Honestly, walking into the Last Resort hotel for the first time felt like a trap. We all knew it was a trap. Luigi knew it was a trap. But man, the way Next Level Games handled the Luigi's Mansion 3 ghosts is exactly why this entry in the series stands out so much more than the original GameCube classic or the 3DS sequel.
There's something uniquely tactile about them.
When you're wrestling with a standard Goob—those goofy blue guys—it doesn't just feel like you’re draining a health bar. It feels like you're playing tug-of-war with a very stubborn, very translucent toddler. The physics engine in this game is doing a lot of heavy lifting that people usually overlook. You aren't just hovering in place; you’re being dragged across the floor, knocking over vases and smashing through expensive-looking furniture. It's chaotic. It's messy. It’s exactly what a ghost hunt should feel like.
The Gritty Reality of the Poltergust G-00
The G-00 is a beast. Professor E. Gadd really outdid himself this time around, and the mechanics of catching Luigi's Mansion 3 ghosts revolve entirely around the "Slam" mechanic.
Some purists hated this at first. They thought it made the game too easy.
I disagree.
The Slam is a necessity because the sheer volume of ghosts on screen is much higher than in Dark Moon. If you couldn't use one ghost as a biological—well, ectoplasmic—flail to knock back his buddies, you’d be constantly overwhelmed. It changes the rhythm of the combat from a slow, methodical drain to a high-speed wrecking ball session. You wait for that A-button prompt, and then bam. You're clearing the room. It's satisfying in a way that just watching a counter tick down from 100 to 0 never was.
But it’s not just about the grunts.
Why the Floor Bosses Are the Real Stars
The variety is actually insane when you sit down and map it out. Think about the Chef on the Mezzanine floor. Chef Soulfflé. He isn't just a "ghost with more health." He’s a mechanic-driven encounter that requires you to use the environment—specifically those flying fish and your vacuum—to even get a shot at him.
Then you’ve got someone like Amadeus Wolfgeist.
That boss fight is basically a three-act play. You start with the chairs, move to the dancing ghosts in their little masquerade masks, and finally take on the piano itself. It’s theatrical. It’s dense. Most importantly, it gives each floor of the hotel a distinct personality that makes you forget you're basically just climbing a very tall vertical corridor.
The Boss Ghosts (or "Portrait Ghosts" if we’re being nostalgic) are where the writers and animators really let loose.
- Kruller (the mall cop ghost) is a masterpiece of character design. He’s pathetic, he’s insecure, and his weakness—losing his sunglasses—is perfectly in line with his "tough guy" persona.
- Chambrea the maid actually swallows your suitcase. Think about the physics of that for a second.
- Captain Fishhook turns a floorboards-into-sand mechanic that honestly should have been its own game.
The sheer variety of these Luigi's Mansion 3 ghosts keeps the 15-to-20-hour runtime from ever feeling like a slog. You never know if the next boss is going to be a T-Rex skeleton or a film director who just wants his megaphone back.
The Rare Ghosts and the ScareScraper Grind
If you haven't ventured into the ScareScraper, you're missing half the ecosystem. This is where the "Rare Ghosts" live. These aren't just recolors; they have specific elemental attributes that force you to change how you play.
The Slinker is annoying. We can all agree on that. But the Regen Slinker? That’s a nightmare. It forces a level of cooperation that Nintendo games usually shy away from. You can't just solo everything if you want to clear the 10-floor or 20-floor runs. You need one person pinning the ghost down while another handles the crowds.
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It’s a different vibe entirely from the main story. It’s sweaty. It’s frantic.
Misconceptions About the Ghost AI
A lot of people think the ghosts just wander aimlessly until they see Luigi. That's not really how it works. If you watch them from behind a corner, the Luigi's Mansion 3 ghosts are often interacting with the world. Goobs will play with beach balls. Oozers will hide in trash cans to prank each other. They have a life—or a death—outside of the player's presence.
This "lived-in" feeling is what separates Luigi's Mansion 3 from the more clinical feel of Dark Moon. The ghosts feel like they actually live in this hotel, even if they are currently being enslaved by King Boo’s weird magical painting obsession.
Getting the Most Out of Your Ghost Hunting
If you're struggling to fill out that gallery, you need to stop playing like it's a platformer. It’s an investigation game.
- Flash everything. The Strobulb isn't just for ghosts; it triggers sensors and scares hidden golden ghosts out of the woodwork.
- Use Gooigi as bait. I see so many players forgetting that Gooigi is essentially invincible to physical damage. If a ghost is guarding its front, send Gooigi in to take the hit while Luigi circles around the back.
- Burst frequently. The ZL+ZR jump (The Burst) is the most underrated move in the game. It clears away small projectiles and gives you breathing room when the Hammers start closing in.
- Listen to the rumble. The HD Rumble on the Switch is actually tuned to give you a "hot or cold" sensation when looking for Boos. If the controller is vibrating like crazy, you're looking at the right dresser.
The Luigi's Mansion 3 ghosts are more than just enemies; they are the heart of why the game works. Without their expressive animations—the way they look terrified when Luigi catches them, or the way they laugh when they slap him—the game would just be a polished tech demo.
Practical Next Steps for Completing Your Collection
To truly master the ghost gallery, start by revisiting floors after you’ve cleared the main boss. Many of the most elusive "Gem Ghosts" and specific Boos only trigger their spawn cycles once the "Boss Ectoplasm" has cleared from the area. Head back to the Garden Suites and use your Dark-Light on everything that looks slightly out of place. Most of the time, the ghost you're missing is hiding behind an invisible watering can or a missing piece of furniture. Check your log in E. Gadd’s lab; if a floor doesn't have a checkmark next to the ghost icon, you’ve still got work to do. Focus on the laundry rooms and storage closets—ghosts in this game love a cramped space.
Once you’ve cleared the main hotel, jump into the ScareScraper during a themed event week. This is the only way to encounter certain specialized variants of the standard ghost types that don't appear in the single-player campaign. It’s a grind, but it’s the only path to a 100% completion file.