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, seePoltergust (disambiguation).
| Poltergust 3000 | |
|---|---|
 In-game appearance inLuigi'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
ThePoltergust 3000 is a vacuum invented byProfessor E. Gadd to catchghosts. It first appears inLuigi's Mansion, asLuigi's main weapon. It is the first model in thePoltergust 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 theGhostbusters franchise.
History[edit]
Luigi's Mansion[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 is a vacuum used byLuigi to hunt down ghosts inLuigi's Mansion and itsremake. To suck up ghosts, Luigi first has to find their weakness (which usually involves hisflashlight 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 upElemental Ghosts (which only appear after collecting their correspondingelement 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'sGhost Portrificationizer, it can upload captured ghosts and turn them into portraits. This is demonstrated by the variousportrait ghosts found throughoutthe mansion. In British English releases, the Poltergust 3000 has wheels, allowing Luigi to ride on it, but he can only ever do so in theBoolossus battle.
In the Nintendo 3DS remake, if the player chooses theStrobulb control method, the Poltergust 3000 will have the ability to stun ghosts to then catch and suck them, like inLuigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 makes only two minor appearances in theSuper Smash Bros. series. InSuper Smash Bros. Melee, the Poltergust 3000 appears on the VacuumLuigitrophy's back, and inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, the Poltergust 3000 was given a trophy of its own.
In the American English localization ofSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, there is a trophy incorrectly titled "Luigi (with Poltergust 3000)," because it instead shows Luigi with thePoltergust 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 ofSuper Mario-kun, Luigi uses the Poltergust 3000 when facing againstHuff N. Puff in aPaper Mario arc and King Boo in aLuigi's Mansion arc.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga /Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
InMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and itsremake, a newer model known as theSuper Poltergust 3001 appears. Luigi is shown to still own the original Poltergust, which he used in various cutscenes inStarbeans Cafe, using it on E. Gadd himself twice, the first time after Gadd taste-tests the seconddrink 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 specializedgown after test-tasting the last drink.
Mario Tennis series[edit]
The Poltergust appears inMario Power Tennis andMario Tennis: Power Tour as a Defensive Power Shot known as thePoltergust Return. Like other Defensive Power Shots, its purpose is to hit the ball when it is out if range. Its offensive counterpart is theSqueaky Mallet.
Mario Sports Mix[edit]
The Poltergust 3000 appears in Luigi's Special Attacks inMario 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. InSuper Mario Sunshine, aPianta at theSirena Beachhotel asked Mario to "get rid of these ghosts with a vacuum or something" when the hotel was infested withBoos, 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 inSuper Mario Sunshine. InFortune Street, the Poltergust 3000 is mentioned on theGhost 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 theAudience can be found in the files ofPaper 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 namedElvin 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: GCNLuigi'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
A blueprint and diagram of the Poltergust G-00 with the Poltergust 3000 andPoltergust 5000
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[?] | Fromspook ("ghost") andstofzuiger ("vacuum") | |
| French | Ectoblast 3000[?] | Fromectoplasme ("ectoplasm") and possibly "windblast" | |
| German | Schreckweg 08/16[?] | Fromschreck ("fright") andweg ("gone") + a reference to08/15 (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(Brazilian) | Aspirespectro[1] | Fromaspirar ("to vacuum") andespectro ("specter") | |
| Portuguese(European) | Sugospectro 3000[2] | From first-person form ofsugar ("to suck") andespectro ("specter") | |
| Russian | Полтергаст-3000[?] Poltergast-3000 | Poltergust 3000 | |
| Spanish | Succionaentes 3000[?] | Pun ofsuccionar ("vacuum") andentes ("ghosts") |
References[edit]
- ^Pacote de expansão - Laboratório e Aspirespectro de Luigi’s Mansion™.LEGO.com (Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved November 15, 2025.
- ^Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Ghosts (Luigi's Mansion) trophy description (European Portuguese).
