Born for Wii: Sam & Max Hit the Road (page 3)

The game is also impossible to lose -- there's no way to accidentally use a critical item in the wrong way, or be killed by some sort of environmental hazard. It's a staple of several earlier Lucasarts games, and while it eliminates the potential for tension, that's not really what the game is about, anyway. It's about making your way through a story, solving the puzzles, and absorbing the hundreds of hilarious lines of dialogue, pop culture references, and wacky set pieces.


So why does Sam & Max Hit the Road take to the Wii like Cinderella takes to a glass slipper? Well, let's look at the facts. Fact: Sam and Max can easily be played with two buttons and the ability to point. Fact: The Wii Remote has more than two buttons and is a pointing fiend. Fact: Sam & Max is an awesome game. Fact: The Wii can play awesome games. Fact: Sam & Max adventures are now delivered in episodic format by former Lucasarts employees Telltale Games. Fact: Sam & Max Season 1, the first six episodes of the new series, will be released for the Wii by the end of the year. Convinced? I could go on all day.

"Sam: I don't think we should risk being any more fertile than we already are, Max."

In place of keyboard shortcuts, the game's commands could be mapped to certain face buttons, or simply be cycled through with the left and right buttons on the D-pad for slightly speedier access. From a technical standpoint, Sam & Max is certainly a bit dated, though the animation is still great and the backgrounds absolutely ooze character. Even the musical score is pretty damn good, and every character has a unique voice, though Sam and Max are probably the best of the bunch. No Oblivion repetition or wading through text here.


Ultimately, Sam & Max Hit the Road would be a perfect WiiWare title. Despite being a 15 year old game, it was originally released on CD-Rom and was certainly a hefty size way back when. But oh, how times have changed. Compression algorithms have also come a long way since 1993, so there's no doubt in my mind Sam and Max Hit the Road would take to WiiWare like white on rice. Budget classic gaming, plz?

"Sam: I haven't seen that much twine since that night in Tokyo in '68."

Rest assured that, although it is the first, Sam & Max Hit the Road will not be the last of these majestic games that is Born for Wii. My love for Lucasarts's point-and-click adventures runs deep. Keep an eye pealed for more in the coming weeks, and until then, educate yourself in the ways of the Freelance Police.

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