Monkey Island Returns With New Series, Remake

[Keane Ng]

Monkey Island Returns With New Series, Remake

LucasArts is reviving the beloved Monkey Island adventure game franchise with not just a remake of the 1990 classic, but a full-blown new series of Monkey Island episodic games.

Everything old is new again, again. Remakes and franchise revivals are par for the course in this industry nowadays, but this latest resurrection of a classic game will probably prick some ears: LucasArts is bringing back adventure game franchise Monkey Island, and it's doing so with a double shot of the old and the new.

Since we're afraid of things that are new and different, let's start with the old. Coming later this summer for Xbox Live Arcade and PC is The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition [http://www.lucasarts.com/games/monkeyisland/], an upgraded version of the 1990 classic that sports modern graphics (you can switch back to the classic visuals instantly if you want), a re-mastered score and full voice-over for dialogue. New gameplay features include a hint system that'll supposedly assist players in solving the game's dastardly puzzles. It's being developed internally at LucasArts.

Over at Telltale Games, meanwhile, is Tales of Monkey Island, a new episodic series that promises to deliver "a completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair" that'll take place over the course of five monthly episodes. In Tales, Guybrush Threepwood unleashes some sort of "voodoo pox" that threatens to turn everyone in the Carribean into "unruly pirate monsters." Sounds like fun. Tales of Monkey Island [http://www.telltalegames.com/monkeyisland] will be available on PC and WiiWare, and will begin "in just a few short weeks."

"We couldn't be any more excited about bringing Monkey Island to today's gamers -- both in our special edition of the original classic, and through our collaboration with Telltale on the episodic series," said LucasArts President Darrell Rodriguez. "We can't wait for Guybrush Threepwood and LeChuck to return to gamers' screens."

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[Baby Tea]

SWEET!!
Oh MAN am I pumped for this! The Monkey Island games are my favourite old-school adventure series! WOOHOO!
Count Baby Tea in!

 

[oliveira8]

Wah? Episodic Gaming? During the course of 5 months? That means I'll have to buy the game every month?

Nevermind...Valve is right when it comes to Episodic Gaming...

 

[Jepix]

Wiiware? WiiWare! *nintendorgasm*

 

[Chipperz]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesoooooooooooome...

Monkey Island is the rare case of an old game actually being as good as you remember it first time round. I will love and cherish this.

 

[Gildedtongue]

Well, Ron Gilbert (http://grumpygamer.com/) seems pleased, so, perhaps this won't be a pile of doo doo. That or Lucasarts gave him a much deserved pile of money and he's not so grumpy. Not sure I'd mind either way.

 

[khamstra]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesoooooooooooome...

Monkey Island is the rare case of an old game actually being as good as you remember it first time round. I will love and cherish this.

Ditto - one of my favorite series ever! Can't wait for the remastered soundtrack

 

[Andy_Panthro]

I've checked the stuff about the remake, and I like it.

The series on the other hand... meh. I was hoping they would have the same art style.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

This is great, but I played Monkey Island recently on the PC and I'm not a fan of Telltale games. I'll have something new to play in Rocktober though.

 

[pigeon_of_doom]

Couldn't be in better hands, although Tell Tale aren't quite progressive enough for my liking, we should be guaranteed some entertaining swashbuckling. Hopefully this won't delay Sam and Max series three for too long.

 

[Ernstige Jan]

I dunno, I may be sceptic about it but I don't really need a remake of the original. I do however like the idea of the brand new series, even though I don't really like episodic gaming. ;D But that's just me being silly, ofcourse I'll buy the new Monkey Island game after years of waiting!

 

[DJPirtu]

*glee* :-D

First time I checked the news feed, I had to do a mental check for the date. I wasn't sure if it was April first. And then the news just kept getting better.

In any other hands I would have been sceptical about the new episodic Monkey Island games, but Telltale Games has proven with its past games that it deliver on the front that matters most in adventure games. The writing.

 

[PhantomCritic]

~sigh~ as I am excited of the prospect of yet ANOTHER classic game being remade, i would have to say (by the looks of the picture) that the game looks not very promising, graphics-wise anyways, don't get me wrong I liked the Monkey Island series but thats also the reason why I'm sceptic about the remakes being as successful as the originals.

My opinion on the new episodic games is that the game might be good as a game, but not a Monkey Island game, unless of course they bring back the original voice actors, feel of good gameplay and of course the humour, I'm kinda sceptical of Lucas Arts because the have kinda gone Star Wars on us for quite a while.

 

[Deathsong17]

Available on everything but PSN. Brilliant.

 

[PhantomCritic]

This is not Monkey Island. This is a money-making scheme.

Thats what i thought, i would only be persuaded otherwise if it feels like a Monkey Island game.

 

[Nomad]

This is not Monkey Island. This is a money-making scheme.

This may surprise you, but games, like all other products, are specifically designed to generate money. Monkey Island is no different.

Also, huzzah!

 

[Sewblon]

Now I can throw away all my nooses and cyanide pills.

 

[Svenparty]

I creamed my jeans as soon as I heard "Monkey Island Returns"

I just hope that it doesn't require an amazing graphics card and that the "Episodes" aren't just half assed efforts.

Perhaps this will encourage Lucasarts to release a "Classic" gaming pack of the first three Monkey Islands for Windows or something epic.