Another classic pickup. This was a good launch game.
User Rating: 8.7 | Luigi Mansion GC
Well, as launch titles go, this is a good one to pick up. It shows off some of the new features of the Cube, including pretty slick-looking graphics. It also introduced me well to the skills involved in using dual-analog sticks. Obviously, this review is written much after the fact, but I think this is still a good title to pick up on the cheap (“Player’s Choice” = $20). I am still scoring graphics and sound relative to launch titles, as I remember them. Obviously, this engine can’t compare to something modern, like “Resident Evil 4,” so I’m not comparing it to that. I picked this up on a rental shortly after I got my Cube, and I remember thinking, “Hey, this Cube looks pretty good.” The sparse sound is, I think, appropriate to the basic tension-building, ghost-hunting mood of the game. The game plays well with the dual analog sticks. The puzzles are fairly rudimentary but fun. It wasn’t so easy that I unlocked every room the first time through, but it wasn’t so hard that I spent very long with any one puzzle. Sucking ghosts, the crux of the gaming experience, is a pretty fun affair. My only real complaint with the gameplay is the final boss. He seemed very disproportionate in difficulty to the rest of the game. I think it took me 1.5 hours to beat this one dude, when I just wanted to finish and return the rental. Some may find this a good feature from the standpoint of replayability, however, since the rest of the game is fairly easy. Perhaps some challenge needs to remain for the second pass through. I like the use of money as points to motivate you to play through again. I may have beaten the game, but it was a sorry feeling seeing my class “F” mansion at the end. I eventually bought the game with the hopes of beating it again and getting a better mansion. Still, I gave it low marks on value, simply because the game is so short. I would not have been happy paying $50 for this game, as it takes only around 10 hours to complete. Still, it might be a better value at the $20 price tag it now carries. All in all, I have fond memories of this game, though. If it weren’t for the fact that I have soooo many other games to play, I would even like to take a long weekend and see if I can beat that class F mansion. It’s a sure-fire bet for young gamers too, as the ghost-hunting is all done in a typical family-friendly, Mario-game manner. Like almost every Mario (Luigi?) game, it can be a fun time for older gamers, as well. This would make a great purchase or rental, especially if you’re a Cube owner who’s going through some slow gaming times. 
