However, given the fact that the original entry to the series is old enough to buy alcohol by now [*2], it means that newcomers to the series might have a hard time getting into a game with a measly 16/256 (depending on the version) colors in total. Provided they can even find a copy, at that.
Acknowledging this fact [*3], LucasArts decided to give us another, “Special Edition” version of the fabled Secret of Monkey Island, this time with all-new graphics, music, sound effects and voice-overs, as well as a completely overhauled control system. Truth be told, SCUMM may have worked like a charm back in the day, but nowadays most people don’t have the patience to be clicking on verbs every time when they want to perform an action.
Still, for us MI purists out there, it’s possible to switch back to the classic VGA revision of the game with the push of just one button. This transition between versions is absolutely seamless, to the point where voice-overs continue mid-sentence if you happen to switch back and forth during a conversation. One last thing about the classic version of the game is the fact that even after all these years, and despite their age and simplicity, the graphics of The Secret of Monkey Island still ooze with character, and that’s testament to how inspired this game was [*4].
While on the subject of the game and how inspired it was, it has often been debated what made The Secret of Monkey Island stand out all that much, in an era where great adventure games were coming out practically every week. Arguably, and this is the opinion I subscribe to, this can be summed up by the very first thing the protagonist, Guybrush, says in the game:
“My name is Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!”
And there you have it. You play as a young man that wants to live a life full of adventure, mischief and beautiful women. What follows in the game is Guybrush getting what he wished for, even if it is not as easy as he would have hoped. Who hasn’t dreamed of something like that at least ones in their lives (substitute “women” with your sexual partner of choice)? In other words, The Secret of Monkey Island is essentially the ultimate form of dream fulfilment [*5], which is arguably what games are about.
Regardless of how inspired this game was when it came out, however, it’s still a nineteen-year old game, underneath the all-new coat of paint. And are all the new additions respectful of the original, or has LucasArts gone all “Digitally Remastered” on us?
For those looking for the answer, right this way please:
Things MI SE does right:
- Age, smage. MI SE is still as funny, witty, charming and emotionally-affecting as it was nearly twenty years ago. The quality of writing is simply top-notch, almost unparalleled in the gaming industry, and in a game that’s story-based such as this one, that’s all you need.
- The all-new voice-overs work incredibly well. The main cast from MI3 and 4 are back, love ‘em or hate ‘em [*6] and they are absolutely on point, with Dominic Armato being once again outstanding in his role as Guybrush. One little detail I particularly liked about the voice-overs is the way Guybrush sounds unsure and insecure when he gives the wrong answer during his fight with the Swordmaster. Hilarious stuff.
- Speaking of new things, when it comes to graphics, the backgrounds really stand out. They are beautiful, have great animation and generally are really inspired (there’s that word again) and even though they are quite different to the original concepts on most parts, they don’t feel out of place in the least.
- The new control system is intuitive and simple enough to use. Newcomers shouldn’t have to fiddle to much with it in order to make things work.
- Even after all these years, it never ceases to amaze me how most of its puzzles are so wonderfully woven into the story itself, something all adventure games should aspire to.
Things about MI SE that aren't that hot:
- Alright, I lied. There are a few things about MI that show their age. During the “open world” segments of the game, that would be parts 1 and 3, I really wished there was an option to fast-travel to anywhere on the map. Clicking around for no other reason than to simply watch Guybrush walk about gets tedious after a while.
- Part 3, “Under Monkey Island” has always felt like the weakest part to me. There’s a general lack of direction without a clear path of where to go or what to do. This is something that really stands out in this time and age, where games practically guide us all the way through from the beginning to the end.
- While the new backgrounds are great, some of the new character sprites are a bit... eh. That’s not to say they’re bad, per se, but they lack the character of the originals. Although some, like the ridiculous-looking pirates you fight in Insult Swordfighting, do look better.
- This flaw is exclusive to the Xbox 360 version, but thanks to its god-awful d-pad, it is often hard to pick the correct verb (you do this by pressing up, down, down-left etc.) and when you’re pressed for time, this really gets on your nerves. During a specific puzzle, I had to switch to classic mode to avoid getting frustrated.
Things I just don't get:
- Was it really necessary to have the special and classic completely separate from each other, with no option to mix-and-match? I would have loved for a classic version with voice-overs, as I’m a huge sucker for Dominic Armato’s hillariousness.
The Final Verdict is:
The Genuine Article
The Genuine ArticleTL;DR version:
Buy this game.
* Especially anything after #6?
[*2] It came out in 1990. Holy shit, that’s a long time ago
[*3] As well as the fact that they once made more games than just Star Wars ones
[*4] Of course, if you never played it back in the day, it will just look fugly to you
[*5] Unless you’re a ninja-zealot, I guess?
[*6] I love ‘em, so should you
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