I mentioned this in a recent reblog, but I noticed Mario’s expressions here. I know this part of the Luigi’s Mansion DM ending was short, but for me it says something.
Notice how Mario isn’t just surprised or simply confused. His eyebrows give him almost entirely different expressions, ones you would see when a character is anxious and afraid.
Mario was scared. It may not seem like a big deal, but with a less passive character like Mario, this is definitely worth noting.
He could’ve been thinking he was going to see King Boo when he was taken out of the painting, not knowing what he’d do. However, he saw Luigi instead and becomes so happy to finally be free 😀
Just a small thing. I like to analyze things too closely, especially micro-expressions like these. Add other things if you’d like (just be nice).
As many of you are aware, I have been flipping out like crazy over today’s Smash Direct, as well as the prominence of Luigi in the beginning. Additionally, like many others before me, I have also spotted a rather controversial point of contention during Luigi’s appearance, which is none other than his trusty Poltergust, a vacuum specifically designed to trap and contain ghosts indefinitely.
This nifty invention is typically only found in the “Luigi’s Mansion” games, a spin-off of the Super Mario series as a whole. It has also taken several different forms over the years since it first debuted in 2001:
(Pictured: Screenshots from “Luigi’s Mansion” on the GameCube, “Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon”, the 3DS sequel, and the 3DS remake of the original “Luigi’s Mansion”, which is set to release later this year.)
From a general standpoint, the Poltergust is typically displayed as a portable vacuum with a giant red storage unit. Although it has wheels on the side, it has brown straps that enable the wielder to carry it like a backpack. Aside from the vacuum nozzle, it also carries a flashlight function. The earliest Poltergust model, the 3000, could also expel fire, water, or ice, depending on what kind of elemental ghost the wielder has captured. However, the newer model, the 5000, is much stronger with more powerful suction abilities. While it loses its elemental power, it instead utilizes a powerful strobe light that stuns ghosts and a “Dark-Light” that reveals trapped objects or hidden objects previously rendered invisible.
With this in mind, fans have noted a few visual changes in the Poltergust’s appearance in the Smash Direct video:
(Screenshots taken from the Smash Direct trailer for “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” set to release in early December this year.)
Right off the bat, we can see that this Poltergust model looks considerably less bulky than past incarnations, and a lot less red. Instead, we notice that all of its parts are built around a transparent green storage unit that possibly makes the whole vacuum pack much lighter. Secondly, we can also observe how much longer the tube connecting the vacuum nozzle to the storage compartment is, which can easily help Luigi reach ghosts that are farther out of reach. It’s now so long that it drags on the floor. Even its positioning is different; instead of the center, the tube now comes out of the right side. Another cool detail I found is that the wheels glow in the dark, a feature that past Poltergust models did not have. (Whether this is a functional or cosmetic change is currently unknown). But that’s not all…
(More screenshots from the Smash Direct video)
The vacuum nozzle itself is longer, too! Apparently the front compartment of the nozzle is so long, it’s deep enough to fit a plunger inside, but only up until the top of the rubber head. Not only that, but it can be seen that this Poltergust has an ejection function similar to the 3000. However, the latter model seems to pack stronger ejection power, since it can shoot a plunger as a projectile with what looks like considerable speed, enough to latch onto the victim’s face for at least a few seconds.
So at least we know that this Poltergust has taken inspiration from at least the 3000 model. Even so, it’s not the only model that lent itself as an inspirational source.
(Yet another Smash Direct screenshot)
That’s right! The 5000’s strobe light feature is back, too, packing a much brighter punch and what looks to be a much larger radius all around.
In conclusion, with improvements on all of the past models’ features, combined with a more practical design, this is probably the most powerful, high-tech Poltergust we’ve seen yet.
But one question still remains: why would Sakurai approve this design if the first game it’s appeared in WASN’T a Luigi’s Mansion game? After all, this is the only portable Poltergust model so far where that was the case.
Some theories are floating around saying that it might be a teaser for a brand new “Luigi’s Mansion” game. While the idea itself is a bit of a stretch, I’m electing to stay cautiously optimistic on the matter. The visual differences that this particular vacuum possesses are noticeable enough to suggest that perhaps this redesign is not an accident, and the fact that we haven’t seen this new model actually catch any ghosts yet is telling.
Perhaps we WILL see some Boos in that cool new transparent green storage container. Eventually.
Only Seven Acres of Rose of Pollux's Musings & Daydreams 