One week before launch, the tension of waiting finally got to Rick. With word of the mod for the Japanese GameCube, Rick saw no reason to continue to wait, so he picked up a Japanese Cube and both Luigi’s Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm.

The premise behind the game is simple. Luigi has won a mansion in a contest he can’t recall having entered. Mario goes to check out his brother’s prize, and promptly disappears. So it’s up to the fellow in the green overalls to step up to the plate and solve the mystery. With a little help from Professor E. Gadd and Toad, Luigi goes on a mission to clean up his new home, and find out the whereabouts of his brother.

The first thing likely to catch your eye is the lighting and shadowing effects. Nearly everything in the game is self-shadowed, and lighting is reactive as well. Dust kicked up by Luigi’s feet floats in his flashlight beam. That same beam is reflected off of mirrors and other surfaces throughout the mansion. Volumetric fog is used extensively, in dust clouds and motes, and in Luigi’s breath. Transparency effects are plentiful as each ghost fades in and out of existence. Few games have looked this beautiful before, and it really serves to whet the appetite for the future.

There are some minor graphical flaws: there is a bit of clipping at times, and some of the textures are lower quality than you’d expect from a next-generation console. Many gamers will never notice these “problems”, even passive observers will never catch some of these issues. It's certainly nothing that will impact your gaming experience.

The sound effects are presented in Dolby Surround for those with the hardware to decode the surround mix. Some of the games more entertaining facets come from the sound, as Luigi is constantly whistling his theme, calling for his brother Mario, and gasping in fear as a ghost appears out of thin air. The theme song is so catchy, you’ll be humming right along with Luigi even after the machine is turned off. Speaking of the music, you’d better remember your Nintendo tunes, as one part of the game will quiz you on a song from Nintendo’s past.

The genius in the game is in the play, much as you’d expect from the maestros of game design. The mechanics of using both analog sticks to control Luigi take some time to get used to, but the act of sucking up specters “Ghostbusters” style is pure joy. Even inexperienced gamers can pick up the excellent GameCube controller and be slurping up money and ghosts in no time. By the time the gameplay starts to become monotonous, the game clears out areas so that you aren’t trying to empty hallways of ghosts instead of making your way to the next area. Returning to the main Foyer is made easier through “Warp Mirrors.” Many rooms have a mirror, which allow you to return to the entryway by targeting it in your “Game Boy Horror.”

While it’s clear to the trained eye that Luigi’s Mansion was a technology demo stretched into a full game, that doesn’t make it any less of an achievement. Luigi is a game that changed many developer’s minds about the capabilities of the GameCube. Yes, the game is short, easily completed in a weekend (maybe a day) for an accomplished gamer. Finishing with an “A Rank” and then going through the second quest will take a little longer. Bear in mind, the length is the game’s only appreciable flaw, with all else being nitpicking. The rest of the title is as polished as you’d expect from Nintendo.

Despite the desires of other companies to paint games like Luigi’s Mansion as childish, it seems more akin to “family oriented” in that the game can be enjoyed by anyone. In fact, girlfriends and wives will find this game quite endearing and likable, not to mention easier for them to play than a game requiring a great deal of skill (such as Wave Race). There are several additional objectives that more expert players can attempt to achieve, making the game accessible to everyone. Overall, the game is a very fun romp, not overly time consuming and not requiring vast amounts of practice to master.