Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

aka: MI2, The Secret of Monkey Island 2
Moby ID: 289
DOS Specs

Description official descriptions

Guybrush Threepwood, the mighty pirate who can hold his breath for ten minutes, could have lived quietly and happily with his sweetheart Elaine, the governor of Melee Island. But the restless pirate spirit won't let Guybrush in peace. Things don't go very well with Elaine, and Guybrush (now with a beard) embarks on a new adventure: searching for the legendary treasure of Big Whoop. However, the evil ghost pirate LeChuck hasn't left the stage yet. His subordinates are trying to bring him back from the dead one more time. Will Guybrush be able to defeat his archenemy again?

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is a puzzle-solving adventure game and a sequel to The Secret of Monkey Island. It utilizes the same command-based SCUMM interface (the player uses verb commands on highlighted objects) and branching dialogue system (choosing between several different responses during conversations) that were used in its predecessor. The game features hand-painted graphics, and is the first to utilize LucasArts' iMUSE system, which synchronizes music with visual action on the screen by providing smooth transition between themes.

The events of the game take place on a new set of islands; a part of the game allows the player to explore several islands simultaneously. Uncommonly for adventure games, LeChuck's Revenge features two difficulty levels. The easier one is dubbed Monkey Island 2 Lite; it bypasses or simplifies some of the harder puzzles.

Spellings

  • モンキー・アイランド2 ル・チャックの逆襲 - Japanese spelling
  • 猴島小英雄2:李察克的復仇 - Traditional Chinese spelling

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Credits (DOS version)

85 People (82 developers, 3 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 93% (based on 36 ratings)

Players

Average score: 4.1 out of 5 (based on 483 ratings with 18 reviews)

Even better than the first one! Everything a sequel should have.

The Good
It's the same point and click interface as part one but it's enhanced. You now have pictures for each item making it easier to understand what it exactly is. This makes the good gameplay of part one even better. The story is just as interesting as in part one: You are once again playing the role of Guybrush Threepwood, the would-be pirate. After having destroyed the evil ghost pirate LeChuck, he ends up on Scabb Island and there he hears about the legendary treasure Big Whoop. Desperate to find it he gets ready to set out. However, an evil pirate called Largo LaGrande has put up an embargo to stop ships from leaving the island. With help of the voodoo priestess, you eventually chase him away but also, by accident, help him revive LeChuck who was once his captain. You must then find Big Whoop before the enemy finds you. This quest takes you to new beautiful islands. On these islands you will meet totally new and weird characters such as the utterly irritating Largo LaGrande, Wally the cartographer and the extremely lazy governor Phatt. You'll also meet some returning old characters such as Stan, who helped you get a ship in part one and now deals in coffins, the low moral fiber pirates, your beloved governor Elaine Marley, the voodoo priestess and off course LeChuck now returned as a rotting zombie corpse. Guybrush himself looks more mature now having a beard and a stylish blue coat. You'll find new items some of which are useful, some not. They include things such as always useful money, a rope always used in such games and even some animals. Probably the strongest part of this game are the graphics. Everything is hand-painted and still looks amazing in those old 256 colors nowadays. Not many games had graphics like these in those days. The floppy disk version has an easy mode for newbie adventure gamers, which is strangely not on the CD version. Sound has also improved. It has great tunes and not just some tunes and sounds here and there as in part one.

The Bad
It's sometimes a bit difficult to see what you can use and what not. The point and click interface remains good but also has the old "can't find the right spot" problem. The puzzles are still a bit too hard at times which may be a problem for gamers who are unfamiliar with the genre and do not have the floppy disk version which, as I said, doesn't have an easy mode.

The Bottom Line
If Monkey Island 1 isn't the best adventure game of all time then it's probably this one. This is simply one of the best games ever and if you like adventure games this is essential. If you are new too the genre this is one of the best games to start with. Brilliant. brilliant, brilliant.

DOS · by Rensch (203) · 2005

New and Improved SCUMM

The Good
Monkey Island 2 picks up where the first game ends and has our famous pirate wannabe on another grand quest to locate the fabled treasure known as, Big Whoop.

The sequel wisely retains both the user-friendly SCUMM, point n' click interface as well as the comedy and general feel-good pirating of its predecessor. Familiar faces such as Voodoo lady, LeChuck, and the lovely Governor are all part of the sequel as well as new islands, puzzles, objects and a cast of eccentric friends and foes.

Monkey Island 2's graphics, animation, music and sound effects are all noticeably improved upon since the first game. While the game is certainly harder, with some more complicated puzzles, it never becomes unfairly difficult and does not offer anything nearly as insane as what was involved in opening the store owner's safe in the first Monkey Island game.

Fans of point n' click adventure gaming, especially of the SCUMM LucasArts variety, should certainly give this one a try.

The Bad
While a clear improvement over the first Monkey Island game, the sequel's early 1990''s graphics, animation, music and sound effects cannot but help seem dated. The drab maze in LeChuck's fortress can be frustrating and will require taking great notes or using an online guide.

Perhaps the biggest complaint in the game is that Monkey Island 2's ending. If you do successfully locate the fabled treasure and defeat LeChuck be prepared for some very odd plot twists, which have stirred up some confusion and controversy among Monkey Island fans.

When Monkey Island 2 ends, the Secret of Monkey Island is still a secret. The fabled treasure of Big Whoop seems less then worthy of its vast mythology and the player is initially left wondering if the entire adventure was just the imagination of a boy.

The Bottom Line
Monkey Island 2 is a classic, pirate themed point and click graphic adventure game by LucasArts. It successfully improves upon the first game, while retaining the features that made it great. These days finding a great adventure game is not an easy feet and the Monkey Island franchise is probably the Holy Grail of the genre. Fans of the genre should certainly give this one a try. Look behind you! A Three-Headed Monkey!

DOS · by ETJB (428) · 2010

Great sequel. Ron wants it darker, Ron gets it darker.

The Good
This game came out directly after MI1, and had everything that could be expected from a sequel...plus more. This game focuses much more on humor than the first one does, or all the other for that matter...but hey, isn't that what's important?? To have fun in a game? Guybrush has a little bit more of an edge in this game, and is now a real pirate. But he's still as goofy as ever.

The Bad
The sounds really weren't anything, but the game didn't need good sounds, it had great music, using the iMUSE system.

Ok, we all know about the ending. And frankly, I don't see anything to complain about. It's still funny, isn't it? And the credits were halarious, weren't they? Nothing wrong with the end, at all.

So uh, in other words, nothing is bad about the game.

The Bottom Line
Monkey Island 2 is the more bizarre game out of the series. Although it's a little hard, I still suggest you play it. It's well worth it and can still possibly be the best of the series.

DOS · by Jason Harang (38) · 2001

[ View all 18 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
UPC and Disks? Edwin Drost (9295) Jan 22, 2017

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Amiga version

The Amiga version of this game was nicknamed Disk Juggling Simulator by the Amiga community because it came on 11 disks that have to be swapped around whilst playing the game.

Death

You can actually kill Guybrush! If you wait several minutes after being suspended above the pool of acid, you will be lowered into it.

Development

Ron Gilbert did not want to use a CD for this game, because he said it ran very slow and it didn't allow them to do what they wanted. He also believed that the CD wouldn't last for more than a couple of years. However, they were forced to delete six major scenes just for it to fit on five disks. However most of these scenes were not complete so a "director's cut" will never be made.

Big Whoop was never intended to be a large part of the game in the beginning.

German version

During development, the German translator Boris Schneider tried to convince Ron Gilbert to change the monkey wrench puzzle because it makes little sense in German. His idea was to switch out the monkey for an Englishman ("Engländer" is about the same idiom as "monkey wrench"). However, Gilbert did not give in.

iMUSE

This was one of the first games to use the iMUSE sound system.

Insult fighting

As of 2004, Monkey Island 2 is the only game in the main series so far to not include the famous Insult-Swordfighting battle sequences.

References

  • Sometimes in the gambling game, one of the possible prizes is a ticket to the Linguini Brother's Circus. But if you win the ticket and look at it, it'll say The Fettucini Brother's (from The Secret of Monkey Island)
  • In this game (as in many Lucasarts games) there are references to other Lucasarts products. For instance, in the antique shop, there is an Indy whip. The voodoo lady and LeChuck have great closeness to Star Wars. And Guybrush hates snakes, like Indiana Jones.
  • In the costume shop on Booty Island you can find costumes of two Hanna Barbera characters: Fred Flintstone and Huckleberry Hound.
  • There are a lot of books in the Phatt City library, one of them is called "The Majesty of the Sierras" (search the LM drawer). After you receive it from the librarian, take a look at it and Guybrush responds:

Sierras? Majestic? I think not. * Sam & Max also make an appearance in the game - look for them in the costume shop. * Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge was so named as a veiled Star Wars reference. The original subtitle of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi was Revenge of the Jedi.

FM Towns Cliff Puzzle

Normally, one of the puzzles in Monkey Island 2 requires Guybrush to use a fishing line to try and retrieve a map piece from the side of a cliff, only for a seagull to steal it and fly away to a treehouse. However, the FM Towns skips directly to the seagull taking the map piece to the treehouse, omitting the cliff puzzle entirely. It wasn't until 2022 when former LucasArts localization manager Aric Wilmunder explained that the puzzle was cut because of a bug with the vertical scrolling.

Sales

As of 2004, Monkey Island 2 is one of the best-selling adventure games ever, having sold over 500,000 copies.

Awards

  • Amiga Joker
    • Issue 02/1993 – Best Game of 1992 (Readers' Vote)
    • Issue 02/1993 – Best Adventure Game of 1992 (Readers' Vote)
  • Computer Gaming World
    • November 1992 (Issue #100) – Adventure Game of the Year
    • November 1996 (15th Anniversary Issue) - #74 in the “150 Best Games of All Time” list
    • November 1996 (15th anniversary issue) –#2 Funniest Computer Game (together with The Secret of Monkey Island)
  • Power Play
    • Issue 02/1992 – Best Adventure in 1991

Information also contributed by Agent 5, B.L. Stryker, festershinetop, James Kirk, Jason Harang, Late, Marek, Mumm-Ra, PCGamer77, Roedie and xxxxxxxxxxx

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Related Sites +

  • Hints for Monkey Island 2
    These hints will help you solve the game without spoiling it for you.
  • ScummVM
    Get "Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge", as well as many other adventure games, to run on modern systems by using ScummVM, a legal and free program.
  • The Monkey Island Scummbar
    Probably the oldest site dedicated to the Monkey Island series of games. Frequently updated.

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 289
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Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by eric aili.

Amiga added by POMAH. Macintosh added by Kabushi. Antstream added by lights out party. FM Towns added by Terok Nor.

Additional contributors: Trixter, jeff leyda, IJan, MAT, Unicorn Lynx, Jeanne, Apogee IV, Paulus18950, Patrick Bregger, FatherJack, Kayburt, Vincent Kinian.

Game added September 23, 1999. Last modified February 23, 2024.