“Luigi’s Mansion 2” came out in March 2013 for the 3DS and originally held the subtitle “Dark Moon.” 11 years later, Nintendo has released a remake entitled “Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD” for the Nintendo Switch that allows players to relive the chaotic fun in high definition.

The game lives up to its title in taking the pixelated graphics of the 3DS and rebuilding them to crisp HD on the Switch. Everything looks smooth and makes the game feel more in line with the Switch’s “Luigi’s Mansion 3,” which established a baseline aesthetic for the future of the franchise. Kids who grew up playing this game on their 3DS can now see “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon” in the way they always visualized it. Being able to return to a game as an adult with good graphics cultivates a childlike experience. 

“Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD” has a pretty basic gameplay loop. The player, Luigi, must help Professor E. Gadd retrieve pieces of the Dark Moon from an evil ghost while saving Luigi’s friend. In order to do so, the player is dropped in a variety of levels around multiple locations, like the main mansion and the clock tower. These levels were designed to be bite-sized missions with easy objectives because they were originally designed for the portability of the 3DS. On the 3DS, players tended to jump in and out of the game in bursts rather than sitting down and playing for hours. The relatively short game takes around 13 hours to complete.

The biggest problem with this game is that it doesn’t make sense as a Nintendo Switch port. Having this game modernized and on a home console stands as a great move in terms of legacy and preservation. But as an experience, it feels lackluster. Given its design, it almost feels like the puzzles are too easy and too quick. Taking the Switch out of its TV dock and playing in handheld mode slightly remedies this issue, but even then it feels outdated in comparison to the superior sequel “Luigi’s Mansion 3.” That being said, it doesn’t affect the overall quality of the game.

“Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD” preserves the legacy of the franchise by bringing it onto more powerful hardware and giving it the bigger audience it deserves, but it is held back by the game design of the 3DS era. While worth a pickup, for those looking to try the franchise, playing the third entry would be the better option.

7 Poltergust 5000s out of 10