Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon review

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, sold in Europe as Luigi's Mansion 2, is a cheap and well-made puzzle adventure. Nintendo describes it as the first sequel to the 2002 GameCube launch game, with Luigi clearing several haunted mansions using his Poltergust vacuum. Ghosts now need to be stunned with a strobe of light before he can pull them in, and the Poltergust can also strip wallpaper and suck up leaves to uncover treasure and new areas. Nintendo says it has more puzzles than its predecessor. The Scarescraper mode lets up to four players clear a tower of 5, 10 or 25 floors together, with adjustable difficulty; local play still works, but online play ended on April 8, 2024. DKOldies lists a used cartridge at $29.99 before sales, and Nintendo also sells Luigi's Mansion 2 HD for Switch.

Who it is for

Players who like puzzles and a light co-op mode

Price

Used 3DS cartridge from $29.99 at DKOldies (regular price, before sales).

Original price: $29.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Several haunted mansions to clear, with more puzzles than the GameCube original
• Ghosts must be stunned with a strobe light before the Poltergust can capture them
• Poltergust also pulls up wallpaper and leaves to reveal secrets and new areas
• Scarescraper co-op for up to four players, with 5, 10 or 25 floors
• Adjustable difficulty in multiplayer

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Tied for the lowest used price here at $29.99
• Strength: Co-op mode adds replay value
• Strength: Nintendo sells Luigi's Mansion 2 HD on Switch for players without a 3DS
• Weakness: Online Scarescraper play ended in April 2024
• Weakness: Co-op needs a 3DS family system per player
• Weakness: Less depth than Zelda or Fire Emblem: Awakening

Key facts

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Developer: Nintendo
• EU release: March 28, 2013
• Players: 1 to 4
• Age rating: PEGI 7

Where it ranks

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is No. 5 in our Best 3DS Games of All Time verdict.