Maniac Mansion
Description official descriptions
The Edison mansion has always been a creepy old house on the edge of town. There have been rumors of strange experiments going on and of odd creatures living amongst the Edison family. There is even a story that a meteorite once crashed near the home nearly 20 years ago. More immediately, a girl named Sandy has gone missing from the local highschool and her boyfriend Dave swears that he saw Dr. Fred abducting her. Dave knows that he cannot do it alone and will need help from two other students if he has any hope of infiltrating the mansion and rescuing Sandy.
Players start by choosing two students to accompany Dave to the Edison mansion, and can then switch between these three characters at will. Most actions are carried out by selecting verbs on the screen and applying them to an object (such as "OPEN Door"). Each character maintains a separate personality and may have a different way to solve a problem from his classmates. Thus many of the puzzles can be overcome in different ways depending on the character being used. If any one of the kids are captured by the Edisons, they are thrown into the dungeon and must be rescued themselves by any character who still has their freedom.
GOG release includes both Original and Enhanced game versions.
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Credits (Apple II version)
22 People (20 developers, 2 thanks) · View all
Produced by the |
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Created and Designed by | |
Programmed by | |
Graphic Art and Animation by | |
Sound Effects by | |
Original Music by | |
Apple Conversion Special Support by | |
Creative and Technical support by | |
Lucasfilm Games General Manager | |
Production and Marketing Management by | |
Administrative Support by | |
Lead Playtester | |
Special thanks to |
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Box Cover Art by | |
Package and manual designed by | |
[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 82% (based on 54 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.8 out of 5 (based on 282 ratings with 16 reviews)
Classic, fun, what more do you want?
The Good
This game has humour. Sure, it's bad, but that's what makes it so good. It's like a B movie, except you control it. The puzzles won't make your brain explode, and most people who don't like it haven't given it enough time, most haven't even completed it. The story is off the wall, think about it, a purple slimey meteor hypnotizing a family (all of them have the name "Ed" in their first names somewhere, cute), and having the "insane" Dr. Fred suck the brains out of teenagers one at a time. All the characters are different, save razor and syd, but you can do 100s of things in this game. The main plot of this game has countless sub plots, and depending on the characters you choose, the game will end differently EVERY TIME!
The Bad
The crappy reviews it got. This game is OLD! You can't compare a game like maniac mansion to quake! Boo to all you who voted low for this game (except Mat, he's ok). This game was made in 1988!!! Boo hoo, poor graphics. I'll tell you what, think back to 1988 (well, most of you quake players were in kindergarten). 16 colours was a big thing. Maybe it wasn't lifelike, but in 12 years, quake will seem pretty fake too.
The Bottom Line
This game is a must play for all people with an IQ above 09. It exercises your mind, and the puzzles actually use real life items, unlike half-life, which in my opinion had some of the worst puzzles I've ever had the misfortune of stumbling upon.
You are a band of teenagers, Dave, and two other friends, there is a choice of 7. Dave's Girlfriend Sandy has been kidnapped by Dr. Fred, who is going to suck her brains out. To get through this game, you have to solve puzzles galore, and puzzles is a good word because like a puzzle, all the pieces fit together in the end and you go "OH! I GET IT!" I'll just say that every move you make will affect you in the end.
If you like sci-fi/b side movies, and can keep an open mind, don't mind 1988 graphics, I would strongly suggest getting it.
DOS · by C W (5) · 2000
Groundwork for some of the best adventure games of the '80s/'90s.
The Good
The historical value of this game is huge: It was the very first of LucasArts' games to feature the SCUMM (Script Creation Utility For Maniac Mansion) engine, a groundbreaking platform that featured many classic adventure games over the course of the '80s and '90s (such as the Monkey Island series, Day Of The Tentacle and Sam & Max).
It's certainly interesting to play through this game in light of having played through the 'classic' SCUMM games: You can then see how the genre has evolved over time.
The Bad
Some puzzles are quite a bit harder than those found in other LucasArts games; can be dull/frustrating if you get stuck. The interface isn't as intuitive as is found in later SCUMM games, so it can be confusing at times.
I expect that if you played this in 1987 you would really enjoy it and find the graphics and sound to be excellent. Nowadays, it just doesn't stand up to the later SCUMM games in terms of storyline, humor, graphics and just about everything else. I found it interesting to play, but not that much fun really.
The Bottom Line
If you're a fan of SCUMM games, then you need to play this game (make sure to play the enhanced version). If not, stick to the later SCUMM games to fully experience and appreciate the genius of LucasArts.
DOS · by tFX (7) · 2003
The Good
Maniac Mansion features impressive graphics, music and sound effects. The eccentric characters, puzzlers, parodies and witty humor from the computer game are all here. If you like graphic adventure games and own a 8-bit Nintendo, then you need to play this game!
The Bad
Nintendo insisted that several things be censored before the game could be released. If you are familiar with the original computer version, you will notice the content changes and get a kick out of the Big N's censorship. Despite the strict content guidelines, some versions of the game do allow you to kidnap and brutally kill a pet hamster by frying him in the microwave.
The Bottom Line
Maniac Mansion is one of the few point n' click, graphic adventure games for the 8-bit Nintendo. The home console version is as fun to play as the computer version, with the biggest complaint being the silly and uptight content changes that were ordered.
NES · by ETJB (428) · 2010
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Famicom version -- new entry? | Pseudo_Intellectual (66423) | Jul 21, 2012 |
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Maniac Mansion appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Chuck the plant
In the mansion's library, there is an un-useable plant called "Chuck the Plant" The plant also appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in Henry's room, and Day of the Tentacle in the lobby.
Copy protection
The computer versions featured an humorous copy protection scheme. In a new game a player entered the house, walked upstairs and are confronted by a giant iron bolted door which opens after entering four correct symbols on the keypad as shown in "Nuke'm Alarms - Nukes Burglars in their tracks: Owner's Disarmament Quick Reference Guide" included with the game. The wrong answer proved fatal!
Day of the Tentacle
Maniac Mansion is included as a bonus game inside Day of the Tentacle (on Ed's computer).
Hamster in the microwave
Players can microwave the hamster in any of the computer releases (but not the European NES version), but they have to use a sick-minded character (such as Syd or Razor) when doing it. Showing the exploded hamster to Weird Ed will make him kill that character.
NES version
The game was ported not once, but twice, to the NES. One version was made in America, while another one was made by Jaleco in Japan. The two versions look very different. It was one of the very few NES games to be translated into Spanish.
Many things had to be censored/changed to comply with Nintendo's policies: * Some of the language was toned down, for example: "The meteor is going to be pissed" was changed to "The meteor is going to be mad." * The "KILL THRILL" arcade game was changed to "TUNA" * "For a good time EDNA 3444" was changed to "Call Edna 3444"
A complete list of changes and more info can be found at http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html
In the European NES version, additionally the possibility to microwave the hamster was removed. In turn, at least in the German version, some linguistic points from the above list are closer to the original.
References
- The name of Razor's punk band is "Razor and the Scummettes", a reference to the SCUMM graphical interface used by LucasArts adventures.
- There is an X-Wing model in Ed's room.
- The speakers in the green tentacle's room are "THX" sound speakers. THX is a high-quality sound technology developed by Lucasfilm.
Zak McKracken
Connections between Maniac Mansion and Zak McKracken (based on Amiga version): * In the game room there's a Zak McKracken poster. * In Maniac Mansion there's a chainsaw that has no gas. In the game Zak McKracken there is a can of gas on Mars. The can reads, "For use with chainsaws only". When trying to pick it up the character says, "I don't need it. It's for a different game." * "Tuna head" is said in both games. One of the aliens in Zak McKracken is always saying, "Tum de dum." In Maniac Mansion when Weird Ed is walking through the kitchen to get his cheese he says, "Tum te dum." * It appears that Zak happens to be going out with Sandy from Maniac Mansion. In Zak McKracken, if players go away and come back home enough times and keep checking the answering machine they will soon get a message from Weird Ed from Maniac Mansion. He calls up about going to a monster truck show, and that he'll come by with Sandy at 6:00 in the Edsel. * In Zak McKracken, at the police station in Nepal: there is a wanted poster for the purple meteor.
Remake
The German LucasFan Games developed a freeware 256-colour remake called Maniac Mansion Deluxe.
TV series
The game spawned a comedy series on the Family Channel in the early 90's.
Awards
- Commodore Format
- April 1991 (Issue 7) - listed in the A to Z of Classic Games article (Great)
- GameStar (Germany)
- Issue 03/2013 – One of the "Ten Best C64 Games“
- Happy Computer
- Issue 01/1988 - Best Game Idea in 1987
- Power Play
- 1987 - #2 Best C64 Game '87
Information also contributed by Игги Друге, Der.Archivar, Garcia, Jason Harang, kelmer44, Hitman23, Ricky Derocher, Tiago Jacques, whatt, Ye Olde Infocomme Shoppe
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DOSBox, an x86 emulator with DOS
Compatibility statistics page between DOSBox versions and the original game. -
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Hints for Maniac Mansion
These hints by Kevin Carnes will get you through the game and help you solve the puzzles on your own. -
Howard & Nester do Maniac Mansion
A regular feature in Nintendo Power magazine, Howard & Nester was a comic strip about two game whizzes who would one-up each other, while disclosing hints and tips, in the settings of various recently-released games for the NES platform. In Volume 18's two-page installment, they explore Maniac Mansion with Razor, encountering Dead Cousin Fred, Green Tentacle, and Nurse Edna (the blue-skinned one, of course, from Jaleco's NES release.) -
IGCD Internet Game Cars Database
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Lemon 64
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Lemon 64 (German)
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Lemon Amiga
For Amiga: game database entry; magazine reviews; music; manual; additional material. -
LucasArts' Secret History
A multi-article feature about the game by the LucasArts news site, The International House of Mojo. The feature article includes an unscored review, short responses written by members of the site's community, trivia, easter eggs and other small details in the game, commentary from the developers, a transcription of the original hint book, a long feature article by one of the programmers, and an interview with one of the project leaders. -
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Replacementdocs (Apple II, Manual)
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Documentation for Atari ST. -
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Replacementdocs (NES, Bulletin Board)
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Documentation for DOS/Windows. -
Replacementdocs (PC, Manual)
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Replacementdocs (PC, Quick Reference Card)
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The Maniac Mansion Fan Site
Site that gives info on all versions of Maniac Mansion.
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Tony Van.
Amiga added by POMAH. Commodore 64 added by Rebound Boy. Linux, Windows, Macintosh added by Sciere. NES added by jeremy strope. Antstream added by lights out party. Atari ST, Apple II added by Servo.
Additional contributors: Jason Harang, Jeanne, tFX, Shoddyan, Sciere, Pseudo_Intellectual, Ricky Derocher, Zeppin, Patrick Bregger, Maniac Mansion Fan, Izmir Egal, Fred Zanfardino, Victor Vance, FatherJack, ZeTomes.
Game added January 10, 2000. Last modified April 1, 2024.