The Secret of Monkey Island

I could rave on forever about the obvious positive qualities of the game, but there is another, not so obvious fact which makes Monkey Island stand out significantly: the lack of 'negative qualities'. You can't die! You will never run into a dead end because you haven't picked up something pixel-sized an hour before or because you've said something wrong to the right person. You will not be forced to waste your time with boring mazes (at least not - as Guybrush puts it - without a guide or a map).

I loved this game. When I first popped it into my CD drive, I figured it would be another average adventure that wouldn't be able to call itself better than Space Quest. Boy, was I wrong! I couldn't believe my eyes and ears, this game was amazing! I have probably replayed this game 100 times without getting tired of it. So as I find this game to be one of the greatest adventure games, I think it is especially deserving of a 100 score. But since the Abandonia score only goes as high as a 5, I'll give it a 5. You should get and play this game as fast as you can!

Un gioco che ha fatto epoca e che è entrato con pieno merito a far parte dei classici del genere avventuroso.

Mi sono sempre imposto di non usare 10 come voto perché concettualmente la perfezione non esiste e ci sono sempre titoli che possono vantare una realizzazione tecnica, una storia, una giocabilità, una longevità migliori di un altro ma nel caso di Monkey Island non m’importa e gli metto il massimo lo stesso, per un motivo semplicissimo: ancora oggi, ogni volta che mi capita di giocarci, mi basta vedere la schermata iniziale, per dimenticare in un attimo tutti i problemi e le preoccupazioni che mi assillano e mi riscopro adolescente, esattamente come tanti anni fa, a passare delle ore spensierate, nel tentativo di diventare un pirata.

Por lo pronto, lo único que podemos hacer es quedarnos con las cosas que valen la pena, y esto es el primer tercio de la saga. Particularmente este juego, que sigue intacto luego de 16 años de haberse editado y seguirá divirtiéndonos dentro de otros 20 gracias a su cuidadísimo diseño que debería ser el ejemplo a seguir para nuestro género, especialmente en las aventuras contemporáneas. Porque su fórmula es atemporal, y esto es algo que deben entender todos aquellos que digan que las aventuras gráficas están muertas. Como dijo Roberta Williams, las aventuras no pueden morir porque el contar una historia es un recurso que funcionó durante siglos. Sin embargo hay que darle importancia a las formas, y este juego es la mejor prueba de esto. Lo que resta es que los diseñadores lo tengan en cuenta.

He aquí el juego que para muchos (muchos, muchos) marcó un antes y un después dentro del género de la aventura gráfica.

Conocido tanto por aventureros como por los que no lo son tanto, The Secret of Monkey Island es un juego que desprende calidad por los cuatro costados, que derrocha buen humor y que engancha desde la primera pantalla.

I must admit, I never did expect to be writing a review of either this game or its sequel, Monkey Island II, prompted by the imminent release of a new Monkey Island title. It's been so long now since we've seen a new episode in this series, like many other players I thought we'd seen the last of Guybrush Threepwood. Seemingly we haven't. So it was with great pleasure that I brushed off the dust and opened the Secret of Monkey Island box once more.

No i cóż. Skończyliśmy podróż wstecz, podróż, która uświadomiła mi (a może i Wam), że nie ma sensu wyczekiwać czegoś, co może nie nadejść, a powinno się wykorzystywać to co jest, a jest naprawdę wiele. A wśród tych wszystkich przygodówek, które się dotąd ukazały, są prawdziwe diamenty, o których nigdy się nie zapomina i które nigdy nie przemijają. Jednym z nich jest właśnie TSOMI, a właściwie trzy pierwsze części serii Monkey Island. Ja osobiście grałem w te gry od tyłu i powiem Wam, że nie straciły one uroku przez to, że widziałem je w złej kolejności, bo prawda jest taka, że te gry nigdy nie tracą uroku ani swej świeżości, nawet jeśli zostały wydane 15 lat temu.

I can't tell you how ecstatic I am to have found this game for my Sega CD. The Secret of Monkey Island was the game that introduced me to the Adventure genre, and since then I've purchased, downloaded or borrowed as many of them as I could find. From King's Quest to Space Quest, Sam and Max to Kyrandia, there really is nothing like a top-notch adventure game to test your wit and try your patience.

Monkey Island is a bold statement of intent from Lucasfilm, showing where they believe computer gaming should be heading. After scouring their land of pirates you may well be inclined to agree. It's funny, testing and far deeper than Loom. Monkey Island can completed, but will take far longer. if you've time for anything slower than a shoot-em-up, or you fancy trying your hand at an adventure but sicken at the thought of Orcs and Ogres, give it a bash. If you've already played Loom, Indy' Jones 3 or Zak, the fact that this is leagues ahead should be all we need to say.

Monkey Island ist und bleibt das beste Adventure des letzten Jahres. Auch die Umsetzung auf den Amiga ist ein Volltreffer: Die Grafik mußte zwar, im Vergleich mit der 256-Farben-Version des PCs etwas abspecken, die Spielfreude in diesem Piratenspaß wird dadurch keineswegs getrübt.

Die Abenteuerspiele von Lucasfilm Games gehören zur Créme de la créme des Genres: Delikate Computerspielleckerbissen, die sich vortrefflich von der Hausmannskost der gemeinen Wald- und Wiesenabenteuer mit dummen Parsern und lauen Puzzles abheben. Mit The Secret of Monkey Island haben sich die Amerikaner selbst übertroffen: Das neue Spiel ist noch witziger als Maniac Mansion, noch umfangreicher als "Zak McKracken" und hat noch schönere Grafik als Indiana Jones. Sie sieht sowohl auf dem PC als auch auf dem Amiga hinreißend aus. Dazu gibt's stimmungsvolle musikalische Untermalung mit Reggae- und Calypso-Rhythmen. Gegen Monkey Island sehen auch die besseren Adventures der rivalisierenden Firmen Sierra und Delphine erschreckend mittelmäßig aus.

Tut mir leid, liebe "Atarianer", in der technischen Aufmachung ist "Monkey Island" auf dem Amiga eine Affennasenlänge voraus. Deshalb müssen wir von Grafik und Sound noch ein paar Pünktchen abziehen. Zum Glück ändert das nichts am genialen Spiel selbst.

The Secret of Monkey Island ist auch heute noch eines der besten Adventures und natürlich auch eines der besten von Lucas Arts. Übertroffen wurde es meiner Meinung nach nur von seinem direkten Nachfolger, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis und Sam & Max. Also packt den alten PC oder ScummVM aus und spielt es.

Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys LucasArts games, or for that matter, anyone who has never played a LucasArts game. I know some folks take their gaming pretty seriously and play only serious games—they probably don't like LucasArts games much—but I say gaming is supposed to be fun, and this is a fun game.

Most of the elements of this game come together in fine form, meaning it's an experience you won't want to miss.

The poor SEGA CD didn't have a proud release, with only a small pack of games available at launch, most of which were considered sub par. I almost discarded The Secret of Monkey Island as another example of bad gaming when I saw the pics of it, as it looked like a colorless Genesis title with probably nothing to show for itself. But if you HAVE seen screen shots of it, don't believe them necessarily, because this is actually a gorgeous-looking game and a real delight to play for every reason I can think of.

Whenever a list of best computer games of all time is created, rather few old titles pop up. The adventure games from the Monkey Island series always appear on such a list. The series has been a legend among adventure gamers since the release of The Secret of Monkey Island. Ron Gilbert, the creator of the series and the designer of this first game, has achieved a position akin to that of a demigod in the world of adventure games. Exactly what is the magic that attracts gamers again and again to see the misadventures of Guybrush Threepwood? Let us find out! Shiver me timbers and all that, mates, ‘cause Guybrush is here!

Here I sit, still waiting for my copy of Grim Fandango to arrive. Meanwhile, I had ordered the LucasArts Classic Adventures, too, and got them already, so I thought I would pop them in and see what was what. Out of the five games included on the diskettes (yes, it's true—diskettes!), I had only played Loom before and so had a pretty good selection. I chose to start with The Secret of Monkey Island because I had enjoyed Monkey Island 3 (The Curse of Monkey Island) so thoroughly. (It seems as if I am always playing more recent games in series first and then going back to the older ones.)

Sadly, as is the nature of this kind of game, once it's completed, it's over. No different playthroughs after completion, no various ways to complete puzzles. Just one of the greatest times you'll ever experience while playing a videogame. I recommend giving it a few years before returning to Melee Island. It'll be good to go back after all those years.

This is a review that requires I put on a Kevlar jacket; beware that I am about to commit adventure game heresy.