Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon introduced one of the most popular modes in the Luigi’s Mansion series: Scarescraper. The mode returned in Luigi’s Mansion 3, expanding upon the mode in many ways. While the modes have their similarities, they are very different. From how they’re structured to their various challenges, these two versions of the mode feel completely different.
Which one is better? Both modes have their differences, but which one does it better? For this article, we’ll compare Luigi’s Mansion 3 to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, specifically looking at what they have in common, what they do differently, and ultimately which one has the better version of the mode.
What They Have In Common
To start, both games have the same general structure. Players can choose the tower’s length, from 5 floors to 20 floors in Luigi’s Mansion 3 and 25 floors in Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. Up to 4 players can traverse the Scarescraper, clearing each floor one by one, with every 5th floor being a boss floor containing a reskinned version of an existing ghost. On the final floor, being the roof, players encounter the Scarescraper boss. If the players manage to beat the boss, they win the Scarescraper.
Other than the overall structure, both games have similar features. Both have a timer for each floor, giving players a limited time to finish. Both also contain several different modes; however, each game handles this differently. Regarding major similarities, that’s about all the two games have in common. Their differences primarily define them. This is where you can see how each game strives… and how they fall flat.
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What They Do Different
Firstly, while both games have different modes, those modes vary drastically. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s Scarescraper has 3 modes: Hunter mode, Rush mode, and Polterpup mode. There is also Surprise mode, which rotates the three modes in a random order. In Luigi’s Mansion 3, instead of there being different modes, each floor can have a different objective. The objectives include capturing ghosts, rescuing toads, capturing crows, and collecting money. I think the modes in 3 provide a lot more variety, making a Scarescraper run a lot more interesting.
Unfortunately, certain puzzles in 3’s Scarescraper ruin the mode. Specifically, the room where everyone has to stand on the platform can easily ruin a run. Because of that, combined with the timer, this can make the mode impossible to play. So, while Luigi Mansion 2 HD’s Scarescraper has less variety, it’s much less frustrating to play.
Another difference is the layout of the floors themselves. In Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s Scarescaper, the floors are comprised of several joined rooms. On the other hand, Luigi’s Mansion 3’s Scarescraper is a fully fleshed-out floor comprised of hallways connecting different rooms. I much prefer how 3’s floors are designed; it makes it feel like I’m exploring an actual floor of a mansion. Along with the DLC that added different costumes for Luigi and themes for Scarescraper, the floors in 3 are more appealing to explore and discover how the theme looks in each room.
Both games also have exclusive gameplay features that change the overall gameplay loop. In Luigi’s Mansion 3, the boos will occasionally mess with the players, either causing a blackout or stealing the player’s Poltergust. This does add a challenge to the gameplay but doesn’t make the game frustratingly impossible. It also encourages players to memorize the map to know where to find their Poltergust or where to find the breaker box.
Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD instead has the red coin hunt. At the end of each floor (besides the top floor) players can find 4 red coins, which are randomly spread across different rooms. If players manage to collect all 4 red coins, then a random player will get a power-up on the next floor. I really miss this in Luigi’s Mansion 3. It’s a nice reward for an optional coin hunt and a way to round out each floor. While some of the items on the roulette can be found randomly in 3, it’s not the same.
The final significant difference that I would like to point out is the actual bosses on the top floor of each Scarescraper. In Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, there’s The Brain, and in Luigi’s Mansion 3, it’s Boolosseus. I vastly prefer Boolosseus. It’s a more exciting fight with all of his different attacks, and the way to beat him is quite different from the rest of the ghosts in Scarescraper. I was also so excited to have Boolosseus back in the series after so long. On the other hand, the Brain is a boring boss fight with a slightly altered version of another boss, nothing more.
Which Scarescraper Is Better?
While it definitely has its issues, I think Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD’s Scarescraper is better. The boss is relatively lackluster, and the mode feels lacking overall, but it’s all-around easier to play. 3’s Scarescraper can be impossible to play online, and though it has more overall, I think the forced cooperative puzzles ruin the experience.
To wrap up, I am quite surprised. I thought that Luigi’s Mansion 3’’s Scarescraper would be better. But after playing both again, I realized just how stark the difference between the two were. Hopefully, in future Luigi’s Mansion games, the devs will improve upon Scarescraper and make the ultimate iteration of the mode. In the meantime, if you’re looking to play a round or two of Scarescraper but don’t know which game to play, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is the way to go.