One of the things that makes Luigi's Mansion 3 one of the best Nintendo Switch games is that it allows two players to run through the main story mode together. If you were looking forward to capturing ghosts with a friend, then you might have been surprised to find that Gooigi, the character that player-2 controls, isn't available to play from the get-go. We'll cover how to unlock this gooey doppelganger so you can get playing with a buddy as soon as possible.
If you'd like additional help, we also have guides to help you beat every boss, collect every gem, and find every Boo in Luigi's Mansion 3.
How to unlock Gooigi for co-op
To unlock Gooigi, you'll need to find Professor E. Gadd and complete the mission he gives you of retrieving his briefcase from Floor 5. Depending on how thorough you are with investigating every nook and cranny of the hotel for gems, ghosts, and money, I'd say it takes 30 mins to about an hour to obtain Gooigi after starting the game. Here are the steps you'll need to take to unlock him:
1. Find Professor E. Gadd
Finding Professor E. Gadd is one of the first things you do after the hotel's inhabitants reveal their true nature. Follow the Polterpup as he leads you through the hotel. Your ghost dog will first take you to the Poltergust G-00 so you can fend off ghosts, and then eventually, he'll lead you to the crazy ghost enthusiast.
Unfortunately, the professor has been framed in a painting, so the Polterpup will lead you to the Dark Light, which you'll need to free him. Once you've shined the Dark Light on the painting, the old coot will stumble out as lively as ever.
2. Set up the lab
Upon freeing Professor E. Gadd, the little old man will instruct you to take him to the garage. A minor boss is waiting for you here. You'll need to dodge the luggage he throws at you and then wait for the right moment to stun him with your Strobulb. While he's dazed, suck him up with the Poltergust. Upon defeating him, you'll obtain the 5th floor's elevator button.
Once this battle has finished, Professor E. Gadd will set up his portable lab. After doing so, he'll inform you that he needs you to retrieve something important from his hotel room, which happens to be on Floor 5.
3. Retrieve the briefcase
Leave the garage and head for the elevator. Once you're inside, press the button for the 5th floor. You'll need to make your way to room 508, where you'll find a ghostly maid tidying up Professor E. Gadd's things. She takes a liking to the very briefcase you've been sent to retrieve and swallows it to keep you from getting it. After doing this, she'll escape through the wall.
She's now hiding in room 507. If you lose track of where she goes, use your Dark Light to find her trail. To deal damage, Suction Shot the briefcase and then slam the maid around. She'll run off to another room once this is done. You'll need to track her down a few times and lower her health until she's ready for capture. Once she's safely inside the Poltergust, you can get your hands on the briefcase. When it's in your possession, take it back to the lab. It turns out that the briefcase houses Gooigi.
4. Complete the Gooigi tutorial
Once you return to Professor E. Gadd, the crazy man locks Luigi in a cage and forces him to use Gooigi to escape. Note that Gooigi can walk through bars but dissolves when he steps on water. There are a few puddles in the garage, so you'll want to maneuver him around these areas until he gets to the wheel lock on the right. Use his gooey version of the Poltergust to rotate the lock, thereby freeing Luigi from his cage. Now your tutorial is complete, and you can use Gooigi whenever you want.
How to switch from 1-player to 2-player co-op
Now that 2-player co-op is possible, here's how to make it happen.
- Press the + button on your Switch to bring up the Virtual Boo menu.
- Select Co-op.
- When the next screen pops up, select Co-op again.
- This screen will appear. If players are using their own sets of controllers, everyone should press down their L and R buttons simultaneously. If you're both using half of a Joy-Con set, press down the SL and SR buttons.Source: iMore
- Luigi and Gooigi are now ready to go. Enjoy your haunting hunt!
There you go. Gooigi and Luigi are now both ready to play. If you're playing by yourself, press in the right joystick to switch between the two characters. If you want to play local 2-player co-op, hand a controller to a friend and explore this haunted hotel together.
Who ya goo-na call?
It really is a thing of beauty that Luigi's Mansion 3 offers a main campaign that allows for both solo or co-op play. What's more, it doesn't feel like the local multiplayer is just thrown in either. Both characters have their strengths and their weaknesses that the other character must rely on or make up for. Really the only thing that makes Luigi better is that he can open doors, but that's relatively small in the big scheme of things.
Whether you're having a date night, hanging out with a friend, or playing with a family member Luigi's Mansion 3 is the perfect adventure for two people. You must work together to solve puzzles as both characters are equally necessary to making it through the game.
Of course, if your buddy has to leave, you can easily swap back to single-player, which allows you to alternate between controlling Luigi or Gooigi. If your friend shows up again, just press the right buttons to let them join the game again.
