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Luigi's Mansion 3

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch
Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: Oct. 31, 2019

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Switch Review - 'Luigi's Mansion 3' Multiplayer Pack Part 2

by Chris "Atom" DeAngelus on May 7, 2020 @ 12:00 a.m. PDT

Like the two games before it, Luigi's Mansion 3 is centered around Luigi's adventures in haunted mansions where he has to deal with all kinds of supernatural beings.

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Originally scheduled to launch by July 31, 2020, Luigi's Mansion 3: Multiplayer Pack Part 2 has dropped surprisingly early. Like the first DLC, it's a pack designed around adding new minigames and new costumes to the multiplayer modes. That means there's no single-player content, which is particularly noteworthy since some of the content requires local co-op.

The first of the three new minigames is PuckStravaganza, which is basically a game where two or more players play a game of air hockey, with the "air" being the push and pull of your vacuum. Pucks with different score amounts will fall onto the field, and your goal is to push them into your opponent's goals. The number and value of pucks vary. Sometimes you have one puck on the field, and other times, there's a torrent of them, forcing you to scramble to knock them away before you opponent can. Occasionally, you'll also see power-ups to increase your vacuum's suction/pushing power, and you can use a temporary burst to give the puck a hard shove.


This can be summed up by " air hockey." It's fun enough, but I don't see myself coming back to it too often, since the fun part of air hockey is the physical actions involved. A digital version, even a fun one with some wacky gimmicks, is just a few steps above Pong. That isn't to say it isn't fun or a good version of the game, but it's probably the least interesting of the minigames in this pack.

The second game is Floaty Frenzy, which involves the dreaded duck boat. It's effectively a Mario Kart-lite minigame, where you race your floaties around a small map. Your goal is to collect coins and reach the finish line first, with faster lap times earning more points. There are traps aplenty, such as explosive mines that can disable your character for a short while, and collectible items that can assist you or slow down your enemies.

Floaty Frenzy is easily the best minigame in Multiplayer Pack Part 2. It's still a minigame and somewhat lacking in content, but it consists of multiple stages, and the core gameplay is a fun twist on Mario Kart. The only thing holding it back is the focus on the somewhat awkward duck boat controls, which can mean you'll fly off cliffs or into bombs when you didn't intend to. It's best if you're not taking it seriously and are just racing for fun. I can't say it's worth buying the DLC on its own, but it's enjoyable.


In the third game, Desperate Measures, you're given a huge pile of sand, a weight, and a scale that shows a specific number. Your goal is to match the number exactly by blowing sand onto or off of the weight. You flash a button to check the weight, and if you succeed, you'll earn points. Whoever has the most points at the end wins. You can throw bombs at your opponents to slow them down, and they can do the same to you, but ultimately, your goal is to get the most sand.

This is a decent minigame but nothing special. It basically amounts to "blow sand, check, and adjust," which is kind of neat in a competitive way but can quickly get tiresome. Once you get a rough idea of how much sand equals how much weight, it speeds up a bit, but it's really repetitive. I didn't hate it, but after playing it a few times, I don't see myself going back to it again.

As with the last DLC pack, you also unlock three new costumes, which include three new Scarescraper themes for the mansion. One is The Amazing Luigi, a magician-themed costume with similar Scarescraper. The hard-to-pronounce Paleontoluigist is more of a history-themed character. The last, Captain Luigi, is pirate-themed. All three costumes are pretty good, but Groovigi from the last pack remains the best costume of the set.

Luigi's Mansion 3: Multiplayer Pack Part 2 is more of the same. There are a few more minigames and a few more costumes, but that's it. The addition of Floaty Frenzy makes this set of minigames stand out from the others, but otherwise, you're not exactly overwhelmed with new content. It's a good DLC to purchase if you're a big fan of the multiplayer in Luigi's Mansion 3, but otherwise, there's nothing here for people who feel that they've exhausted the fun in Luigi's Mansion 3.

Score: 7.0/10



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