Luigi's Mansion 3 : chasse aux fantômes en hôtel maudit

Luigi's Mansion 3: Ghost Hunting in a Haunted Hotel

1410 mots | Temps de lecture : 7 minute(s)

Released on October 31, 2019 for Nintendo Switch (on the same day worldwide), Luigi's Mansion 3 — the title remains the same in English, the original Japanese being ルイージマンション3 — brings Mario's timid brother back into the spotlight. This time, instead of an isolated mansion, it's an entire palace: the Last Resort hotel, seventeen floors of dark corridors where every door hides a ghost, and where Luigi, flashlight and vacuum in hand, sets out to rescue his trapped friends.

Developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo, this third main installment is also the most accomplished in the series. New abilities, a gelatinous teammate, constant humor, and a labyrinthine setting: this is what makes Luigi's Mansion 3 one of the Switch's greatest successes.

Summary

The Return of Luigi, Eighteen Years After the First Mansion

The Luigi's Mansion series was born in 2001 on GameCube, where Luigi inherited a haunted mansion and explored it with a vacuum cleaner. A second installment followed in 2013 on Nintendo 3DS, under the European title Luigi's Mansion 2 (known as Dark Moon in North America). Luigi's Mansion 3 is therefore the third canonical episode of this small saga where the timid younger brother finally steals the spotlight from Mario.

The starting point is classic for the series: Luigi, Mario, Princess Peach, and a few Toads are invited to stay in a luxury hotel. The trip turns into a nightmare on the very first night. The establishment turns out to be a trap, and Luigi finds himself alone, trembling, with the sole mission of finding his companions, who have been turned into paintings. The tone remains faithful to the series: gentle frights, a lot of humor, and a hero as clumsy as he is endearing.

The Last Resort Hotel: Seventeen Trapped Floors

The core of the game is its setting: the Last Resort Hotel. Unlike the mansions of previous episodes, this is a haunted skyscraper that you ascend floor by floor. There are seventeen playable floors, including the two basements and not counting the rooftop terrace.

Each level has its own theme and atmosphere: movie studios, a medieval garden, a nightclub, a museum, an Egyptian pyramid, or even a gourmet restaurant. Each floor has its own ghost boss and puzzles, constantly renewing the exploration.

Behind this trap hide two antagonists. King Boo, Luigi's arch-enemy, has been freed and seeks revenge. He is assisted by Hellen Gravely, the hotel manager and a fervent admirer of King Boo, who orchestrated everything to lure Luigi and his friends into the building.

Gooigi, the Gelatinous Double that Changes Everything

The big new feature of this episode is Gooigi, a greenish, gelatinous copy of Luigi. This viscous clone can slip where Luigi cannot: he passes through grates, slides over spikes, and uses pipes, opening up new puzzle possibilities.

However, Gooigi has its weaknesses. It only has 25 health points (compared to a maximum of 99 for Luigi) and it melts on contact with water, making it an ally that is as useful as it is fragile.

Most importantly, Gooigi makes two-player cooperation possible: one player controls Luigi, the other his gelatinous double, to solve puzzles together. This is one of the game's great strengths, transforming a solo adventure into a shared experience.

The Poltergust G-00: A Vacuum Cleaner Turned Swiss Army Knife

To face the specters, Luigi is equipped with the Poltergust G-00, the new model of his famous ghost vacuum cleaner. The acronym "GL-U" in the French version is a nod to the word "glu" (glue/goo), echoing Gooigi.

Beyond classic vacuuming, the device gains several new functions:

  • The Suction Shot: Luigi projects a suction cup that attaches to objects and enemy shields to pull them away.
  • The Burst: an air blast that lifts him into the air and pushes ghosts away around him.
  • The Slam: once a ghost is vacuumed, Luigi repeatedly slams it to the ground to stun it and injure nearby ghosts.

The vacuum cleaner also retains its historical accessories: the Strobulb, a bright flash that stuns specters, and the Dark-Light Device, which reveals invisible objects and passages. This enhanced arsenal makes combat much more dynamic than in previous installments.

A Generous Multiplayer Mode

Luigi's Mansion 3 is not limited to its main adventure. The game offers several ways to play with others:

  • Co-op Story Mode: the entire campaign can be played by two, with one controlling Luigi and the other Gooigi.
  • Scarescraper: up to eight players collaborate, locally or online, to climb a tower with increasingly difficult floors, against the clock.
  • ScreamPark: a series of competitive mini-games pitting the Luigi team against the Gooigi team, for up to eight players.

This wealth of content significantly extends the game's lifespan beyond the solo ghost hunt.

A Commercial and Critical Hit

Upon its release, Luigi's Mansion 3 was praised for its art direction, humor, and the ingenuity of its floors, often cited as the best installment in the series. Its commercial success was confirmed: the game had sold over 14.25 million copies by March 31, 2024, making it one of the biggest successes in the Nintendo Switch catalog and, by far, the best-selling title in the franchise.

This triumph firmly established Luigi as a hero in his own right, capable of carrying a major adventure game on his own. A great comeback for the eternal second, who long remained in his brother's shadow.

Luigi's Mansion 3 in a nutshell

French Name Luigi's Mansion 3
English Name Luigi's Mansion 3
Japanese Name ルイージマンション3
Release October 31, 2019 (worldwide)
Platform Nintendo Switch
Developer Next Level Games (Nintendo)
Genre Action-adventure / ghost hunting
Sales 14.25 million (March 2024)

🍄 Want to extend the adventure? Discover our Mario toys in the shop.

FAQ

  • What console is Luigi's Mansion 3 on?
    The game was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch on October 31, 2019, simultaneously worldwide.
  • How many floors does the Luigi's Mansion 3 hotel have?
    The Last Resort Hotel has seventeen playable floors, including the two basements and not counting the rooftop terrace. Each has its own theme.
  • Who is Gooigi in Luigi's Mansion 3?
    Gooigi is a gelatinous clone of Luigi. He can pass through grates and spikes, allows for two-player cooperation, but melts on contact with water.
  • Who is the villain in Luigi's Mansion 3?
    King Boo, freed, is the main enemy. He is aided by Hellen Gravely, the hotel manager who admires him and set the trap.
  • Can Luigi's Mansion 3 be played multiplayer?
    Yes. The campaign can be played by two (Luigi and Gooigi), and two multiplayer modes accommodate up to eight players: Scarescraper and ScreamPark.
Back to blog