Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon is reinventing the series on all sorts of levels, including amazing visuals and modified gameplay for the 3DS.

ComputerandVideoGames.com was able to play the first few levels of the 3DS title, where they reported that the game had “the best animation we’ve seen in a Nintendo game.” They went on to cite that “Luigi’s shivers, stumbles, cautious creeping and leaps of surprise” looked beautiful.

We were able to play the demo for Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon at NYC Comic Con 2012, but it was difficult to note nuances like animations and other visuals on the bright and crowded showfloor. Either that, or Nintendo has since then stepped up their game in upgrading the Luigi’s Mansion sequel to be in tip-top shape.

The preview from CVG.com revealed more neat features about the sequel, including the inclusion of multiplayer. Although the feature wasn’t ready to be played when they were playing the demo, CVG detailed the multiplayer as being a mode that was “Set in the Scarescraper – a massive tower – where the aim is for up to four Luigis to proceed as far up the tower as possible by clearing floors of ghosts.”

The gameplay is going to be very different from the Gamecube original, in that the 3DS doesn’t have two joysticks for controlling both Luigi and his flashlight’s beam. Instead, players will be able to use the ‘x’ button to look up with their flashlight. This still felt organic in the demo that we played at Comic Con, but CVG stated that it at times felt awkward for when ghosts flew up really high.

Look out! Behind you!

Lastly, the game was reported to be much longer than the original, a reason that CVG criticized the otherwise innovative first game. Instead of just one mansion, players will suck up ghosts in various locations, but the puzzles have been appropriately shortened to a ‘handheld game size’ of about 20-30 minutes.

The Luigi’s Mansion series follows the title character as he works to shock ghosts with his flashlight and suck them up in his super powered vacuum The Poltergust 500, Ghost Busters style. The original was a launch title for Nintendo’s Gamecube in 2001, and was praised for it innovative gameplay and beautiful physics, yet criticized for its aforementioned short length.

It should be noted that the sequel is only called Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon in the United States. Elsewhere, it is simply referred to as Luigi’s Mansion 2.

Did this preview sell you on the sequel? Did you try out the Gamecube original? We’re pretty excited for this game, especially after the fun Comic Con demo we played back in October 2012.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon releases in North America on March 24, and in Europe sometime in the same month.

Featured image source: Velocitygamer.com 
Video and image source: Nintendo