Luigi's Mansion 2 : la chasse aux fantômes ressuscitée

Luigi's Mansion 2: Ghost Hunt Resurrected

1441 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

GameLuigi's MansionNintendo 3DS

Five mansions instead of just one, twelve years after the first. Developed by Next Level Games and released in Europe on 28 March 2013 on 3DS, Luigi's Mansion 2 — Dark Moon in North America — rethinks the structure of the series. This guide covers the Poltergust 5000, the mission-based format and the ScareScraper, the saga's first multiplayer mode.

Twelve years after roaming his very first mansion, Luigi pulls his trembling gloves back on in Luigi's Mansion 2 (Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon in North America), released on Nintendo 3DS in March 2013. Vacuum strapped to his back and big brother still missing, the green plumber is back on duty in the misty Evershade Valley.

Developed by Next Level Games, this instalment reinvents the 2001 formula: several mansions instead of just one, an upgraded vacuum and the very first multiplayer mode in the series. A look back at a game resurrected a second time thanks to its HD release on Nintendo Switch in 2024.

Contents

Twelve years of waiting after the first mansion

The very first Luigi's Mansion launched alongside the GameCube in 2001, in a single mansion where Luigi was searching for his missing brother Mario. It took until March 2013 for a true sequel to arrive: it is the series' very first new instalment in twelve years.

The release was staggered by region: 20 March 2013 in Japan, 24 March in North America and 28 March 2013 in Europe. The game is a Nintendo 3DS exclusive, built around the handheld's dual screen and 3D display.

At the helm is the Canadian studio Next Level Games, already known for its craft on Nintendo projects. That same team would later deliver Luigi's Mansion 3, confirming that it had become the official home of the fearful brother.

Five mansions instead of one: a rethought structure

The big revolution of this instalment is its structure split across five distinct mansions, where the original took place in a single residence. Each mansion has its own atmosphere, its puzzles and its boss, constantly refreshing the scenery.

The adventure's starting point: King Boo has shattered the Dark Moon (Lune noire in French), an artefact that soothed the temper of the ghosts of Evershade Valley. Once the Dark Moon is broken into fragments, the once-peaceful spectres turn hostile and scatter across the valley.

The game adopts a mission-based structure rather than one continuous exploration: Luigi heads out, completes an objective, then returns to the laboratory. His quest is to recover the fragments of the Dark Moon mansion after mansion to restore the peace, while flushing out hidden ghosts along the way.

  • Five main mansions, each with its own theme and its own boss.
  • A mission-by-mission flow suited to handheld play.
  • A finale that pits Luigi against King Boo's illusion.
Stylised silhouette of a Luigi's Mansion 2 mansion, in green on a black background
Five distinct mansions replace the single mansion of the first game.

The Poltergust 5000, Luigi's anti-ghost weapon

To vacuum up the spirits, Luigi relies on the Poltergust 5000 (Ectoblast 5000 in French), a new-generation vacuum that succeeds the Poltergust 3000 from the first game. The device is used to make contact with the paranormal: you first dazzle the ghosts, then suck them into the tube.

This invention is the work of Professor E. Gadd (known as K. Tastroff in the French version), the series' eccentric inventor. He is the one who calls Luigi back after the disaster and guides him remotely through a jury-rigged console, acting as the hero's eyes and ears throughout the adventure.

The gameplay rests on this long-distance relationship: the professor sends his instructions, analyses the locations and teleports Luigi from one point to another. The 3DS touch screen and gyroscope are used to aim and handle the vacuum, deepening the immersion in those haunted corridors.

The ScareScraper: the series' first multiplayer mode

A major first for the series: Luigi's Mansion 2 is the first in the series to feature a multiplayer mode. Called the ScareScraper (Tour Hantée in French), it lets you play both locally and online, with up to four players.

The idea: a squad of Luigis in different colours climbs together through the floors of a tower generated for the occasion, in co-op. The mode comes with several objectives, such as capturing every ghost, hunting down a target or reaching the exit before the timer runs out.

This addition turns a game that had been strictly single-player into a shared experience, and greatly extends the title's lifespan beyond its main campaign.

Luigi's Mansion 2 HD: the revival on Switch in 2024

Eleven years after its 3DS release, the game returns under the title Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, available on Nintendo Switch on 27 June 2024. This version modernises the game with high-definition graphics suited to the hybrid console's big screen.

Beyond the visual facelift, this re-release above all revived interest in an instalment long trapped on the 3DS, finally making it accessible to a new generation of players. The multiplayer mode is carried over, still up to four players locally or online.

Between its inventive structure, its zany professor and its cowardly humour, Luigi's Mansion 2 confirms that Mario's timid little brother thoroughly deserves adventures of his own.

👻 Want to keep the hunt going? Explore our world devoted to Luigi and his crew of ghosts.

Luigi's Mansion 2 at a glance

Name (FR / Europe) Luigi's Mansion 2
Name (EN / North America) Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
Name (JP) ルイージマンション2 (Luigi Mansion 2)
Developer Next Level Games
3DS release (Europe) 28 March 2013
Switch HD re-release 27 June 2024
Type Adventure / action, ghost hunting
Multiplayer The ScareScraper, up to 4 players

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FAQ

  • What is the difference between Luigi's Mansion 2 and Dark Moon?
    It is the same game: it is called Luigi's Mansion 2 in Europe and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon in North America. Only the regional title changes; the content is identical.
  • Which consoles can you play Luigi's Mansion 2 on?
    Originally on Nintendo 3DS (2013), then on Nintendo Switch since 27 June 2024 thanks to the Luigi's Mansion 2 HD remaster.
  • How many mansions does the game have?
    Five main mansions, each with its own atmosphere, puzzles and boss, compared with a single mansion in the 2001 GameCube game.
  • Does Luigi's Mansion 2 have a multiplayer mode?
    Yes, it is the first in the series to offer one: the ScareScraper, playable locally and online with up to four players.
  • Who is the professor who helps Luigi in the game?
    Professor E. Gadd, called K. Tastroff in the French version. He calls Luigi back, hands him the Poltergust 5000 and guides him remotely.

The whole saga

Forty years of Mario games put back in order: the main episodes, the spin-offs and the oddities.

🎮 All the Mario video games →
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