As one of the most recognized and beloved graphic adventures of all-time, it's no secret The Secret of Monkey Island holds a special place in the heart of many old-school gamers.
Capitalizing on the recent wave of nostalgia-inspired retro revivals (see Sam & Max, Ghostbusters), LucasArts has re-released the swashbuckling epic on Xbox Live Arcade and PC almost a full two decades after the Ron Gilbert-designed adventure made its debut.
The title returns to the gaming scene sporting a dramatic high-definition facelift, new voice-overs and a simplified interface.
But how does this new Monkey Island hold up in the 21st century? Surprisingly well. And it owes a lot of that to the original game's timeless charm.
Guybrush Threepwood: Pirate Wannabe in Search of Fortune and Glory
For the uninitiated, Monkey Island tells the tale of Guybrush Threepwood, a lanky, socially awkward man-boy who sets out to Melee Island in the hopes of learning the art of pirating and becoming a feared, grog-swilling plunderer of the high seas.
Just one problem. He's not very fearsome. Or very piratey, for that matter. But the blonde-mopped buffoon tries anyway, setting out on three quests to become a full-fledged "Mighty Pirate" and encountering a ghostly freebooter, a lovely governor and some very hilarious characters along the way.
Players of the original 1990 game won't find any alterations to the classic story in this new release. Or any difference in the witty writing or off-beat puzzles, either.
What they will find, right off the opening island shot, is a startling re-imagining of every character and scene from the original. Staying as close to the overall art direction of the source material as possible, the developers have hand-rendered all the visuals from scratch, providing an updated, high-definition vibrancy to the graphics. The starry night sky backgrounds, with moving clouds, look particularly impressive.
New animations have also been added to the game's characters, although these are less impressive than the revamped background art. While the new stylized character models look great, they still move as stiffly as they did in the original - a consequence, perhaps, of staying too close to the source material.
Still, it's hard not to marvel at the evolution in art and technology evident here. And by simply pressing the back button (on the Xbox 360 version), gamers can get a real-time demonstration of this by toggling between the updated look and the blocky 256-color version of the game at any point.
Voice-Overs Add New Life to Classic Monkey Island
Another welcome change to this renaissance edition of Monkey Island is the voice acting, as well as the inclusion of new ambient sounds and remastered music.
Most of the original cast from the threequel The Curse of Monkey Island has returned to bring life to the hilarious and witty lines from the original.
For the most part, the voices make most of the dialogue a whole lot funnier, and add much needed punch and colour missing from the original's aural experience. But there are hiccups in the delivery at times, with inexplicable pauses between some exchanges that should be quick and snappy.
The game also receives a minus for not giving players the option to experience the original VGA version with the added benefit of voice acting and the updated soundtrack. As a result, the retro flashbacks can only be played with the original subtitles and tinny MIDI music.
Monkey Island: Still as Fun as It Was 20 Years Ago
Replaying this new edition of Monkey Island is sort of like taking a newly waxed and tuned vintage car out for another spin around the block. The engine underneath is still the same, but the cosmetic changes make the ride that much more enjoyable.
And while it's ancient history by today's standards, Monkey Island, at its core, is still loads of fun to play. The humour, the story, the puzzles. Underneath all the changes, these core elements of the game remain untouched, and with good reason.
Newcomers to the Monkey Island saga will find a thoroughly engaging and fun experience here, as well as an illustrated history lesson on the evolution of gaming technology.
The game's slick new pop-up interface and hint system also mean this iteration of Monkey Island is the most accessible ever, especially to youngsters who've never even heard of the term "point-and-click adventure."
For veteran gamers who've taken a few laps around the block with Monkey already, this special edition should still be a worthwhile download for the new visuals and talking characters. At the very least, Monkey Island: Special Edition should provide a nice trip down memory lane.
Just watch out for that three-headed simian.
