10 Video Games That Had No Right Being This Good
1. Luigi’s Mansion
A new gaming system tends to need a major launch title or two to really shine. It seems obvious, but all too often there just isn’t a killer app that consumers need to pick up on day one.
On the launch of the GameCube in the early 2000s, a Super Mario title was still some time away (Super Mario Sunshine would later divide opinion somewhat, with its tropical FLUDD-based shenanigans). The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was also some way away.
In the heavy-hitting first-party camp, the console launched with a curious little confection called Luigi’s Mansion.
It’s a title that, in some regards, shouldn’t have worked. A kind of Baby’s First Resident Evil, it’s a mansion-roaming extravaganza in which Mario has been kidnapped. His brother must rescue him from the ghost-infested place by sucking up the specters with a special hoover-esque device.
It all seemed quite silly; a short-lived experience supposed to fill a hole until ‘bigger’ titles arrived. As time has made clear, though, Luigi’s Mansion has spawned a successful series.
It established Luigi’s cowardly demeanour, yes, but it also allowed him to step out of Mario’s shadow and star in a series unlike any of his brother’s own.
Luigi wasn't just a palette swap who can jump higher any more.