Today marks the release date of Luigi's Mansion 3. Here we have our favorite Green 'Stache, the OG Player 2, Mr. L-On-His-Forehead, the lovable Luigi himself, back for more. Instead of a house he 'won' mysteriously, he's joined with company for a hotel cursed with the undead. Armed with his knockoff-vacuum-child-friendly Proton Pack,.a ghost dog, and a slime clone, Luigi is prepared to face his demons--again, literally.
Luigi's Mansion is an adventurous game that strays away from the original Mario formula. Instead of the funland of mushroom platforms, rolling hills, and golden-brick lanes, Luigi is trapped in a haunted house of cheesy, comedic, and morbid ghosts that seek to torment the poor guy. Luigi is alone and has to rescue his fellow plumber--and any other crowds unfortunate enough to accompany them. He is his own Player 1 (even though you can play as Gooigi in multiplayer, a Luigi-clone made of ectoplasm) and must explore realms he runs from at the very thought of. In practically every media of the Mario franchise, Luigi has been portrayed as a coward, a bumbling, clumsy coward that gets thrown under the bus whenever possible. Luigi's name is easily forgotten. He is constantly under the pressure of Mario's shadow. He is mocked by Bowser and all of the other villains in the stories. And worst of all, Luigi has been the victim of constant physical punishment. In the Castlevania teaser for Smash Ultimate, Luigi gets his soul torn out by Death, itself, is a very graphic motion. With all of the misery and the misfortune Luigi deals with, he is undeniably the "Lara Croft of 'Mario'": Green 'Stache cannot catch a break.
However, this series is his redemption, his chance to prove himself as the hero that he was always destined to be. Sure, he can be a coward and the butt of almost every joke, but the difference between him and Mario is that Mr. L. deals with the trials of the games and seeks to be his very best. Luigi is the underdog, a naive hero who doesn't know his own strengths but strives to be likable like Red 'Stache. The thing is, that due to his childish antics, abundant innocence, and ostrich-like antics, Luigi has a special place in the hearts of the players who work with him to fight his personal demons.
Luigi might be the OG Player 2, but he's number 1 in our hearts.
