Nintendo 3DS

Changing the topic, I'd like to ask which parts of the game each of you likes most.

The part I like most actually arose out of a problem. When we were thinking about what would serve as motivation in multiplayer mode for moving from one room to the next, we decided to make use of Polterpup.

It's a ghostly dog who isn't clearly friend or foe.

Right. But it likes Luigi for some reason. It appears in story mode too, but for the multiplayer mode, we made it so you have to catch Polterpup and follow its paw prints. The result is you move from room to room.

I see.

Another thing I like just as much as Polterpup is what I call Luigi-humming.

What's that?

That's when Luigi hums along with the background music. But I suppose that doesn't have much to do with gameplay! (laughs)

Yeah! (laughs)

Chad, I suppose you like that because you're the sound director.

Of course!

(laughs)

We made Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon so that people who haven't played its predecessor can still have a completely new game experience. But we put a little idea in the latter half that will greatly please players of the first game, and that's what I like most.

What kind of idea?

Sorry, but that's still secret! (laughs) But I'm certain it will bring back memories for people who played Luigi's Mansion 12 years ago.

What is your favorite part, Bryce-san?

My favorite part is how, while this is a game about ghost-busting, it's humorous and has dramatic developments. Also, even as someone who made the game, when I play the final version, I can enjoy Luigi's reactions and play in trepidation of the various tricks— like how ghosts will appear. Early in development, we learned about a keyword in Japanese called "karakuri" (mechanism or trick) from Miyamoto-san, and that is at work throughout the whole game.

Ah, there are a lot of karakuri this time.

Yes. There are more pleasing things in it than even I had expected. And the cut scenes are more than just performances—they fit in perfectly and provide just the right degree of surprise. And there are quite a lot of short cut scenes, so I think people will enjoy those. In any case, I certainly did! (laughs)

I'm glad to hear that. (laughs)

How about you, Ikebata-san?

Bryce-san just said karakuri in Japanese, but they also got another keyword "ichimodajin" (getting them all at once) in Japanese.

Ichimodajin? You had to learn such a difficult Japanese word? (laughs)

Yes, I remember it. Ichimodajin! (laughs)

(laughs)

Ichimodajin refers to sucking up a bunch of ghosts all at once. In this game, you can suck up anything with the Poltergust 5000. It's fun to suck up just one ghost, but what feels even better is…

Ichimodajin. (laughs)

Right. What feels best is sucking up multiple ghosts with ichimodajin.

I'd like to get into strategy a little here.

Go ahead.

Numerous ghosts show up around Luigi. The game gets difficult when you're sucking up a ghost in front of him but one attacks from behind. In order to avoid attacks, two techniques are key to this as an action game: Sucking up ghosts in a group with ichimodajin and using the B Button while sucking up some ghosts in order to evade an attacking ghost.

That's also a function we put in on a suggestion from Miyamoto-san.

It's a little challenging, but if you remember the controls, you gradually get better, so it's key for beating Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.

That's right. It's made so that the more you suck up lots of ghosts all at once with ichimodajin, the more money you get, and the better your score is.

By the way, how do you suck up ghosts with ichimodajin?

As a new feature, this game has something called the Strobulb. You can charge up the Strobulb to shine light on a broad area, so while charging the Strobulb, you wait for the ghosts to gather and then if you release it at just the right time, they get stunned.

You can't suck them up if they aren't stunned.

Right. Once you get them stunned, all you have to do is suck them up. So timing and position are important.

If you hit ghosts in front of you with light, they disappear, so getting a good position means gathering as many ghosts behind you as possible. Then, when the right moment comes, you turn around and release the Strobulb. That's ichimodajin. (laughs)

(laughs)

It feels really great, so be sure to try ichimodajin.

And you'll get lots of money! (laughs)