Video: Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch & 3DS)

Looks like I’ll be skipping out on this one. It looks much clearer and brighter but its not enough of a change for me to double dip.

My wallet is happy

Nice.
I still haven't finished the 3DS version but I will get the Switch version for sure to match with the third games.
Just one more Luigi Mansion from GameCube on Switch then we will have Luigi Mansion Trilogy.

It looks allright, but in saddens me that the first game isn't available on Switch. I would love to see Nintendo focus more on re-releasing/remastering more GameCube games.

It still confuses me that this game won't release until summer which means it got announced about 1 year before release despite "only" being a 3DS remaster

Makes me wonder if they are taking their time to further improve the graphics, I mean LM3 also looked much better when it released compared to the announcement trailer

@SwagaliciousJohnson

Luigi's Mansion was a graphical showcase for the GameCube. If the Switch successor really is going to be on par with the PS5/Series X, I think that would be the right time to release a remaster of the original Luigi's Mansion. While LM3 looks great on Switch for what it is, it still goes for a more cartoony art style compared to the gritty realism of the original. I think Nintendo is aware the second game isn't as beloved, but LM3 showed how well the series can sell, so they're wanting to keep the franchise relevant in the meanwhile. I firmly believe a remake/remaster of the first game is still coming, they just need the hardware powerful enough to run it in all its glory.

It's evident Nintendo doesn't plan to slow down on their GameCube remasters, considering we've been getting them for the last 3 Nintendo Directs in a row: Metroid Prime, Pikmin 1+2, Paper Mario TTYD. I think that's their long-term strategy for the foreseeable future; announcing a GameCube remaster at every Direct. They know how much hype and internet buzz GameCube games receive. Provided they stick to 3 Directs a year, next year I think we're likely to see ports of Metroid Prime 2+3, Wind Waker HD + Twilight Princess HD, and a remaster of Chibi Robo 1+2. The first two would be relatively low-effort while the latter would appeal to a more niche fanbase, but I think that would make for a pretty solid final year for Nintendo Switch.

I think Fall, 2025 would be a good time to release a 4k, 60FPS ground-up remake of Luigi's Mansion with improved particle effects, high-quality textures, and raytracing. It's going to be absolutely glorious. We just need to be a little patient, because now is not the time. Maybe by then we'll have GameCube on NSO because I'm not sure how many other GameCube games will really need the remaster treatment at that point. They could say, "Here's the game on NSO, but if you want to experience this classic in ways never before possible, pick up this UHD remaster for Super Nintendo Switch." I think it would still sell really well just because of the technical marvel.

They should have added the first one too ... Luigi's Mansion 1 & 2 HD ... so we could have the trilogy on Switch.

I remember 2 wasn't so good compared to the other ones. The segmented format for portable gaming didn't make the game any favors.
It was still good though.... but its the lesser one of the three.

I will skip this one. But nice for those who havent played it yet.

I honestly enjoyed this game quite a bit more than most, so I'm looking forward to dipping back into it. I agree the lack of Portrait Ghosts is a bit disappointing, but from what I remember, the game felt more challenging compared to LM3. LM3 was a cakewalk and just kept throwing the same exact enemies at you with no variety (not talking about bosses, I just mean like the standard enemies). Like eventually they start throwing miniaturized versions of the ghosts at you that you can easily vacuum up by the dozens like they're ants. It just gets monotonous after a while.

I didn't even really mind the mission structure of Dark Moon that badly. It wasn't ideal, but the other Luigi's Mansion games weren't exactly metroidvanias where you have the freedom to go anywhere. The first game had some secret rooms and optional ghosts, but for the most part, it's still a pretty fixed path. Currency was way more useful in this game, where you could actually upgrade your Poltergust. In the first game, it did nothing.

Boo hunting was more satisfying in the first game than the second, but I never found it served much of a purpose in 3 and I think there was only one per floor, so that was kind of lame. So yeah, while this is an unpopular opinion that's sure to turn some heads, I think LM2 is a better game than 3. The ghost designs were better (for 3, they just took the red ghost from 2 and have him a square head...why?) and I likes all the gameplay variety like using your vacuum to inflate a balloon. LM3 had significantly more areas to explore, but they were all so short that I felt like none of them really amounted to much. The pirate floor, for example, is pathetically short. It's basically just one room and then the boss. It was such a letdown. But LM2 felt more complete, like there weren't a bunch of half-baked ideas because the devs tried to cram in too much stuff.

The bosses and, to a much lesser extent for me personally, the exploration are pretty much the only aspects of LM2 that are objectively worse than 3. I think the game excels it in every other way. I really liked the time challenges where you have to vacuum all the ghosts in a mansion in like 10 minutes. I liked the puzzles that felt a lot more intricate than the ones in LM3 and even the first game. I even think the environments are more moody and atmospheric than in 3.

The first Luigi's Mansion will always be the creme of the crop, but the more I talk about it... I'm really excited to play this game again. It's just gonna be annoying when Nintendo sells this $40 3DS game again for $60 when it's admittedly not that impressive of a visual upgrade. But it's hardly worth complaining about because I'm still gonna buy it. Hope we get more 3DS ports in the Switch's final year, namely Kid Icarus Uprising. Would be a great send-off to a fantastic console.

It looks nice but it's not enough for me to REALLY want to get it. I'll just buy the original 3DS version.

I'm surprised many folks don't like this one. Cause I don't remember the game getting very much hate or anything back when it was released in 2013. I, personally, liked it more than the 1st one actually.

@YoshiFR2 See my above reply to SwagaliciousJohnson (which is a hilarious username, I'm only just realizing). I think an HD remaster is coming, but on Nitnendo's more powerful new system, to be a graphical showcase like it was on the GameCube. Releasing Dark Moon again is just so they can put something out in the meanwhile. Remember when they used the 3DS port of LM1 to hype up LM3? I think they're doing that again.

Honestly, these comparison video's are all fake. Since the "original" video is upscaled. The 3DS has only a resolution of 400×240 (800x240 in 3D) seeing it in HD is misleading at best.

I feel like it's too soon for 3DS remasters/remakes, etc. I really enjoyed Luigi's Mansion on the 3DS, but I don't feel the need to double dip on something from previous gen.

Course, if you don't already have it, then go for it. It's a chill game that's good for when you just wanna play, but not over extended yourself. Fun game.

It's not a game I'm dying to play again but the Scare Scraper mode was fun to play back then

LOD and textures have seen a boost and Luigi’s model is significantly more detailed but it seems like they’ve kept the lighting as close to the original as possible in most areas, since this was a 3DS game you’d think they could push enchantments pretty far.
@sanderev
How so? They are using actual captured footage from a 3DS I imagine, it would be misleading if they used footage from a emulator running at much higher resolution.

@Not_Soos I honestly don't think so. Luigi's Mansion 1 is a bad way to show your new system. Not because its a bad game. But because its a really short game. It's a release to just get it out of the way. That would be like trying to port Pikmin 1 as the cavalry for a new system.
I think they must be trying to add the first one if they are taking this long to release LM2 HD.... I read summer 2024?

One of my favorite 3DS games, looking forward to this as I find 3DS difficult to go back to as it's so small.

Lovely, looking forward to it. Still had to finish it.

i love dark moon but ive had my fill on 3ds. on a personal note i wish they kept the "dark moon" subtitle cause it sounds cooler, but the number does make more sense since that kinda naming implies it doesnt change up the formula that much

I prefer the stereo 3D on 3DS version. So I will stick with the original. The only possibility to double dip is to add a local co op on story mode like Luigi Mansion 3 Switch and Luigi Mansion 1 on 3DS with Gooigi as I play them with my wife and I enjoyed them a lot.

Meh, I have played through the Luigi's Mansion games multiple times and the second game is the weakest by a mile. The game was designed to be played in smaller chunks (due to the hardware and it being a portable device), but I really wasn't a fan of it being split into multiple smaller mansions with fairly linear and straightforward missions. There's nothing particularly memorable about the game.

The visual upgrades look fine, I'm more concerned about the gameplay, since this was developed by Next Level Games like LM3. I played that one and quit 3/4 in because I was so bored. I should check out the (Japan made) original, since I just set up a Gamecube again!

I'm probably skipping this one. Dark Moon was the one game in the series I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy. The level based structure was fine, but I didn't enjoy the multiple mansions aspect, or the fact that the bosses were all super generic ghosts inhabiting objects or animals. 1 and 3 are the only Luigi's Mansion games I really consider to be actual Luigi's Mansion titles.

Graphically it looks good but the most important question to ask is this: will they include the proper way to play with the ability to invert the Y axis? Luigi's Mansion 3 is unplayable even today because of this severe anti-consumer move. No game in the last 20 years aside from it that I can think of didn't include this basic function. How do you leave out the correct way to control the camera?! And no, gyro controls are not a good replacement, neither is buying a terrible 8bitdo controller to fix their mistake.

@SwagaliciousJohnson I agree.

Starfox Adventures is top of my list for games I want remastered.

The game looked great on that tiny 3DS screen. HD remasters are like nostalgia goggles, they make the game look the way you remember it.

I loved the original game (one of my favorite games on 3DS) but I really don't want to replay it in 2D.

It would have been better to release LM 1&2 on the Switch like they did Pikmin 1&2.

With the number of updated release and console exclusives Nintendo has put out over the years, there is no way “Switch 2” is not backwards compatible, right?

Is it just me or do I like the 3ds version's graphics more? Granted the switch version does look great in HD but to me it looks like lugis mansion 3 models in dark moon levels, especially lugi. It almost looks like lugi doesn't fit in the switch version because of how much detail he has compared to the angular designs of the mansions!

I won't double dip and buy this version (unless it has new content) but I'm happy that more people will be able to play this game now, even if it's not that great.

Day one purchase for me.

Hardly a fair comparison, esp with how good it looks on the native 3DS system in 3D. I loved this game, but again don't feel the need to revisit when I never beat the 3rd yet

I'll probably pick it up once it's discounted a bit, I have already played it on 3DS but never finished it, it was very good, just got sidetracked by other stuff and never got back to it.

It’s a shame the balloon plants look worse, but other than that, I’m glad for the glow up! Dark Moon is one of my favorite games period, so I’ll definitely be rebuying this. I homebrewed two 3DSes this year to preserve the ScareScraper experience, and I’m prepared to do the same for my Switch in due time.

Since I never finish it on 3DS, I may pick up the Switch port. After this I hope they gave A Link Between Worlds and Samus Returns the same HD remastered treatment too.

The 3DS version will always be best, thanks to the stereoscopic 3D. The depth in the rooms looks stunning. But I will still buy the Switch version for the collection, and to play it through again.

The game looks good. I never got the chance to play part two so I’m excited to try it out. I have a feeling the last Nintendo direct before this game comes out, they’ll shadow drop the original game. Just a feeling, similar to what they did with Pikmin 4. I would buy both if they did.

I hope they add save states. The 3DS version required brutally long play sessions to reach a new check point.

I personally can't find many reasons to revisit a title I have 100% completion on, and have played through multiple times. I may consider buying it for my son, but even that would be much further down the road.

Totally agree that they should have provided more value and released this as a combo pack with a remastered version of the original Luigi's Mansion as well. I'm actually interested in picking this up since I still haven't played the original version, but it's hard not to feel gouged paying full retail price for an old 3DS game...

@sanderev exactly this. The 3DS game looks great on the actual 3DS screen. In this blown up comparison video obviously it’s not going to look so good

I wonder if they tried the 3DS games on switch with VR labo. They could have released a 3D collection. Anyway I remember playing LM2 / dark moon every night for a few weeks and thinking how polished the game is. I really enjoyed the humour and thought the 3D effect was great. Shame stereoscopic 3D gaming has died

Is 2 any better than 3? I got 3 because of great reviews, but I left it unfinished, as I find it a bit boring and repetitive.