The Secret of Monkey Island – Retro Throwback
For many gamers, The Secret of Monkey Island is an indelible experience. Whether played first on dad’s Amiga during its initial release or rediscovered in 2009 for the PC, it’s a game that never disappoints.
The humor (a combination of Gilbert’s wit and the wry, sarcastic quips of junior designer/writers Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman) sells the game world as a living, breathing place.
Secret of Monkey Island Characters
The Secret of Monkey Island is an adventure game with a lot of character. The first game introduced players to Guybrush Threepwood, a swashbuckling pirate wannabe who is often a complete jerk and is always up for a fight. He is also a smart-aleck with a quick wit.
Main Characters
Characters who appear in every game.
The games’ world and endearing characters have held up well against the passage of time. The 2D, 16-color graphics still look great despite being over a decade old now. They were a huge technological leap at the time of their release.
The cast of characters includes the evil ghost pirate LeChuck who often takes on many forms throughout the series. There is also the mayor of Scabb Island, Largo LaGrande, who bullies Guybrush and prevents ships from leaving his island (the game was named after his hometown). There’s Carla the swordmaster and Otis, a street-corner map seller. Both are bitter towards Guybrush and only join his crew after he promises them cushy government jobs.
Monkey Island Gameplay
Awarded acclaim from critics for its humor and audiovisuals, The Secret of Monkey Island became a landmark in point-and-click graphic adventure games. Its success spawned a series of sequels, all directed by Gilbert, Schafer and Grossman.
Guybrush Threepwood, an aspiring pirate with high hopes and no money, sets out for Melee Island to become the most infamous buccaneer in the Caribbean. He meets friends and enemies, including the undead pirate LeChuck, whom he battles in his quest to win the governor’s heart.
The game features the SCUMM interface first introduced in Maniac Mansion, where the player constructs Guybrush’s commands from a menu of verbs. Objects that can be interacted with are highlighted and, unlike previous LucasArts adventures, the character cannot die or get irrevocably stuck (although he does drown if left underwater for too long). Scene-for-scene hot swapping between special edition and classic modes is also available. The game was originally released for MS-DOS computers in 1990.
The Unique Story
Despite the age of the game and the overabundance of imitators that still clog the modern gaming landscape. Monkey Island stands up as one of the best adventure games ever made. Its success has everything to do with a masterful combination of improved interactive storytelling and refined technology.
Its humor – attributed to Gilbert and two junior designer/writers (future adventure titans Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer) – also helps to sell the world of Monkey Island as a living, breathing place. With witty one liners, goofy sight gags and intentional anachronisms, the game is constantly entertaining in ways that most other games can only dream of.
A re-release in 2009 brought the original game to a new generation, while purists can enjoy a hand-drawn contemporary art style and updated music in the Special Edition. Guided by the enigmatic warnings of a local voodoo lady and a crusty pirate trainer, Guybrush Threepwood sails to Melee Island in search of LeChuck’s treasure and finds himself immersed in a world that oozes charm.
Graphics
The graphics in The Secret of Monkey Island are very good, especially considering the limitations of the time. The characters are very well drawn and the environments are colorful.
The game’s sound effects and music are also strong. The music is catchy and memorable, while the sound effects are witty and humorous.
Unlike many modern games, The Secret of Monkey Island does not suffer from annoying bugs or other glitches. This is in part because of the way the game is designed. Ron Gilbert was careful to avoid the kinds of mistakes he made in Maniac Mansion, such as having dead-end situations that prevented the player from progressing.
The Secret of Monkey Island is a fun and challenging game. It’s a great way to pass the time or just get a good laugh. It’s also a testament that games can be made without dirty jokes and obsessive violence. Our opinion is that it’s worth a playthrough! Especially for fans of the classic LucasArts graphic adventure genre.
