Tradition is a very human expression. There are things people set aside time for no matter the circumstances. The ceremonies, the foods, the rituals all showcase an aspect of community and personal character that binds us all together. The holidays we celebrate and the occasions that sprinkle the year usually have a level of buildup. In part, due to the over-commercialization of everything, the buildup to Halloween starts in August. Box stores line their shelves with flimsy costumes and candy. Thanksgiving in America is basically just an opening act for Christmas with Black Friday and Cyber Monday inviting shoppers to buy, buy, buy in anticipation for the next family gathering. Heck, I went to the store today and the Halloween section was already replaced with Christmas! With all this said, there are more personal moments of buildup to the holidays in my life that have a less corporate tone to them. I decorate a Christmas tree at the beginning of December. I watch Die Hard on the night of Christmas Eve because it is not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls off of the Nakatomi Tower Building. These little moments truly encapsulate the spirit of the holiday for me. Though lately, perhaps because I am getting older, the whimsical spirit of the holidays wanes more each passing year. They feel less special to me. In order to combat this phenomenon for spooky season this year, I decided to play all three Luigi’s Mansion games during the week of Halloween.
Debuting as a launch title for the Nintendo Gamecube, Luigi’s Mansion stars the titular hero exploring a haunted house on the search for his brother, who we come to learn has been trapped in a painting by King Boo. This was a bold move for Nintendo at the time. Luigi’s Mansion was the only first party Nintendo game at the onset of the Gamecube. Showcasing the personality for Luigi as the cowardly but persistent Mario Bro, Luigi’s Mansion was ambitious and creative in a way that Nintendo rarely displays these days. This title is the opposite of playing it safe. The concept of Luigi using a vacuum cleaner to battle ghosts in a maze of a mansion was zany. It was unclear if the game would allow the Gamecube to hit the ground running. The game did end up being a commercial success which spawned a sequel and rerelease of the original on the Nintendo 3DS. A third installment was released for the Nintendo Switch followed by a remake of the 2nd installment. With the addition of the original Gamecube title to the Nintendo Switch Online catalog, I was able to play all three installments using my Nintendo Switch 2.
Playing these games during Halloweek definitely enhanced my experience. I was struggling to engage in ‘spooky season’, which I attribute this change to the burden of responsibility for the holidays shifting onto myself. It is easier to enjoy holidays when you are a participant rather than an organizer. It is more difficult to enjoy the candy at Halloween when it is coming out of your paycheck. It is more difficult to enjoy Halloween when all anyone has energy for after work is making dinner and going to sleep. While playing these games was more time consuming than I had initially planned, it was insightful to play each iteration and see how the series progressed over time.
Sadly, I am capable of finding a stressor in any situation. Despite having an overall fun time revisiting these titles, I became frustrated and critical of segments of all three games. Much of my critique of the Luigi’s Mansion series came from the clunky controls of the 1st game, the repetitive sections of the 2nd and 3rd installments, and the constant padding missions that put a complete halt to forward momentum. I do not think that I will be revisiting this series this time next year, but perhaps I will attempt to emulate and play the Luigi’s Mansion arcade game.
This October, I reflected on games that I play at a certain time of year, or that incorporate revolving seasons in the game. Three major thoughts came to mind.
Firstly, major releases that I anticipate each year can feel like tradition. Despite missing the past few entries, I have made my not-so-triumphant return back to the Call of Duty series. My father really wanted me back on the team and I could not refuse after he graciously subsidized me purchasing the game. These titles launch every October/November so can make for a yearly anticipation that teeters on tradition.
My second major thought revolved around seasonal events and features present in games. Pokémon Go is currently decked out in Halloween themes with scary ghost-type Pokémon as far as thee eye can see. Many of the special outfits donned by these ghost Pokémon can only be obtained during this time of year and thus entice players not to miss out. This is not the first time that Pokémon has tied the active season to gameplay. In Pokémon Black and White (and their sequels) the current season can determine if a path is blocked by snow, if a river floods in the Spring, or if leaves fall in Autumn that the player can use to reach a high ledge among other interactions. However, in that instance, the season would only last a week in the real world before changing to the next. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons crafts its puzzles similarly, however, the player is given control of which season is active thus removing any waiting around in real life.
Finally, while a less than stellar trend in the gaming industry, seasons are often used to denote specific time periods of content availability. Fortnite is the most notorious of the lot and somewhat defined what is now the industry standard. Maps, cosmetics, unlockables and more are all tied to specific timeframes usually one to two months. After the time has concluded, the content can become impossible to claim, gone forever. This drives players to heavily consider missing out on a season for fear of missing content for the rest of time. I find this practice to be completely anti-consumer and predatory. Not only does it destroy content (old Fortnite maps are basically gone forever for example) but many of these titles are so time consuming to accomplish the full season of content that players have little to no time for anything else and are therefore more likely to stay within their chosen games ecosystem (and hopefully spend more money). This methodology aims to capture the players attention rather than earn it, which I find distasteful.
Halloween is here, and I feel like I actually got in the spirit this year. I will be on the lookout for games that are appropriate to play at certain times of year now knowing that my play experience of Luigi’s Mansion was enhanced by my decision to play in October. I enjoyed reflecting on a well regarded series and taking a critical look at the design and the evolution of the gameplay. Happy Halloween!
