Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
© 2013 Nintendo of America
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon is the sequel to the 2001 GameCube release. This time, Luigi explores six haunted Mansions to find the pieces of the shattered Dark Moon, hunting down the spirits while collecting coins, keys, and gems. This edition nicely leverages the abilities of the 3DS. It puts a map and your progress on the lower screen so you always know where you are and how you're doing, and you can use the 3DS camera and motion sensing when fighting or exploring. The controls are easy to use and learn, even if you've never played this game before. There's plenty to do, plus there's a multiplayer mode that I did not try in the game that we downloaded. We liked how easy it was to explore. Sometimes you'd be hunting, other times collecting. Weaknesses to note: at some points, the controls feel limited (e.g., while using the Poltergust). All in all, however Nintendo has done a great job reviving Luigi's ghost-hunting career.
$40, Nintendo 3DS
Teaches: logic, problem solving
CTR Rating: 85%