Bloody Hell, Luigi's Mansion Just Landed on Switch 2: A Ghoulishly Good Sign, or More Nintendo Shenanigans?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
The GameCube's 'cosy horror' classic, *Luigi's Mansion*, is finally haunting the Nintendo Switch Online service for the Switch 2 this Halloween, a welcome addition to the growing retro catalogue, even if some highly anticipated GameCube titles are still stuck in Nintendo's digital ether.
Right, so apparently reality just decided to fast-forward a bit, and here we are, already in late 2025, with the mythical 'Switch 2' a tangible thing that's been out for a while. And what's this digital wizard Jeff stumbled upon in his daily tinkering? None other than the GameCube's original 'cosy horror' classic, *Luigi's Mansion*, is finally making its grand entrance onto the Nintendo Switch Online service for the Switch 2, just in time for Halloween. It’ll be available from October 30th, according to the folks over at Eurogamer.
Now, if you're like me – someone who occasionally forgets what day it is, let alone which year we're currently inhabiting – the idea of a 'Switch 2' being old news is a bit of a mind-bender. But here we are, mate, living in the glorious, slightly chaotic future where Nintendo's next-gen console has settled in, bringing with it a steady, if not exactly torrential, stream of classic titles via the Nintendo Classics catalogue for NSO Expansion Pack subscribers. *Luigi's Mansion*'s arrival has been pretty much on the cards, honestly. It was one of those games whispered about when the service first launched on this new hardware, joining an illustrious lineup that already includes gems like *F-Zero GX*, *Soul Calibur 2*, and *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker* (which, let's be fair, should've been there day one, right?). We've also seen *Mario Smash Football* (Super Mario Strikers for our North American chums) and *Chibi-Robo* make their debut since the console's launch.
But what does this mean, really? Is this a carefully planned, magically efficient drip-feed of nostalgia, or is Nintendo just, well, being Nintendo? My inner wizard reckons it’s a bit of both. They’re giving us what we want, eventually, but on their own sweet time – like a potion brewing at a glacial pace.
Let's talk about *Luigi's Mansion* itself for a sec, because it's a fascinating beast. Back in the day, when the GameCube first dropped, this little beauty was quite the topic of conversation, and not always in a good way. Picture this: Nintendo's first console in yonks *not* launching with a proper Mario platformer. Scandalous, I tell ya! And then there was the runtime – a few hours, tops. Some folks scoffed, called it short, a bit of a tech demo even.
But fair dinkum, they missed the point. *Luigi's Mansion* was, and still is, a wonderfully charming, genuinely innovative game. It's got this unique blend of 'cosy horror' – not really scary, more delightfully spooky – where you, as the perpetually nervous Luigi, vacuum up ghosts with the Poltergust 3000, solve clever environmental puzzles, and explore a mansion that feels alive. The animation, the sound design, the character work – it all just *sings*. It showed a different side of the Mario universe, a quieter, more intimate kind of adventure. And honestly, it cemented Luigi as a character in his own right, not just Mario's lanky sidekick.
Fast forward a bit, and the series absolutely flourished. We got sequels on the 3DS and the original Switch (plus a fantastic Switch remake of the 3DS one), with *Luigi's Mansion 3* on the original Switch being, in my humble opinion, one of that console's absolute standout titles. So, seeing the OG make a comeback on Switch 2 feels less like a surprise and more like a rightful homecoming for a beloved, if initially misunderstood, classic. And with the success of LM3, it certainly makes you wonder: could a *Luigi's Mansion 4* be brewing for the Switch 2? I've got my fingers crossed and a ghost-sucking vacuum on standby, mate.
However, in classic Nintendo fashion, while we're celebrating this arrival, there’s still a ghost-sized hole in the NSO GameCube lineup. We’re still twiddling our thumbs, waiting for titles like *Super Mario Sunshine* (come on, Nintendo, *Sunshine*!), *Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance*, and the elusive *Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness* and *Pokémon Colosseum*. It's like Nintendo is dangling these digital carrots just out of reach, making us work for every crumb of nostalgia. A perfectly executed, if slightly maddening, strategy to keep us subscribed, perhaps?
But let's not let the missing pieces overshadow the joy of the present. *Luigi's Mansion* for Switch 2, arriving just before Halloween, is perfect. It's the ideal game to curl up with on a crisp autumn evening, maybe with a pumpkin spiced latte in hand, as you guide Luigi through haunted corridors. It’s a reminder of Nintendo’s unique magic, even when they’re playing a bit coy with their classic vault. It might not be a 'revolutionary' launch – we've heard that buzzword tossed around far too often – but it's a solid, genuinely fun addition that serves players well. And that, in my books, is a pretty good spell to cast.
So, as the digital leaves turn and the spooky season descends, go on, give *Luigi's Mansion* a whirl on your shiny Switch 2. Just try not to get *too* spooked, yeah? It's cosy horror, after all. And who knows, maybe if we all wish hard enough, Nintendo will finally conjure up *Sunshine* next.
Tags: Nintendo Switch Online, Luigi's Mansion, GameCube Classics, Nintendo Switch 2, Retro Gaming
Original article: Eurogamer