Taking a stroll back through The Secret of Monkey Island
by David Hinkle 
{ Jun 23rd 2009 at 1:00AM } 
We must warn you that the piece is filled with various spoilers, so if you've never played any of these games before, don't say we didn't warn you. But, for the rest of us, it's a great primer for the bounty of content ahead.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Discotheque @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:04AM
One of the best series.....ever!
WINterfang @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:05AM
What's the game about? ( not trying to troll just missed it and I'm getting mildly interested)
Sinister Rouge @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:35AM
Classic SCUMM adventure game from the good old days of yore when PC adventure games were still made on a regular basis, and LucasArts was at the head of the pack in making them. Great story, great dialogue, funny jokes, just-difficult-enough puzzles, and some great action. For anybody that has not played a point-and-click adventure game, this re-make would be a perfect place to start.
Vaitork @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:44AM
I agree with Sinister Rouge. My own starting point was precisely the original Secret of Monkey Island, followed by Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Two incredible games that will never go old in my book.
Boff @ Jun 23rd 2009 4:45AM
What those two said.
Monkey Island was one of my most loved games for the Amiga.
(The others were Frontier, Turrican and Syndicate - I know you were wondering.)
Annnnywaaaayyyy, I still remember when these types of games were new and hip!
"What??? I can use the mouse to move my character?? No more 'N', 'S', 'E', 'W', 'INV', 'LOOK', etc. Woah."
Jim @ Jun 23rd 2009 9:15AM
@Vaitork; Fate of Atlantis was awesome. People never know what I'm talking about when I reference Orichalcum beads... I also loved Full Throttle.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Jun 23rd 2009 9:28AM
winterfang, to actually answer your question:
The Monkey Island series is about a young man named Guybrush Threepwood who, more than anything else, wishes to be a feared pirate. However, he is pretty much a loser armed only with sharp wits and a sharper tongue.
Throughout his adventures he inadvertently stumbles onto a plot by the Ghost/Zombie pirate, LeChuck, and in so doing becomes entangled in a love triangle with LeChuck and the savvy Governor Marley.
There are various subplots involving voodoo and the "secret" on Monkey Island as well.
arrrgh @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:38PM
I LOVED monkey island!
Right up there with Zak McCracken for me
man i miss those games
Sinister Rouge @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:32AM
I just installed the Curse of Monkey Island (my favorite) again. I am so VERY STOKED that there are more Monkey Island games. I just figured them dead.
Enyu @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:52AM
I love this game so much. It's definitely my favorite video game ever made. It's a shame how few kids today know about it though. I mean, I'm 15, and I know that out of all the kids I've known and asked about Monkey Island, only a few have heard of them, and most who did played Escape from Monkey Island on the PS2, which was, in my opinion, the weakest in the series. Although still excellent, which really speaks about the quality of the series as a whole.
Targus @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:25AM
That was a good retrospective. He could have at least touched on EMI (even though it was a travesty to the Monkey Island storyline).
MI2 is my favourite video game of all-time so I'm stoked!
Hiroken @ Jun 23rd 2009 3:05AM
"Just how do you ESCAPE FROM MONKEY ISLAND!?"
"All riiiiight, Iron Maiden!! ....I don't know why I just said that."
EMI had its moments, even if they were rendered in claymation or whatever the fuck that was supposed to look like.
Not going to read the retrospective because when I play these all over again I want it to be fresh! All over again. Or something.
blastbeet @ Jun 23rd 2009 7:39AM
im so happy about the new episodic stuff, im quite the fan, i have dedicated my right forearm to being inked with the artwork from the 1st game.... well modified anyway.
seriously this gives me faith in humanity.
zig @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:45PM
Still have the amiga 1200 set up for the classics i love n still play, monkey island 1, 2. Simon the sorcerer (thankfully installed cos 11 floppies are too many to swap even with 2 drives lol), flight of the amazon queen, swos, turrican 2, settlers 2 (tho i now play the pc 10th anniversary remake), hell i even still race on lotus esprit turbo challenge 2, and occasionally microprose f1gp. Am having a retro nostalgia fit now.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Jun 23rd 2009 9:30AM
The Curse of Monkey Island (3) was the best one. Just putting that out there. Best story, best characters, and the full animation and voice acting/singing put it over the top.
I Like Corn @ Jun 23rd 2009 10:19AM
I'd have to disagree and say it's LeChuck's Revenge that is the best, but I suppose to each their own. Curse is definitely a great one, at least.
cafecito @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:45PM
To each their own indeed, but LeChuck's revenge (2) is the best in my eyes as well.
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Jun 23rd 2009 10:24AM
I'm sure we can ALL agree that Escape from Monkey Island was the worst by a landslide.
Gibbeynater @ Jun 23rd 2009 10:29AM
I liked Escape from Monkey Island
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Jun 23rd 2009 10:36AM
It was still the worst one.
Come on, Monkey Kombat? It wasn't funny at all, just a tedious and continual note-taking torture device. The rest was okay.
Gibbeynater @ Jun 23rd 2009 12:15PM
OK yeah, you have a point. Monkey Kombat can go DIAF.
funk_dat @ Jun 23rd 2009 12:03PM
This wasn't much of a retrospective. More of one guys account on the importance of the series. Good read, though.
As for me, MI 1 and 2 were just great. I played a bit of 3, but quit since it didn't 'feel' much like Monkey Island to me. Guybrush was too much of a dweeb. Never even tried 4.
Anyone know where to find 3 or 4 if I wanted to go back and play though them? Do they run on VIsta? I still have the original boxes and discs of the first 2 (along with Grim Fandango) in my closet.
Drappel @ Jun 24th 2009 10:03AM
Ask me about LOOM(tm)
Aye.