Rishabh Borde
Step aside Mario, it is Luigi’s time to shine. These are words not often said, but they’re appropriate when talking about the ‘Luigi’s Mansion’ games. Mario’s lanky brother gets his own whimsical series of ghost hunting games, and while not as ubiquitous as the Mario led IPs, they’ve managed to develop quite a respectable following for themselves. With the recent release of ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’, let us have a closer look at the long running franchise and what we can expect from the next chapter – ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’.
Luigi’s Mansion Series Retrospective
The ‘Luigi’s Mansion’ franchise is a series of action adventure games with a little bit of horror and a whole lot of humor. It’s also the only franchise which puts Mario’s often overlooked brother firmly in the protagonist’s seat. The first game titled ‘Luigi’s Mansion’ released nearly two decades ago in 2001 and starts off with Luigi getting a suspicious message congratulating him for winning his very own mansion in a contest he did not even enter. Perplexed by this, he heads to the mansion where he finds Professor Elvin Gadd, who explains to him that Mario has been kidnapped by King Boo, ruler of the Paranormal Dimension.
The mansion itself it a mere illusion concocted by King Boo to lure and capture Mario and Luigi. Armed with the ghost sucking vacuum Poltergust 3000, Luigi must capture various ghosts and return them to their portraits on his way to King Boo, who has trapped Mario inside a portrait himself.
After a twelve year hiatus, the series was revived with ‘Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon’ in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS. King Boo has escaped his painted prison and destroys the ancient artifact known as the Dark Moon. This causes ghosts everywhere to become hostile without the calming influence of the artifact. Once more, Luigi must venture into the town of Evershade Valley and reassemble the Dark Moon at Dr. E Gadd’s behest. Armed with the upgraded Poltergust 5000 courtesy of E Gadd, Luigi must face King Boo once again, who has managed to capture and hold Mario hostage yet again.
The third game in the series titled ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ came out earlier in October of this year exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. This time the game introduces a few more familiar faces as Luigi, Mario, Princess Peach and the various Toads are invited to the ominously named Last Resort hotel. Following the tried and tested series formula, everyone but Luigi is suddenly kidnapped.
To no one’s surprise, King Boo has returned and transformed everyone into paintings. With the help of the cutting edge Poltergust G-00, Luigi has to save the day once more. ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ also added two player cooperative play throughout the entire campaign for the first time in the series. The second player plays as Gooigi, Luigi’s green doppelganger comprised entirely of green goo.
What Can We Expect From Luigi’s Mansion 4?
Considering that ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ just came out, it is hard to say for certain what the plot of ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’ will be. However, it is a rather safe bet that the story will involve the inevitable escape of King Boo, who will once again lure Luigi’s friends into a haunted Mansion and kidnap them. Luigi will have to save his friends again for the umpteenth time, this time armed with an even newer and more improved version of the Poltergust. Series regular Dr. E. Gadd will surely return too, providing helpful tips and aiding Luigi in his quest.
While the inclusion of local and online co-op and a somewhat barebones PvP mode in ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ is a welcome addition, an enhanced online competitive PvP mode with more game types has the potential to completely transform the franchise and attract new players. Increasing the maximum player cap alone would improve the competitive experience in ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’ greatly.
Of course, we can always expect typical sequel improvements such as more levels, more bosses and a modest visual upgrade.
Luigi’s Mansion 4 Developers: Who Could Be the People Behind the Game?
‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’ could very likely be developed by the developers of third game, Vancouver based Canadian video game developer Next Level Games. They are best known for games such as ‘Mario Strikers’ and ‘Punch-Out!!’. The game will be published by Nintendo.
Luigi’s Mansion 4 Release Date: When And Where Can I Play it?
Given the fact that ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ released in 2019, it is going to be a while before we get a ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’. However, considering the renewed popularity of the franchise, it is more of a question of when we will get it rather than if we will get it. The earliest I would expect ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’ to release is 2022, although 2023 and beyond seems like the more likely option.
It will be available to play on the latest generation flagship Nintendo console.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 Trailer
While we wait for more news about ‘Luigi’s Mansion 4’, you can watch the trailer for ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ right here:
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