History VideoGame / LuigisMansionSeries

This time, the games are not platformers, and while Mario has been in many game genres, Luigi's is all his own. These are third-person adventure games in fixed-camera "dollhouse" maps, à la ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''-- you might even call them [[SpookyKidsMedia kid-friendly "horror" games]]. Luigi cannot jump on enemies (not that that would help against ghosts). To deal with them, he uses a series of modified and tricked-out vaccums (called the Poltergust ([[VideoGame/LuigisMansion 3000]], [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon 5000]] or [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion3 G-00]] depending on the game), given to him by debuting character Professor E. Gadd, a ghost researcher, to defeat Boos and others spectres.

** The Game Boy Horror from the first game, a parody of the [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy Game Boy Color]]

** The Virtual Boo, or VB for short in the third game. Obvious parody of the UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy.

It all started with the first game, released in 2001 as a launch title for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]. At the time, the game bemused audiences. While the game was good for showcasing the capacities of the console, the fact that it wasn't a traditional ''Mario'' game and didn't capture the same atmosphere was criticized, as was the short length of the game. Fans eventually warmed up for the game after the release of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''. The game even got a [[VideoGameRemake remake]] on the 3DS in 2018.

''Luigi's Mansion'' was officially established as a ''series'' 12 years after the first game in 2013 with the release of ''Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'' on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. ''Dark Moon'' put ''Luigi's Mansion'' in new hands, with it being developed by Canadian team Next Level Games, rather than in-house by Nintendo EAD. This entry is stylistically distinct from the first game and adds and changes several mechanics, as well as featuring a more linear and broken-up mission structure.

Next Level Games eventually reprised the series with a third installment simply titled ''Luigi's Mansion 3,'' released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch in 2019. The game continues much of the work NLG established before, but with some choices being walked back to be more similar to the first game and a more open-feeling structure.

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' (2013)-- published as ''Luigi's Mansion 2'' in Japan, Europe, and Australia

** ''Luigi’s Mansion Arcade'' (2015)

''Luigi's Mansion'' is a SpinOff series of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', notable for being the only one featuring Luigi, the brother of the eponymous plumber, [[DayInTheLimelight as the player character]]. Mario is in fact the [[DistressedDude one you have to rescue this time]], not from Bowser but from a hoard of ghosts, lead by [[BigBad King Boo]]! Turns out, while the Boos in the main series are shy and rather adorable, their leader is far more sinister and holds a deep hatred for the Mario Bros in general and, as the series develops, Luigi in particular.

This time, the games are not platformers, and while Mario has been in many game genres, that one is a third-person adventure game, à la ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'', you may call it a [[SpookyKidsMedia kid-friendly "horror" game]]. Luigi cannot jump on enemies, and it would rather be useless since most of them are ghosts. To deal with them, he uses a ghost-vacuumer named the Poltergust ([[VideoGame/LuigisMansion 3000]], [[VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon 5000]] or [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion3 G-00]] depending on the game), given to him by the newly met Professor E. Gadd, a ghost researcher, to defeat Boos and others spectres.

It all started with the first game, released in 2001 as a launch title for the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]. A choice that at the time received mixed receptions. While the game was good for showcasing the capacities of the console, the fact that it wasn't a real Mario game and didn't capture the same atmosphere was criticized, alongside the short length of the game. But fans eventually warmed up for the game after the release of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''. The game even got a [[VideoGameRemake remake]] on the 3DS in 2018.

It officially began a series only 12 years later in 2013, with the release of ''Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'' on the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS. This time being developed by Next Level Games instead of Nintendo EAD. This entry is a large departure from the original game, removing many gameplay mechanics and adding news one, such as the Dark Light, allowing Luigi to de-possess haunted objects and pulling things and people trapped in painting.

Next Level Games eventually reprised the series with a third installment simply titled ''Luigi's Mansion 3,'' released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch in 2019.

* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'' (2013)

* AbsentMindedProfessor: E. Gadd, if his swirly glasses are any indication.

* AlternateSpeciesCounterpart: The Nintendo [=3DS=] version of the first game introduces Gooigi, a sentient lifeform made of Goo that resembles Luigi. He reappears in [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion3 the third game.]]
* AndIMustScream: King Boo's main plan involve trapping Mario and Luigi in a painting where they are fully conscious but unable to do anything.
* ArtifactTitle: In ''Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'', Luigi is busting ghosts in several different places, and only two of them are mansions, neither of which are his. ''Luigi's Mansion 3'' features no mansions whatsoever, instead taking place solely in a haunted hotel.
* BedSheetGhost: Nearly all enemy ghosts in the first game and some in the second. Every other ghost appearing in the series has FogFeet instead.
* BigBad: This time, it is not Bowser, who is completely absent, but King Boo.
* BigBoosHaunt: The setting of each game is this. The first game features the eponymous mansion, the second the multiple places of Evershade Valley, and the third game, a hotel called The Last Resort.
* BlindedByTheLight: To be able to vacuum the ghosts, Luigi has to flash them using his special flashlight, the Strobulb ([[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness absent in the original game]]), stunning the ghosts and making them visible.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In ''Dark Moon'', the ghosts are actually nice and docile until the eponymous Dark Moon is destroyed, making them hostile. Though since the Dark Moon seems to be fabricated, it may actually be the [[InvertedTrope opposite]].[[spoiler:In ''Luigi's Mansion 3'', the ghosts are under the influence of gem on King Boo's crown]].
* CharacterDevelopment: Being the series that finally gives Luigi his spotlight, this is to be expected. Luigi is here portrayed as a shy, easily-scared but nevertheless brave hero.
* ClassicalAntiHero: Compared to Mario, who is portrayed as an IdealHero, Luigi is more flawed, being shy and cowardly. He is nonetheless on the side of good and learn to overcome his fear of ghosts to save his brother.

* CoolCrown: King Boo's most distinguishable features is his crown topped with a gem. [[spoiler: [[HatOfPower It actually grants him most of his powers]]]].

* CuteLittleFangs: Many ghosts have fangs, Boos in particular are adorable-looking phantoms.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to the usual [[SugarBowl happy and colorful]] world of Mario, ''Luigi's Mansion'' allows itself to be more grim and dark, bordering on SurvivalHorror.

** ''Luigi's Mansion'' was known for his gloomy charm. The enemies, while being simple [[BedsheetGhost Bedsheet Ghosts]] were still menacing, by their maniacal laughter and way they would suddenly spawn in the dark, often jumpscaring the player. While there were comedic moments, they were usually subtle rather than outright goofy. The mansion was entirely dark and inhabited by portrait ghosts who were the hauting memories of former people, behaving very eerily, almost unaware of their surrounding. The game also included many dark moments and was in fact dark from the beginning to the end, set entirely during the night.
** ''Dark Moon'' introduced new ghosts, not only were their designs cuter and simpler but their behavior was much goofier, as they would often be seen playing with each others and making childish jokes; they weren't as evil as in the first game as they are only [[BrainwashedAndCrazy under the influence of a curse]] and are seen friendly in the beginning and the end of the game. The game's setting is much more alike with the world of Super Mario and the cutscenes and even the gameplay, are filled with {{Slapstick}} humor.
** ''Luigi's Mansion 3'' keeps the wacky feel of the previous game, although the ghosts have new appearances, giving them a more evil look. While the boss ghosts are designed and named in a way implying them to be, like the portrait ghosts before them, the spirits of former people, they are more aware and actively impede Luigi rather than being haunting memories eerily oblivious to everything around them. Also unlike the portrait ghosts, the game provides no information on their former lives.
* DistressedDude: Here, instead of being the one who rescues Princess Peach, Mario is the one who must be rescued. Princess Peach joins in in ''3''.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: In the first game, the Boos were portrayed without their additional middle two fangs. King Boo himself was the same size as a regular boo, had no [[CreepyShadowedUndereyes undereyes shadows]] and his tongue was blue instead of purple.

** The Strobulb is absent, Luigi has to simply point his flashlight in direction of the ghosts to make them vulnerable. It was re-addded in the 3DS remake.
** Money is completely useless outside of being used as ScoringPoints.
** The scan of the Game Boy Horror allowed players to read Luigi's inner thoughts. It has no equivalent in later games and Luigi becomes a HeroicMime.
** Mario is fully animate within his portrait and will even cry out for help, suggesting a proper AndIMustScream fate if he isn't rescued. In each subsequent game, characters captured in portraits are represented with still images and are suggested to not be aware of their surroundings, making it more of a FauxDeath until release.

* TheGhostKing: King Boo, he is even the page image.

* TheGoomba: Gold Ghosts in the first game, Greenies in the second and Goobs in the third.

* HauntedHouse: The settings of the series, obviously.
* HauntedHouseHistorian: Professor E. Gadd is this in the first two games, in fact his job is being a ghost researcher.
* HeartsAreHealth: Luigi's has to collect hearts to refill his health. In the first game, the ghosts' health is also portrayed by a heart.

** [[MookMaker Vincent Van Gore]] has the ability to paints ghosts who can come to "life".
* MetalSlime: Each games features a rare variations of the regular mook that drop tons of money when caught. The Speedy Spirit in the first game, the Gold Greenie in the second and the Gold Goob in the third.

* MoneyForNothing: Each haunted areas explored by Luigi are filled with money, from coins to bills to gold bar to jewells. Getting a lot of money is easy but it acts as ScoringPoints rather than currency. The sequel adds shops, but then again it is still minor.
* MonochromeApparition: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] for the most part. Ghosts are portrayed as all kind of colors, expect the Boos who are white, altough not fully monochrome, their tongue are still colored.
* NiceDayDeadlyNight: The core gameplay of each games is sets during a gloomy night. When the sun is present, it's usually sign of no worries.
* NonHumanUndead: Many including Spooky and Polterpup who are dogs, Miss Petunia, Polterkitty and Captain Fishook.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: While the ghosts usually looks like your stereotypical cartoon spooks, they are separated into three categories:
** The regular enemies ghosts, they change each games and it's never made clear what make them so different from the others. They don't look human and may never have been. In fact, the first game suggest that they are [[LivingDrawing paintings who became "alive"]].
** The Portrait Ghosts are clearly former humans (or animals for some) they are more stronger, intelligent and a lot of them aren't even hostile, paying no attention to Luigi.
** The Boos are described as different from the others ghosts, they gains their power from their numbers. It's not clear if they are undead or not. This was suggested in [[VideoGame/PaperMario64 Paper Mario]] but due to the common conitnuity errors in the Mario universe, this may not hold true.
* OutOfFocus: While King Boo himself is the main villain of each games, the Boos as minions have become less and less relevant. In the first game, they were properly introduced and necessary to capture to finish the game, one was even a boss. In the second, they are no longer required to reach the ending, and in the third, all you get for catching them all is a CosmeticAward.
* PortalPicture: King Boo's favorite method for capturing Luigi's friends is trapping them inside pictures. However you don't actually enter through one of them [[spoiler:until the final boss of the first game]].
* ProphetEyes: All the ghosts have no pupils in their eyes, in the first game though, their eyes are yellow instead of white. In ''Dark Moon'', the ghosts get their pupils back under the influence of the Dark Moon.

** Professor Elvin Gadd, whose name is this and FunWithAcronyms. Being a pun on "egad".
** All the Boos' names are pun which consists of names and words with "boo" shoehorned in it, such as "Booldog", "Bootine" or "Bootique".
* ScoringPoints: The money accumulated through a Luigi's Mansion playthrough is used at the end to build a new building, the rank of the player is based on how much money they have.
* SealedEvilInACan: The primary method to defeat the enemies is to in prison them into the Poltergust via vacuuming. They are eventually put into painting or capsules.
* SelfParody: The parodies of Creator/{{Nintendo}} consoles such as the Game Boy Color, the DS and the Virtual Boy. For the VB, they even make fun of its sales failure.

* SpookyKidsMedia: The first game was quite able to frighten many young players. While the series later lightened up on the whole, it still has its fair share of moments.

* WeaponsThatSuck: The Poltergust in all its variation.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Nearly everything that needs to be done in this series boils down to using the Poltergust, wether it be vacuuming ghosts, opening the curtains, grabbing money, throwing balls, grabbing a rope...you name it.
* WhoYouGonnaCall: Luigi has to fight ghosts if he wants to save his brother, but only the second game, where E. Gadd's ghost collection escaped, has Luigi going on an actual ghost hunting mission.