In 1990, LucasFilm Games, now LucasArts, released The Secret of Monkey Island, still widely considered to be one of the best point-and-click adventure games ever. In 2009, LucasArts released The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition on the Xbox Live Arcade and PC.
Oliver Motok (right) begs Shawn, Ashley, and I (sitting from left to right) for his job back
The game places the player in the shoes of Guybrush Threepwood on his quest to become a great pirate. The special edition remake includes updated 3D graphics, the addition of voice acting, streamlined controls for the XBox, and the ability to seamlessly switch to the old school version. This ability is one of the more interesting parts of the game, as a simple button press switches back and forth between the versions with no load times between. There is even an achievement on the 360 version for switching to the original version.
The updated graphics and the addition of voices are both excellent improvements to this already wonderful game. The goofy art style adds to the comedy feel of the universe. As the older graphics may turn off some new players, the 3d graphics will help add new fans to the series. The well-done voice acting adds to the overall feel of the game, and includes some humor not found in the older version. Another positive addition to the new version is the streamlined controls. The new controls allow a single button press for the default action when the pointer is over certain objects on screen, such as talking to characters and opening doors.
Overall, this is a great game that is made even better with the addition to new graphics, voice acting, and controls. As none of the puzzles or dialogue have been changed, the original humor of the game has been kept the same. The only negative aspect to the game is the short playtime, but the addition of achievements make it worth a few playthroughs. Still one of the funniest games ever, this is a great choice for anyone looking for a goofy but challenging adventure game.
