Poltergust 3000
- This article is about Luigi's main weapon in Luigi's Mansion. For other uses of "Poltergust" and future models of the device, see Poltergust.
| Poltergust 3000 | |
|---|---|
 In-game appearance in Luigi's Mansion | |
| First appearance | Luigi's Mansion (2001) |
| Latest appearance | WarioWare: Get It Together! (2021) |
- “That’s the vacuum cleaner I engineered to catch ghosts.... It’s the only way to foil ’em! This is the only thing they fear!”
- —Professor E. Gadd, Luigi's Mansion
The Poltergust 3000 is a vacuum invented by Professor E. Gadd to catch ghosts. It first appears in Luigi's Mansion, as Luigi's main weapon. It is the first model in the Poltergust line of devices, named after the terms "poltergeist," a ghost who makes itself known through things such as noises, and "gust," referring to wind. The "3000" part of the Poltergust 3000's name is likely a nod to the "thousand" numbers after mad scientists' inventions in typical science fiction movies. It is also a parody of the Proton Pack from the Ghostbusters franchise.
History[edit]
Luigi's Mansion[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 is a vacuum used by Luigi to hunt down ghosts in Luigi's Mansion and its remake. To suck up ghosts, Luigi first has to find their weakness (which usually involves his flashlight in some way) and exploit it. Once the ghost is open, Luigi needs to bring its health down to 0 before it can be sucked into the Poltergust and defeated. By sucking up Elemental Ghosts (which only appear after collecting their corresponding element medals), the Poltergust gains the ability to harness the elements of fire, ice, and water to fight certain ghosts and solve puzzles. By linking up with E. Gadd's Ghost Portrificationizer, it can upload captured ghosts and turn them into portraits. This is demonstrated by the various portrait ghosts found throughout the mansion. In British English releases, the Poltergust 3000 has wheels, allowing Luigi to ride on it, but he can only ever do so in the Boolossus battle.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 makes only two minor appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Poltergust 3000 appears on the Vacuum Luigi trophy's back, and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Poltergust 3000 was given a trophy of its own.
In the American English localization of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, there is a trophy incorrectly titled "Luigi (with Poltergust 3000)," because it instead shows Luigi with the Poltergust 5000. This error was fixed in the British English localization, which renames the trophy "Luigi (with Poltergust 5000)".
Super Mario-kun[edit]
In volume 26 of Super Mario-kun, Luigi uses the Poltergust 3000 when facing against Huff N. Puff in a Paper Mario arc and King Boo in a Luigi's Mansion arc.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Bowser's Minions[edit]
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake, a newer model known as the Super Poltergust 3001 appears. Luigi is shown to still own the original Poltergust, which he used in various cutscenes in Starbeans Cafe, using it on E. Gadd himself twice, the first time after Gadd taste-tests the second drink in order to prevent him from being forced to use the restroom inside the café (due to his neglecting to add restrooms in the place); the second time due to fear as a result of E. Gadd becoming a "ghost" via a specialized gown after test-tasting the last drink.
Mario Tennis series[edit]
The Poltergust appears in Mario Power Tennis and Mario Tennis: Power Tour as a Defensive Power Shot known as the Poltergust Return. Like other Defensive Power Shots, its purpose is to hit the ball when it is out if range. Its offensive counterpart is the Squeaky Mallet.
Mario Sports Mix[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 appears in Luigi's Special Attacks in Mario Sports Mix. As there are four different sports in said game, its use varies slightly between each sport. However, each sport has him doing the same thing: Luigi sucks in the ball or puck, then he expels air from the Poltergust at his opponents to cause them to trip. After that, he shoots the ball or puck either toward the goal (in basketball and hockey), toward the open ground (in volleyball), or at the opponents (in dodgeball).
Other appearances[edit]
There are two games where the Poltergust 3000 is only referenced or mentioned. In Super Mario Sunshine, a Pianta at the Sirena Beach hotel asked Mario to "get rid of these ghosts with a vacuum or something" when the hotel was infested with Boos, likely referencing the Poltergust 3000. Furthermore, F.L.U.D.D., a type of equipment debuting in the game, was also designed by Professor E. Gadd, and is likewise worn by Mario for most of his journey in Super Mario Sunshine. In Fortune Street, the Poltergust 3000 is mentioned on the Ghost Ship by Luigi, who says that he should have brought it with him.
Unused appearances[edit]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
Unused sprites of Luigi wearing the Poltergust 3000 while a member in the Audience can be found in the files of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Profiles[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
| Trophy Vacuum Luigi | ||
| ||
| Game/move: Luigi's Mansion 11/01 | ||
| How to unlock: Can be randomly obtained after playing 200 VS matches. | ||
| In a strange twist of fate, Luigi wins a huge mansion in a contest he didn't even enter, and the place turns out to be haunted! After meeting a weird professor named Elvin Gadd, Luigi enters the place armed with a flashlight and a ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner. Mario's trapped somewhere in there! Can Luigi save him? | ||
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
| Trophy Poltergust 3000 | ||
| ||
| Appears in: GCN Luigi's Mansion | ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| A vacuum cleaner developed by Professor Elvin Gadd of the E. Gadd Science Corporation. He gives it to Luigi, who uses it to trap ghosts in a haunted mansion after stunning them with his flashlight. It also absorbs elements like water, ice, or fire that it can then shoot out. An optional accessory to this fine product is a machine that converts the trapped ghosts into portraits. (American English) | ||
| A vacuum cleaner developed by Professor Elvin Gadd of Gadd Science Inc. He gives it to Luigi, who uses it to trap ghosts in a haunted mansion after stunning them with his flashlight. It also absorbs elements like water, ice, or fire that it can then shoot out. An optional accessory to this fine product is a machine that converts the trapped ghosts into portraits. (British English) | ||
Gallery[edit]
Professor E. Gadd with the early design for the Poltergust 3000
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion
Nintendo UNO
Nintendo UNO
Nintendo UNO
Video for New Year's Eve 2019 from Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s Instagram account
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | オバキューム[?] Obakyūmu |
Portmanteau on "vacuum" and「お化け」(obake, ghost); shared with the other main Poltergust models | |
| Dutch | Spookzuiger 3000[?] | From spook ("ghost") and stofzuiger ("vacuum") | |
| French | Ectoblast 3000[?] | From ectoplasme ("ectoplasm") and possibly "windblast" | |
| German | Schreckweg 08/16[?] | From schreck ("fright") and weg ("gone") a reference to 08/15 (German adjective meaning "standard") | |
| Italian | Poltergust 3000[?] | - | |
| Korean | 유령싹싹[?] Yuryongssakssak |
From "유령" (yuryeong, ghost) and "싹싹" (ssak-ssak, onomatopoeia for sweeping); same as the Poltergust 5000 | |
| Portuguese | Sugospectro 3000[1] | From masculine form of sugar ("to suck") and espectro ("ghost") | |
| Russian | Полтергаст-3000[?] Poltergast-3000 |
Poltergust 3000 | |
| Spanish | Succionaentes 3000[?] | Pun of succionar ("vacuum") and entes ("ghosts") |
References[edit]
- ^ Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Ghosts (Luigi's Mansion) trophy description (European Portuguese).
