Nintendo is famous for including little hidden details in their games, and in keeping with this thirty year old tradition Luigi’s Mansion 3 is no different. This instant classic is bursting at the seams with hidden content, easter eggs, and winks to legendary franchises (television and movie) that inspired the developers. Of course, many of the entries below will be known to those gamers who have scoured the game looking for secrets, and/or are fans of popular culture and Nintendo games. For casual gamers though there are probably many entries in this list that will shed some light on something that may have seemed a bit random when it was encountered while playing.
10 Hidden Mario Bros. Theme
Here is a secret that is available as soon as the game begins. When first entering the mansion Mario can be seen walking over to the table of food to the left. To activate this secret the player must walk over to the table and stand next to Mario.
If the player waits there for a moment (and watches Mario obsess over the cakes) the music in the lobby area will begin playing a muzak version of the iconic Mario Bros. theme song. This is a fun little extra that shows how much fun the developers must have had creating this game.
9 Little Mac’s Green Boxing Glove
Here is a hidden item that is easy to miss. When going to the backstage area of the theater, Luigi enters a hallway with movie posters hanging on the wall. These posters depict Nintendo games and characters. Some of the posters are for Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, Mario Strikers, and Punch-Out for the Wii (2009). If the player uses the poltergust to pull on the Punch-Out poster it will be pulled from the wall. A shower of loot flows from the opening in the wall, and Little Mac’s green boxing glove is included in the loot. The glove can be used as a projectile with the poltergust.
8 Professor E. Gadd Strikes A Pose
Here is another little hidden detail that many players might have missed. The player can use the poltergust to flash Professor E. Gadd; this will cause the professor to strike a pose. There are three poses in all, and all of them are hilarious. One pose gives the players a look at what the professor looks like without his glasses. He also imitates the famous Marilyn Monroe standing on the air vent pose. This must be done after freeing E. Gadd from the picture he is imprisoned in, but before he sets up his lab.
7 Hidden Gold Ghosts In The Barber Chairs
This secret is like another entry (#3) that requires the use of the poltergust to spin objects in the game-world. When looking through the window into the barber shop the player will see a ghost going through the motions of cutting someone’s hair – but the barber's chair is empty.
If the player uses the poltergust to spin the chairs their occupants (a pair of gold ghosts) will become visible. These gold ghosts give a big payout. The player needs to spin the chairs for a few seconds; just long enough for a lot of players to give-up and assume the chairs don’t do anything.
6 Pizza Boxes
Only true fans of the Mario Bros. franchise will have caught this hidden detail while playing. In some rooms there are pizza boxes; which at first don’t seem that remarkable – and in truth they are not. However, if the player looks closely at the writing on these boxes the words “Since 1983” can be clearly read. It is easy to assume this date was chosen arbitrarily, but 1983 is an important date for Nintendo and the Mario Bros. franchise. The year 1983 is not only the year the first Mario Bros. game was released (in the arcades),but this game was also the first appearance of Luigi.
5 Luigi Humming In The Elevator
Players of the first Luigi’s Mansion for the GameCube might remember that Luigi would begin humming a tune at times – usually when he was nervous. This feature was not only a nice extra detail from the developers (and incredibly amusing), but it also gave players a closer glimpse at Luigi’s personality. This is something that was needed as Luigi was still somewhat of a blank slate in terms of character. Thankfully, this feature of Luigi humming was included in Luigi’s Mansion 3. If the player stays in the elevator after it has arrived at the desired floor Luigi will start humming along with the elevator music.
4 The “It” Reference
There were many horror films that the developers let people know had some influence on their designs for the game. One of these hidden details is almost certainly a reference to the It movies. If the player goes to the flooded boiler room in the basement they will notice boats made out of newspaper like in the beginning of the first It movie.
If the player travels to the left they will eventually arrive at a dead end. At this dead end is a purple balloon. With the other horror movie references found throughout this game the appearance of these two items in the sewer-like basement is probably not a coincidence.
3 DJ Luigi
This is one of those secrets that is easy to miss, but obvious after learning of it. When exiting the elevator on floor 14, the player should go to the left. Hanging on the wall is a couple of large record players. If the player uses the poltergust to spin the records for a few seconds a block will extend from the wall behind Luigi (to the right of the neon break-dancer). Use Gooigi to stand under this block and jump. Doing this will cause some loot to fall from the block; included in this loot is the purple headphone gem for the level.
2 More Famous Movie References
For brevity’s sake this entry will consolidate some of the other notable movie references. There is a section of the 8th floor called Paranormal Productions which features a spooky set with a stone well. If the player approaches the well a figure will pop out for a good jump scare. This is clearly a reference to the movie The Ring. Another movie reference can be found in studio 3 – the fire set. Leaning against a wall is a bicycle with something bundled in a white blanket in the basket hanging in front of the handlebars. This is of course a reference to the movie E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.
1 The Shining Carpet
These two hidden movie/television references are so cool they deserved the #1 spot. These references can both be found on the 11th floor. In the hallway is a rug running down the middle of the tile floor. The pattern of the rug is immediately recognizable to fans of the movie The Shining (the original movie). The pattern of the tile floor is a little less noticeable, but is almost certainly a reference to the television show Twin Peaks. With all the horror movie and pop culture references that have been found in Luigi’s Mansion 3, there are very likely many that have yet to be discovered.