Luigi alone in a haunted manor, off to rescue Mario. Ghost-sucking vacuum, playful spooky vibe and a mansion stuffed with secrets. A tiny GameCube launch title but packed with charm and remarkably successful at what it sets out to do. A singular Nintendo game turned cult.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Luigi explores the haunted mansion to find Mario captured by ghosts in this Nintendo GameCube Luigi's Mansion. Published by Nintendo, released in Japan in September 2001. Action-adventure with Luigi vacuuming ghosts with his Poltergust 3000, secret rooms and phantasmagorical bosses.
Luigi Mansion review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
A small stroke of genius: Luigi hums the melody as it plays, giving fear a touch of tender comedy. Penned by Kazumi Totaka, the jazzy, quavering score follows every shiver of the mansion. This offbeat musical charm is the whole flavour of this ghost hunt.
The Japanese variant of the GameCube launch title, here under the umlaut-free name Luigi Mansion. The game itself is common and widely circulated, but the Japanese launch version draws attention as a regional and dating variant: owning the original Japanese day-one edition of the console appeals to fans of first editions and title-spelling differences. Its desirability rests on that launch status rather than any intrinsic scarcity.
Is Luigi Mansion still worth playing in 2026?
A GameCube launch title, Luigi's Mansion dares a timid Luigi who vacuums ghosts with his Poltergust in a haunted manor of delightful atmosphere. The art direction, the lighting and Luigi's bashful humor make it a charming adventure that has aged remarkably well visually. Its short length and simplicity drew criticism at the time. An offbeat, endearing interlude, still very pleasant today for anyone who loves atmosphere-driven games.
