Original video located here. Accessed 23rd May 2016
R.I.P. Alan Young
Showing posts with label Secret of Monkey Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Secret of Monkey Island. Show all posts
Monday, May 23, 2016
Friday, October 9, 2015
...Let us leave the confusion and all this illusion behind / Like birds of a feather on a rainbow together we'll find....
And another game has been cast down from the Hall of Shame: Pack your bags Leisure Suit Larry 7 Love for Sail!. You're outta here!
I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.
When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.
In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)
So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.
Original image located here. Accessed 9th October 2015
I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:
- Both are are the seventh installment of their respective franchises (well.....maybe not Larry).
- Both came out at roughly the same time (Larry 7 in October 1996, FF7 in January 1997)
- Larry got a significant graphical upgrade with it's animation and art style. FF7 drummed up a lot of buzz with it's use of cinematics.
- Both games took a successful formula and added a whole of new features on top
- And both are largely regarded as being the pinnacle of the franchises
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.
When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.
In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)
So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Seemed like a good idea at the time
Following on from an earlier post about Steam achievements, I've been doing some comparisons between the achievements scored in the games I've played against everyone else.
It was then that I saw a pattern emerging: It seems the most unlocked achievements are those that detonate certain progress through the game itself. But in the terms of progress achievements, it's the first in a series.
What this means that it seems that people got part way through a game before giving up and not bothering to go back and complete it.
To back up this claim, let's take a look at the following:
Gemini Rue:
Secret of Monkey Island 2:
The Stanley Parable:
True my claim may be BS as I've been relying on games I've scored perfects on to base this theory. And again this theory is BS as I too have been guilty of playing a game so far before giving up on it completely. And finally, I've included The Stanley Parable here even though the achievements in that game aren't really designed to be unlocked without some near -insane level of commitment.
However there is some weight to the theory that there are so many games available on Steam and many of which are designed to be played quickly without the need for a massive time investment. Thus, one can expect, in amongst the Steam users, that there are the kind of users that download a game, give it a go before deciding the game wasn't for them and give up on it and then move onto the next game.
Indeed, one can imagine this to be a side-effect of having so many games readily available: With so much variety, the time committed to a game is subsequently on the wane. After all, why spend hour on a game when something potentially better is within easy reach?
Still I would like to think that the people who played Eversion only to gave up were traumatized victims of being broken by the game itself.
It was then that I saw a pattern emerging: It seems the most unlocked achievements are those that detonate certain progress through the game itself. But in the terms of progress achievements, it's the first in a series.
What this means that it seems that people got part way through a game before giving up and not bothering to go back and complete it.
To back up this claim, let's take a look at the following:
Eversion:
Gemini Rue:
Secret of Monkey Island 2:
The Stanley Parable:
True my claim may be BS as I've been relying on games I've scored perfects on to base this theory. And again this theory is BS as I too have been guilty of playing a game so far before giving up on it completely. And finally, I've included The Stanley Parable here even though the achievements in that game aren't really designed to be unlocked without some near -insane level of commitment.
However there is some weight to the theory that there are so many games available on Steam and many of which are designed to be played quickly without the need for a massive time investment. Thus, one can expect, in amongst the Steam users, that there are the kind of users that download a game, give it a go before deciding the game wasn't for them and give up on it and then move onto the next game.
Indeed, one can imagine this to be a side-effect of having so many games readily available: With so much variety, the time committed to a game is subsequently on the wane. After all, why spend hour on a game when something potentially better is within easy reach?
Still I would like to think that the people who played Eversion only to gave up were traumatized victims of being broken by the game itself.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Feel Good Hit of the Summer
At time of writing, it is summer time here in Australia. Meaning there is a lot of sunshine and warmth - something that means little to the average gamer as gaming is a (mostly) indoor activity. Still at least being inside keeps me from getting sunburn.
Anyway, I'm an adamant believer in the notion that certain games require a certain atmosphere. Certain games work in certain environments, that indeed add considerably to the experience, but others don't. By way of example, would anyone play a horror game like Amnesia the Dark Descent in a brightly lit room? I don't think so.
So what games do I like play/revisit during the summer months? Well, I like games that really fit the summer mood: There is no set criteria but bright colors certainly help and generally a mood of warmth and/or tropics.
With this in mind here's what I designate as Summer games:
Pharaoh
It's set in a desert and based around a civilisation building itself around a river. How can this not be a summer game? It's also in possession of a sense of warmth that has never been before or since.
Secret of Mana
More of a personal choice on my part: I played this during the summer of 2005 where my interest in gaming was subsequently rekindled. Somehow, with such bright graphics and glorious soundtrack, playing this game during the winter months seem pointless.
Secret of Monkey Island
It's got pirates, a well realised setting and a reggae soundtrack. Sounds like a great game to play during the summer months to me. It being chock full of hilarious moments doesn't hurt either
Skies of Arcadia
Once again, bright colours, a brilliant soundtrack and great environments. Throw in a great sense of exploration and it's little wonder why this is game that I keep finding myself returning to (not to mention a good enough reason to hang onto my Dreamcast).
Sonic the Hedgehog
I've fond memories playing this game during many a summer and I suspect I'll have more. I don't know why this game works so well as a summer game but it just does. And therein lies the thought that if I think about this too much it may be ruined.
World of Warcraft (Stanglethorn)
Blue skies, beaches, and perhaps the best-realised jungle environment I've ever seen in a game. Come for the questing, stay for the sunsets ;)
Anyway, I'm an adamant believer in the notion that certain games require a certain atmosphere. Certain games work in certain environments, that indeed add considerably to the experience, but others don't. By way of example, would anyone play a horror game like Amnesia the Dark Descent in a brightly lit room? I don't think so.
So what games do I like play/revisit during the summer months? Well, I like games that really fit the summer mood: There is no set criteria but bright colors certainly help and generally a mood of warmth and/or tropics.
With this in mind here's what I designate as Summer games:
Pharaoh
It's set in a desert and based around a civilisation building itself around a river. How can this not be a summer game? It's also in possession of a sense of warmth that has never been before or since.
Secret of Mana
More of a personal choice on my part: I played this during the summer of 2005 where my interest in gaming was subsequently rekindled. Somehow, with such bright graphics and glorious soundtrack, playing this game during the winter months seem pointless.
Secret of Monkey Island
It's got pirates, a well realised setting and a reggae soundtrack. Sounds like a great game to play during the summer months to me. It being chock full of hilarious moments doesn't hurt either
Skies of Arcadia
Once again, bright colours, a brilliant soundtrack and great environments. Throw in a great sense of exploration and it's little wonder why this is game that I keep finding myself returning to (not to mention a good enough reason to hang onto my Dreamcast).
Sonic the Hedgehog
I've fond memories playing this game during many a summer and I suspect I'll have more. I don't know why this game works so well as a summer game but it just does. And therein lies the thought that if I think about this too much it may be ruined.
World of Warcraft (Stanglethorn)
Blue skies, beaches, and perhaps the best-realised jungle environment I've ever seen in a game. Come for the questing, stay for the sunsets ;)
Friday, April 5, 2013
A Tribute to LucasArts
As you all may have heard by now, something terrible has happened: LucasArts has been closed by parent company Disney due to disappointments with not much happening.
Sad news to be sure. Okay true LucasArts haven't really done anything of note in recent years but for a moment there, these guys were at the top of their game, delivering games that were lot's of fun and have stood strong against the march of time.
The LucasArts I knew were makers of superb adventure games. They were both real written and imaginative in their premises. They boasted puzzles that actually made sense and had a sense of humor that worked even when humor in gaming tends to fall flat on its face all too easily. These games had brilliant graphics complimented with gloriously rendered backgrounds and presented wonderfully realized worlds. And these games were designed by people who truly loved their craft and knew exactly what made a great game. Finally, LucasArts took chances with new IP - most of them paid off in dividends. They fostered talent and proved they were bursting at the seams with genuine creativity.
I spent this summer playing a lot of LucasArts adventures - namely Day of the Tentacle, the Dig, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Sam and Max Hit the Road and, of course, Monkey Island 1,2 and 3. Some of these I played for the very first time. From the perspective of twenty years, these games still hold up remarkably well and they certainly are impressive - even to someone who spent the early nineties as a one-eyed console devotee. What worked originally still works very well and it's a testament to building games that are well-designed. Indeed, these games were made by people who are genuinely passionate about what they do and it shows.
And whilst the LucasArts adventures may have been a mainstay of PC gaming twenty years ago, even if I wasn't aware of it at the time, it's hard to imagine PC gaming without the Midas Touch LucasArts has provided.
So here's to LucasArts and the adventure games they made. We've never seen anything like them and we probably never will again.
Sad news to be sure. Okay true LucasArts haven't really done anything of note in recent years but for a moment there, these guys were at the top of their game, delivering games that were lot's of fun and have stood strong against the march of time.
The LucasArts I knew were makers of superb adventure games. They were both real written and imaginative in their premises. They boasted puzzles that actually made sense and had a sense of humor that worked even when humor in gaming tends to fall flat on its face all too easily. These games had brilliant graphics complimented with gloriously rendered backgrounds and presented wonderfully realized worlds. And these games were designed by people who truly loved their craft and knew exactly what made a great game. Finally, LucasArts took chances with new IP - most of them paid off in dividends. They fostered talent and proved they were bursting at the seams with genuine creativity.
I spent this summer playing a lot of LucasArts adventures - namely Day of the Tentacle, the Dig, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Sam and Max Hit the Road and, of course, Monkey Island 1,2 and 3. Some of these I played for the very first time. From the perspective of twenty years, these games still hold up remarkably well and they certainly are impressive - even to someone who spent the early nineties as a one-eyed console devotee. What worked originally still works very well and it's a testament to building games that are well-designed. Indeed, these games were made by people who are genuinely passionate about what they do and it shows.
And whilst the LucasArts adventures may have been a mainstay of PC gaming twenty years ago, even if I wasn't aware of it at the time, it's hard to imagine PC gaming without the Midas Touch LucasArts has provided.
So here's to LucasArts and the adventure games they made. We've never seen anything like them and we probably never will again.
Monday, February 4, 2013
People say we monkey around!
Well if you’ve completed the first two Monkey Island games, you may as well take the leap and complete the third one. And that’s exactly what I did: Yep Curse of Monkey Island has now been cast down from the Hall of Shame.
Going into Curse of Monkey Island presents a challenge a half: I was aware that opinions are divided about this game. Some said this was the best of the series and a highpoint in the entire Point-and-Click-Adventure game genre. Others said it was a bastardization of the series and the absence of Ron Gilbert was painfully obvious. So what do I think of it?
Well strangely enough I can see both sides of argument. On one hand, Curse of Monkey Island succeeds on many levels: The animation is extraordinary to behold and it’s certainly welcome to see animation of Disney level being put to good use in a computer game. The voice acting is great – particularly the contributions from Alan Young and Earl Boen. The backdrops are beautiful to behold (but then again, I’ve been saying that a lot for many of the adventure games I’ve been playing lately). The jokes are great and laugh out-loud funny. And even if Rob Gilbert isn’t on board, the people behind Curse of Monkey Island are obviously putting in a lot of effort to say something of their own.
But on the other hand, many of the problems are really repeating themselves. The insults are still there and whilst it’s a nice idea to put a different twist on them it’s odd to see one of the memorable aspects of the original replicated. The plot is compelling enough but it’s still following the same structure as the first Monkey Island game. The ship battles are an unusual inclusion – almost as if the game suddenly decided it would rather be Sid Meier’s Pirates instead. Also annoying is how little Elaine Marley contributes to the game itself – she’s shown to be a smart and capable woman so it is disappointing that she’s been shut out of the game for 95% of it. I did say it was clear that the makers of Curse of Monkey Island wanted to say something of their own but it is an off-putting thought that the makers may have been spending too much time than necessary looking at Curse of Monkey Island’s predecessors.
And then there’s the ending: Again, much like Monkey Island 2, it led from a bizarre final act that seemed to be completely disconnected from the rest of the game only to arrive at a conclusion that could be best described as abrupt. Personally, considering the abrupt nature of the ending to Monkey Island 2, I would've preferred it if the makers swept it under the rug and concentrated on saying something of their own - bu no, they seemed awfully intent on going out of their way to explain Monkey Island 2's ending and thus it comes across as being somewhat unwelcome.
But if following the motions that Monkey Island 2 set up (to the letter!) seemed a bit suspicious, worse still was the series of vignettes based on previous Monkey Island locations. Thus one gets the feeling that maybe somehow the love for Money Island 1+2 may have had a far greater influence on the makers of Curse of Monkey Island then first assumed.
At least this time though the game got a proper ending. Not a good one but it was somewhat satisfying to see Guybrush and Elaine sail off into the sunset.
So in the end I enjoyed playing the first three Monkey island games. But now I think, having completed Curse of Monkey Island, now may be a good time to stop. At time of writing, I have no interest in pursuing Escape to Monkey Island or the Tales of Monkey Island – as is my understanding, if I was bothered by the various allusions to the first two games in Curse of Monkey Island then the next two game aren’t going to much better.
So in a way, maybe this is the cue to stop waffling about Adventure games in this blog. I’ve been playing a lot of adventure games over the past month so now perhaps now is a good time as any to cease and explore new horizons. And is there something I already have in my sights?
Oooooooooooooooh yeah….
Going into Curse of Monkey Island presents a challenge a half: I was aware that opinions are divided about this game. Some said this was the best of the series and a highpoint in the entire Point-and-Click-Adventure game genre. Others said it was a bastardization of the series and the absence of Ron Gilbert was painfully obvious. So what do I think of it?
Well strangely enough I can see both sides of argument. On one hand, Curse of Monkey Island succeeds on many levels: The animation is extraordinary to behold and it’s certainly welcome to see animation of Disney level being put to good use in a computer game. The voice acting is great – particularly the contributions from Alan Young and Earl Boen. The backdrops are beautiful to behold (but then again, I’ve been saying that a lot for many of the adventure games I’ve been playing lately). The jokes are great and laugh out-loud funny. And even if Rob Gilbert isn’t on board, the people behind Curse of Monkey Island are obviously putting in a lot of effort to say something of their own.
But on the other hand, many of the problems are really repeating themselves. The insults are still there and whilst it’s a nice idea to put a different twist on them it’s odd to see one of the memorable aspects of the original replicated. The plot is compelling enough but it’s still following the same structure as the first Monkey Island game. The ship battles are an unusual inclusion – almost as if the game suddenly decided it would rather be Sid Meier’s Pirates instead. Also annoying is how little Elaine Marley contributes to the game itself – she’s shown to be a smart and capable woman so it is disappointing that she’s been shut out of the game for 95% of it. I did say it was clear that the makers of Curse of Monkey Island wanted to say something of their own but it is an off-putting thought that the makers may have been spending too much time than necessary looking at Curse of Monkey Island’s predecessors.
And then there’s the ending: Again, much like Monkey Island 2, it led from a bizarre final act that seemed to be completely disconnected from the rest of the game only to arrive at a conclusion that could be best described as abrupt. Personally, considering the abrupt nature of the ending to Monkey Island 2, I would've preferred it if the makers swept it under the rug and concentrated on saying something of their own - bu no, they seemed awfully intent on going out of their way to explain Monkey Island 2's ending and thus it comes across as being somewhat unwelcome.
But if following the motions that Monkey Island 2 set up (to the letter!) seemed a bit suspicious, worse still was the series of vignettes based on previous Monkey Island locations. Thus one gets the feeling that maybe somehow the love for Money Island 1+2 may have had a far greater influence on the makers of Curse of Monkey Island then first assumed.
At least this time though the game got a proper ending. Not a good one but it was somewhat satisfying to see Guybrush and Elaine sail off into the sunset.
So in the end I enjoyed playing the first three Monkey island games. But now I think, having completed Curse of Monkey Island, now may be a good time to stop. At time of writing, I have no interest in pursuing Escape to Monkey Island or the Tales of Monkey Island – as is my understanding, if I was bothered by the various allusions to the first two games in Curse of Monkey Island then the next two game aren’t going to much better.
So in a way, maybe this is the cue to stop waffling about Adventure games in this blog. I’ve been playing a lot of adventure games over the past month so now perhaps now is a good time as any to cease and explore new horizons. And is there something I already have in my sights?
Oooooooooooooooh yeah….
Monday, January 28, 2013
Hey hey! We're the Monkeys!
Well if you beat Secret of Monkey Island you may has well beat Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.
Once again, this was a game I was previously aware of but never got around to playing. But even from an outsider's perspective I could see the game itself seemed a lot more darker than it's predecessor. Screenshots revealed a very different character sprite for the protagonist Guybrush and even the box art took a more sinister direction, far removed from the more colorful Monkey Island 1:
I recognized the voodoo doll being made in the likeness of Monkey Island 1 Guybrush but it took me awhile before I realized that that is indeed Monkey Island 2 Guybrush in the background. Obviously from the word go, Monkey Island 2 isn't game that's fucking around.
So I picked up Monkey Island 2 through a sale on Steam (yes I'm on Steam - more on that in a future post) in the form of the Special Edition. I booted it up for the first time, took one look at the revamped graphics and immediately switched it to the classic version.
So what did I think of Monkey Island 2? Well I'm impressed: the game certainly feels bigger and there's a lot of gorgeous environments to explore. The puzzles weren't frustrating - or at least alleviated through the autosave feature. The voice acting (for special edition) is very well done - I particularly enjoyed the very evil voice of LeChuck provided by Earl Boen. The references to Star Wars were also fun too. All in all, Monkey Island 2 certainly looks and acts like a true sequel in taking the original and expanding upon it in various ways.
And there is the ending. Controversial in it's day, that is until the arrival of Monkey Island 3, I'm absolutely perplexed by it. Okay, the effect is softened with the knowledge that Monkey Island 3 exists but, from the perspective of someone who came twenty years too late to the party, the ending itself is abrupt, anticlimactic and downright puzzling. I do indeed feel cheated out of my victory and the thought that it was intended all along doesn't sit well with me.
Grumbling aside, I certainly found a lot to enjoy with Monkey Island 2. Yes I've been playing the best that the Adventure game genre has on offer but I think Monkey Island 2 may be the best of the lot.
So where to next? Monkey Island 3 one would think....
Once again, this was a game I was previously aware of but never got around to playing. But even from an outsider's perspective I could see the game itself seemed a lot more darker than it's predecessor. Screenshots revealed a very different character sprite for the protagonist Guybrush and even the box art took a more sinister direction, far removed from the more colorful Monkey Island 1:
So I picked up Monkey Island 2 through a sale on Steam (yes I'm on Steam - more on that in a future post) in the form of the Special Edition. I booted it up for the first time, took one look at the revamped graphics and immediately switched it to the classic version.
So what did I think of Monkey Island 2? Well I'm impressed: the game certainly feels bigger and there's a lot of gorgeous environments to explore. The puzzles weren't frustrating - or at least alleviated through the autosave feature. The voice acting (for special edition) is very well done - I particularly enjoyed the very evil voice of LeChuck provided by Earl Boen. The references to Star Wars were also fun too. All in all, Monkey Island 2 certainly looks and acts like a true sequel in taking the original and expanding upon it in various ways.
And there is the ending. Controversial in it's day, that is until the arrival of Monkey Island 3, I'm absolutely perplexed by it. Okay, the effect is softened with the knowledge that Monkey Island 3 exists but, from the perspective of someone who came twenty years too late to the party, the ending itself is abrupt, anticlimactic and downright puzzling. I do indeed feel cheated out of my victory and the thought that it was intended all along doesn't sit well with me.
Grumbling aside, I certainly found a lot to enjoy with Monkey Island 2. Yes I've been playing the best that the Adventure game genre has on offer but I think Monkey Island 2 may be the best of the lot.
So where to next? Monkey Island 3 one would think....
Friday, January 25, 2013
Want to know a Secret?
Guess what? Another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame! Yep, Secret of Monkey Island has taken sail!
Seeing as I’ve been playing a lot of point and click adventure games over the past few weeks, playing Secret of Monkey Island was almost inevitable. And how can I avoid it? It’s consistently regarded as one of the kings of the genre and more or less inescapable. Thus it places me in a rather curious position: I’d heard of the Secret of Monkey Island games back in the early nineties but it is only now that I’ve finally gotten around to playing them. Thus I play as a complete newbie and don’t have twenty years of nostalgia to blind me.
So what did I think of it?
Well, my experience playing Secret of Monkey Island can be summed up in the word: fresh. Now I understand humor isn’t easy to pull off in games as the jokes can get old rather quickly but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. Twenty three years on and this game is still funny with some laugh-out louds moments. In fact I’m really astonished: It’s not just the great writing but how well it’s lasted through the years since. The absurdity of the games is always razor sharp and never once becomes stale. I particularly enjoyed the climax and, being a newbie, I can see some connections that may have emerged within the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (of course both that and Secret of Monkey Island were inspired by the ride at Disneyland). In fact I’m kinda surprised that considering the humor in this game that they’ve all managed to escape been run into the ground through internet memes (looking at you Portal!).
Indeed, it’s fun to come across something that many of my gaming comrades discovered years before. And having played Secret of Monkey Island, I can see the adoration is justified.
Not much else to say except that I certainly look forward to checking more of this series….
Seeing as I’ve been playing a lot of point and click adventure games over the past few weeks, playing Secret of Monkey Island was almost inevitable. And how can I avoid it? It’s consistently regarded as one of the kings of the genre and more or less inescapable. Thus it places me in a rather curious position: I’d heard of the Secret of Monkey Island games back in the early nineties but it is only now that I’ve finally gotten around to playing them. Thus I play as a complete newbie and don’t have twenty years of nostalgia to blind me.
So what did I think of it?
Well, my experience playing Secret of Monkey Island can be summed up in the word: fresh. Now I understand humor isn’t easy to pull off in games as the jokes can get old rather quickly but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. Twenty three years on and this game is still funny with some laugh-out louds moments. In fact I’m really astonished: It’s not just the great writing but how well it’s lasted through the years since. The absurdity of the games is always razor sharp and never once becomes stale. I particularly enjoyed the climax and, being a newbie, I can see some connections that may have emerged within the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (of course both that and Secret of Monkey Island were inspired by the ride at Disneyland). In fact I’m kinda surprised that considering the humor in this game that they’ve all managed to escape been run into the ground through internet memes (looking at you Portal!).
Indeed, it’s fun to come across something that many of my gaming comrades discovered years before. And having played Secret of Monkey Island, I can see the adoration is justified.
Not much else to say except that I certainly look forward to checking more of this series….
Monday, December 10, 2012
Simon Says
On the weekend I had the satisfaction of striking another game from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Simon the Sorcerer.
Looking back at my previous post about Simon the Sorcerer, there's not really much more I can add: The writing's great, the voice acting is all top-notch and there are moments of hilarity abound (the Woodworm scene had me rolling). And special mention must go to the gorgeous backgrounds which, in all honesty, are the kind that makes me want to frame them and put them up on my wall.
Having lived through the supposed 'Golden Era of Gaming' - that would be the early to mid-nineties - I did recall Adventure games being something of a big deal. I knew little of this as I was a Commodore 64 user and my experience with adventure games were those of the text base variety (Zork anyone?). Yet I knew that people who regarded the likes of Kings Quest and Monkey Island with a sense of awe. Having grown accustomed to the aforementioned text games, I was puzzled how actual gaming graphics could work within an adventure game context but I did manage to play the Leisure Suit Larry games and was surprised how it worked so well.
Other than that, my experience with graphic Adventure Games has been minimal to say the least. I've played through the Dig and found it a fascinating gem - even if the Dig is the least regarded of the LucasArts canon. Yet it is only recently I've manged to finally play some forgotten classics - both through collecting and GOG.
Needless to say, Simon the Sorcerer is only the beginning - seems there's a whole lot more Adventure games waiting to be explored......
Looking back at my previous post about Simon the Sorcerer, there's not really much more I can add: The writing's great, the voice acting is all top-notch and there are moments of hilarity abound (the Woodworm scene had me rolling). And special mention must go to the gorgeous backgrounds which, in all honesty, are the kind that makes me want to frame them and put them up on my wall.
Having lived through the supposed 'Golden Era of Gaming' - that would be the early to mid-nineties - I did recall Adventure games being something of a big deal. I knew little of this as I was a Commodore 64 user and my experience with adventure games were those of the text base variety (Zork anyone?). Yet I knew that people who regarded the likes of Kings Quest and Monkey Island with a sense of awe. Having grown accustomed to the aforementioned text games, I was puzzled how actual gaming graphics could work within an adventure game context but I did manage to play the Leisure Suit Larry games and was surprised how it worked so well.
Other than that, my experience with graphic Adventure Games has been minimal to say the least. I've played through the Dig and found it a fascinating gem - even if the Dig is the least regarded of the LucasArts canon. Yet it is only recently I've manged to finally play some forgotten classics - both through collecting and GOG.
Needless to say, Simon the Sorcerer is only the beginning - seems there's a whole lot more Adventure games waiting to be explored......
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