the credits, that E. Gadd went back to his research on the ghosts of Evershade Valley with Luigi joining him for some time before returning home with the Polterpup. It is shown that Luigi spends a large amount of time with the ghosts now that the Dark Moon is back.

Gameplay
In this game, the Dark Moon has shattered and Luigi needs to find the Dark Moon pieces. There are five mansions in the main game (with a separate sixth mansion being exclusive to multiplayer mode), which house multiple missions in them and share a puzzle-oriented theme. This game also introduces the Poltergust 5000, an upgrade to the 3000 model. Shining light via flashlight is no longer sufficient to stun the ghosts in the game; players now need to activate the Strobulb to stun ghosts. Luigi is also now able to jump while capturing a ghost to dodge incoming projectiles. The flashlight has another feature called the Dark-Light Device, which shines a rainbow colored light to find things such as the path of Boos or invisible objects. Luigi is also given the Dual Scream, which is an original Nintendo DS. It acts the same way as the Game Boy Horror and displays a map on the 3DS's bottom screen. Cash and gems help with the mission score, as well as with upgrades to the Poltergust 5000. There is also an "extra life" system. The Gold Bones found in certain objects serve as extra lives; this causes the Polterpup to take the bone and revive Luigi just by licking his face when Luigi loses all of his HP. Luigi can still yell using the D-pad, as well as hum with the music if standing still for a while. The various Toads that are trapped in paintings each have a different fear which requires more problem solving. There is a Boo in each mission that when captured works towards additional missions.

ScareScraper
Unlike its predecessor, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon includes a multiplayer mode called the ScareScraper (known as Thrill Tower in European and Australian versions), a series of floors where up to four players can play. The ScareScraper can be set to have 5, 10, 25, or infinite rooms. There are also three difficulty settings: normal, hard, and expert (none of which are available on Endless mode due to the progressive difficulty system). The game mode is compatible with both local, download and online multiplayer.

E. Gadd medals
Upon completing Dark Moon Quest, the game's story mode, the player earns an E. Gadd medal on their file above the playtime. If the player earns a 3-star rank on every mission (which requires capturing every Boo to unlock the bonus missions), they are rewarded with another one. Finally, the last E. Gadd medal can be earned by completing the entire Vault: this includes collecting every gem, Boo, Poltergust upgrade, and capturing every normal and boss ghost from Evershade Valley and ScareScraper at least once. Earning all three medals makes the player's file gold and sparkly.

Playable character

 * Luigi

Supporting characters

 * Professor E. Gadd
 * Toad Assistants
 * Mario
 * Polterpup

Antagonist

 * King Boo

Locations
Unlike the first game, where there was only one mansion, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon features different themed mansions that Luigi can explore, thanks to E. Gadd's Pixelator teleport system. The game has six mansions in total (one mansion is exclusive to Multiplayer), each with a theme in a similar fashion to the mainstream Super Mario games, as well as a various number of missions within each mansion.

Other

 * ??? - A dimension where ghosts and spirits live.
 * Bonus challenges - Areas where Luigi has to perform specific tasks in a short time limit, which rewards him with a gem or Gold Bars.
 * King Boo's Illusion - An area that Luigi is sent to when King Boo intercepts the Pixelator. The final battle with King Boo takes place here.
 * ScareScraper (Thrill Tower in PAL versions) - A multiplayer-exclusive mansion.
 * Bunker - E. Gadd's lab outside of Gloomy Manor.
 * Vault

Items and treasures

 * Coins
 * Bills
 * Treasure Chests
 * Keys
 * Gold Bars
 * Hearts
 * Dark Moon pieces
 * Gold Bones
 * Amethysts - Collection of gems from Gloomy Manor.
 * Emeralds - Collection of gems from Haunted Towers.
 * Rubies - Collection of gems from Old Clockworks.
 * Sapphires - Collection of gems from Secret Mine.
 * Diamonds - Collection of gems from Treacherous Mansion.

The Boos

 * Gloomy Manor
 * Boogie Woogie (A-1)
 * BaBoon (A-2)
 * Boo Boo (A-3)
 * Boo (A-4)
 * Ooga Booga (A-5)
 * Haunted Towers
 * Mamboo (B-1)
 * Boolean (B-2)
 * Booluga (B-3)
 * Boo B. Trap (B-4)
 * French Boodle (B-5)
 * Old Clockworks
 * Combooter (C-1)
 * Bootine (C-2)
 * Boodonkulous (C-3)
 * Jamboolaya (C-4)
 * Boony Raboot (C-5)
 * Secret Mine
 * Boofoon (D-1)
 * Booger (D-2)
 * Paraboola (D-3)
 * Treacherous Mansion
 * Booldog (E-1)
 * Boopa Trooppa (E-2)
 * Booreaucrat (E-3)
 * Big Boo (E-4)
 * Maraboo (E-5)

Ghosts

 * Greenie
 * Strong Greenie
 * Paranormal Chain Strong Greenie
 * Gold Greenie
 * Mummy
 * Statue Armour Ghost
 * Slammer
 * Strong Slammer
 * Paranormal Chain Strong Slammer
 * Hider
 * Strong Hider
 * Gobber
 * Strong Gobber
 * Paranormal Chain Strong Gobber
 * Sneaker
 * Strong Sneaker
 * Creeper
 * Spirit Ball
 * Polterpup

Other

 * False door
 * Spider
 * Bat
 * Crow
 * Mouse
 * Beetle
 * Robomb
 * Flytrap
 * Fuzzball
 * Orange flower
 * Frog

Sub-bosses

 * Poltergeist (Gloomy Manor)
 * The Three Sisters (Haunted Towers)
 * Ancient Poltergeist (Old Clockworks)
 * Strong Greenie (100 HP), Strong Slammer (250 HP), and a Strong Gobber (300 HP) with paranormal chains around themselves. (Secret Mine)
 * Strong Poltergeist (Treacherous Mansion)
 * Big Boo (Treacherous Mansion)

Main bosses

 * Grouchy Possessor (Gloomy Manor)
 * Harsh Possessor (Haunted Towers)
 * Overset Possessor (Old Clockworks)
 * Shrewd Possessor (Secret Mine)
 * Tough Possessor (Treacherous Mansion)
 * King Boo (King Boo's Illusion)
 * The Brain (ScareScraper)

Nintendo eShop description

 * NA Version
 * Luigi's Mansion™: Dark Moon is the brand new Luigi's Mansion title on the Nintendo 3DS™ system. This time there are multiple mansions each with unique puzzles and ghosts. Using a vacuum-like machine called the "Poltergust 5000," Luigi™ must explore and hunt ghosts in these mansions to complete specific missions for the great ghost researcher Professor E. Gadd. But shining the flashlight is no longer enough. Luigi must activate the new strobe function at just the right moment to stun the ghosts first, then catch them using the Poltergust 5000. Each mansion is filled with different gimmicks and puzzle elements, and exploring them can be a spooky challenge.


 * EU Version
 * Luigi is back on a mission to remove a bunch of stubborn ghosts from some super-spooky mansions in Luigi's Mansion 2 for Nintendo 3DS. Armed with his trusty "Poltergust" ghost-grabbing vacuum cleaner, Mario's brother takes centre stage to capture those pesky phantoms. Sure, Luigi's the nervous type who'd rather be as far from these ghosts as he can get, but a reluctant hero can still save the day! This hair-raising title is the first sequel to the 2002 Nintendo GameCube launch title, Luigi's Mansion, and brings back all the thrills of the original with bags of new fun features too. The stereoscopic 3D visuals bring the murky mansions, ghastly ghosts and spooky surroundings to life, so you can experience all the haunting chills and supernatural fun the game has to offer.

Quotes

 * "What're ya scared of, sonny? It's only just a few harmless ghosts. Well...a few hundred ghosts. And they’re not exactly harmless." - Professor E. Gadd
 * "Thanks Mar- Luigi! Is that you?" - Toad
 * "Why, if it isn't my old pal Luigi! Or is it Baby Luigi? I can't tell the difference." - King Boo

Toad through the floor
In Old Clockworks' Mission C-5: Piece at Last, after saving Toad from his Painting, if the player heads to the Maintenance Hub, shoots the Toad across the chasm to the floor above (leading to the Service Elevator room) and makes their way to him, the Toad falls through the metal floor. There is no explanation for this glitch.

Luigi's third arm
If Luigi calls with the at the same time he does something else, such as opening a door, he puts his arm down instead of using it normally. However, the animation is otherwise unaffected. For example, when Luigi wipes his hands at the end of a level, he only uses one hand, as the other is resting by his side. This glitch is easiest to see when Luigi gets a call from E. Gadd or picks up a gem. The glitch ends after the mission ends or Luigi is controllable again.

Pre-release and unused content


When the game was first revealed at E3 2011, it was tentatively called Luigi's Mansion 2 before the Dark Moon portion was added to the North American and Korean titles as seen in the following year's E3 event. In the E3 2011 reveal trailer, there is a scene in Gloomy Manor's garage of a Greenie scaring Luigi from within the car. This does not occur in the final game. In addition, it shows Luigi's health in the top-left corner of the top screen while in the final game, Luigi's current HP only shows on the top screen temporarily when he is damaged.

Executive Producer

 * Satoru Iwata

Voice

 * Charles Martinet
 * Kazumi Totaka
 * Sam Kelly

Critical response
The game has received mostly positive reviews. IGN's Keza MacDonald gave the game a 9.3 out of 10, and GameXplain gave the game 4.5 out of 5 stars. However, Gamespot's Carolyn Petit gave the game a 6.5/10, saying that it has "no shortage of charm, but difficulty spikes and a lack of checkpoints weigh heavily on the experience". The game has received a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100, based on 74 reviews.

Sales
As of March 31, 2014, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is the 7th best selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, having sold about 3.98 million copies worldwide.

Promotion
In collaboration with production company, a functioning replica of the Poltergust 5000 was constructed, complete with a functioning light and wheels. It was later featured in a reveal video where a live-action Luigi equips and uses it.

For a limited time, players in Europe could purchase the retail version of the game with a glow-in-the-dark cover, and a Boo stress ball as a pre-order bonus. In North America, the game was bundled with a Cobalt Blue 3DS in the United States and a Cosmo Black 3DS in Canada. On the Club Nintendo website, a figurine featuring Luigi, Polterpup, and a Greenie was available to redeem. The Play Nintendo website features a skill quiz on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. On February 7, 2013, the official Nintendo 3DS Facebook account posted nine sets of Valentine's Day cards themed after the game.

References to other games

 * Mario Bros.: In Luigi's house, there is a trophy over the fireplace which has a plunger and a wrench on it, referencing Luigi's career as a plumber.
 * Super Mario Bros.: When Luigi sees Mario's painting in King Boo's Illusion, the Super Mario Bros. Ground theme is briefly played. Also, the Fright Knight's Ghost Container description states he was a knight looking for a princess, but she was always in another castle, referencing what the Mushroom Retainers say after being saved.
 * Luigi's Mansion: The mansion poster featured in the this game can be seen briefly on the wall during the opening. Luigi's house bears a strong resemblance to the Rank D Mansion during the end of the game. In the first Mansion, Luigi opens the main door and says "...Hello?" in a scared voice. This is a tribute to the first game's opening sequence. The Toads trapped in paintings is very similar to Mario's situation from the game, but Mario himself is again trapped in a portrait. Boos also have names that play on the word "Boo" just like in the first game. Also in the later missions in the Treacherous Mansion, and after finishing the game, Luigi calls out "Mario" when using the + Control Pad instead of calling out "Hello" or "Yoohoo", another reference to Luigi's Mansion. E. Gadd references the Ghost Portrificationizer and King Boo's painting, and in Luigi's Mansion, when he first meets Luigi, he says he "knew [their] paths were destined to cross". When he meets him Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, he says "he knew [their] paths would cross again". King Boo also states that his imprisonment in a painting at the end of the first game was his primary motivation for his actions in Dark Moon. Additionally, several Boos in the Japanese version are renamed after Boos from the original Luigi's Mansion, implying that they are the same characters.
 * Mario Kart DS: By the version of the Poltergust going from the Poltergust 3000 in the original Luigi's Mansion to the Poltergust 5000 in Dark Moon, the Poltergust 4000 kart from this game is acknowledged.
 * Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: The Safe Room is shaped like E. Gadd's head on the outside, much like his lab on Thwomp Volcano. The DS time radar's idea is re-used for the Dual Scream.
 * Mario Strikers Charged: An arrangement of pause menu background music of Mario Strikers Charged is heard in the elevator in Gloomy Manor. Both games were developed by Next Level Games, and share the exact same three composers (Mike Peacock, Darren Radtke, and Chad York).
 * Mario Kart Wii: Many of King Boo's voice clips were taken from this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Scarescraper colors for Luigi are orange, light blue and pink, which resemble three of Luigi's alternate colors.
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns: The spears used by Strong Greenies in the Treacherous Mansion or ScareScraper have masks on them resembling Kalimba.

References in later games

 * New Super Luigi U: Artwork for King Boo and Luigi can be seen in some Ghost Houses as a metallic sign.
 * Mario Kart 8: Parts of the Library Piano music can be heard in the Twisted Mansion course.
 * StreetPass Mii Plaza: A puzzle swap panel appears based on this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS: The Poltergust 5000 appears as Luigi's Final Smash, replacing the Negative Zone from Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There is a trophy of Polterpup in the game as well. Luigi's blue color scheme resembles the blue Luigi color in the ScareScraper mode in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
 * Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: The Gloomy Manor theme appears as a selectable music track on the Luigi's Mansion stage, as well as a Luigi's Mansion series cover version which includes several music tracks from the original installment and this game. The Poltergust 5000 Final Smash reappears in this version of the game. Luigi's blue color scheme resembles the blue Luigi color in the ScareScraper mode in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
 * Mario Party 10: The Luigi amiibo board appears based on this game, having a model of the Gloomy Manor and a sign with a Greenie on it on the board.
 * Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge: The Mini Luigi levels are based on this game, and feature Gloomy Manor in the background (and on the world map).
 * Mario Strikers: Battle League: The Spooky Mansion field has decorations based on Gloomy Manor and the Dark Moon, and the former has its music arranged in the game.

Trivia

 * This is one of the rare Nintendo games that was not released on Friday in Europe. The game was released on Thursday, March 28, 2013, because Friday, March 29, 2013 was . In some European countries, the game was released on March 27, 2013.
 * The first letters of each mansion, possessor, and bonus mission, in the order of the story, make out the word "ghost." If ScareScraper is also included, it spells "ghosts".
 * The trick is left intact in the German and Dutch translation. The first letters make out the words "geist" in German and "spook" in Dutch. In Dutch it only works with the first letters of the possessors and bonus missions, however. In the French translation, the first letter of each bonus mission in order read "Luigi".

Official sites

 * Japanese website
 * American website
 * European website
 * Oceanian website
 * Korean website
 * Chinese (Hong Kong) website

Manuals

 * North American manual (EN)
 * North American manual (FR)

Videos

 * E3 2011 Trailer
 * Luigi's Mansion 2 TGS Trailer
 * Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon Gameplay
 * Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon Overview Trailer
 * Luigi's Mansion 2 Commercial (Japanese)
 * Luigi's Mansion 2 Commercial (European)