Sam & Max: Season Two - Moai Better Blues

Just Adventure (A)

The production quality is good, the sounds of music, effects and voice talent are professionally done. The animation and graphic art are up to the Sam & Max standards of three dimensional excellence.

GameBoomers (A-)

Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues is an excellent presentation from Telltale Games, as always; the style has been maintained, and the quality remains high in all aspects of the game from music, to acting, story, and graphics. The couple of minor bugs put narry a dent in the overall picture.

Armchair Empire, The (9 out of 10)

Apply the sunscreen flip on the sandals for the sunny fun of Moai Better Blues. It has more great writing (despite the fact that Ice Station Santa’s story was superior) that introduces yet another new set of crazy characters into the Sam & Max universe, more zany antics from Sam and Max themselves, more good point & click adventuring – more of the same excellence that gamers have come to expect from the episodic series.

Game Chronicles (8.8 out of 10)

If you’re looking for a traditional and humorous point-and-click adventure, you could do a lot worse give the new Sam & Max series from Telltale Games a try. This game is the second part of a new season, but each part is only tangentially related to the previous episodes. Still, I do recommend that you play the earlier games, and so you may as well play them all in order. The puzzles are not terribly hard but a few of require a little thought, though help is available if you desire it. Most of the puzzles are designed to make you laugh, and laugh you will. Sam & Max is good clean fun for nearly the whole family. I can’t really recommend it enough!

Mygamer.com (8.6 out of 10)

Sam and Max may have dated graphics, wonky lip-syncs, and a play style that hasn’t been seen in almost a decade but the game consistently becomes more than the sum of its parts. From the unset of the game every alley, room, and Tiki bar is covered liberally with humor and in-jokes (what other game would go out of its way to reference D.B. Cooper and Jimmy Hoffa) and doesn’t let up until the end. With the next release within a month this season looks like one that shouldn’t be missed.

Pelit (86 out of 100)

Vaikka ratkaisut olivat varsin loogisia, en millään meinannut keksiä, mitä eräänkin etanan kanssa pitää tehdä. Tämä ei suinkaan ole huono asia, päinvastoin. Vaikka Sam & Maxin toilailut on tarkoitettu viihteellisiksi ”kevytseikkailuiksi”, pieni ongelmatason nosto ei ole lainkaan pahitteeksi. Moai Better Blues tarjoaa tuttuun tapaan noin 2-4 tuntia erittäin laadukasta pelattavaa. Sitten vain kolmatta osaa odottamaan.

Game Freaks 365 (8.5 out of 10)

This is one of the better Sam & Max episodes to date. Some of the clues are more obvious than others, yet the writing is clever, the dialogue will keep you entertained and there are a number of familiar (and guest) characters. On the downside, Moai Better Blues is shorter than most of the other games I have played in the series so far. For the price of admission, I have to say that this is a game you want to look into buying or at least trying the demo.

TTGamer (8.5 out of 10)

The Sam & Max series just keeps chugging along with its fun adventure gameplay fit for consumption by gamers of all sorts. The island theme this time around works well and once again we see a great job of combining classic Sam & Max humor and gameplay with new environments and storyline mechanics, offering a worthy follow up to the enjoyable Ice Station Santa. This episode didn't really stand out in any particular way, but if you've already been enjoying the return of Sam & Max adventure gaming there is little reason to avoid continuing the fun with Moai Better Blues. If you've yet to check out what all the fuss is about, it's never too late to start although, like most episodes so far, new comers are better off starting at least from the first episode in Season 2 if not Season 1.

ripten (8.4 out of 10)

The humor once again saves the day here, but Moai Better Blues is not quite as accomplished as the stellar season premier. If this season continues along at this pace, it’ll be a generally successful return to adventure game form, but I’m really hoping that Sam and Max pull out a few more surprises during the rest of their run.

PC Action (Germany) (83 out of 100)

(...) Die Rätsel fallen etwas fordernder aus als bei den vergangenen Episoden. Sie sollten jedoch dank der Möglichkeit, die Zahl der Tipps für den Spieler einzustellen, kein unlösbares Problem sein. Der Humor ist gewohnt grandios und zauberte uns beim Testen mehrere Male ein Grinsen aufs Gesicht. Interessierte kaufen das Spiel wie gewohnt auf der offiziellen Webseite

Adventure Corner (82 out of 100)

'Sam & Max – 202: Moai Better Blues' ist das bisherige Highlight der zweiten Staffel. Die Spielzeit bewegt sich wieder bei rund drei Stunden, durch die neue Location kommt auch wieder etwas Abwechslung in die Episode. Ich persönlich bin Dankbar, dass in dieser Episode auf die „Soda-Poppers“ verzichtet wurde, denn dieser Running-Gag wurde allmählich etwas zäh. Wenn sich die Staffel so weiter entwickelt, dürfen wir noch auf einige interessante und witzige Stunden am PC hoffen.

IGN (8.2 out of 10)

Moai Better Blues is shorter and smaller than previous installments in the series. Compared to the sprawling locales and stories of Reality 2.0 or Situation: Comedy, this episode seems almost too short. But size and length isn't an indication of quality. If anything, the smaller scale means that there's no filler here. Everything you come across is pure comedic content. Moai Better Blues never loses its focus so you'll get as much enjoyment out of its two-hour length than the three or four hours you spent playing some of the previous episodes. Add in puzzles that require multiple leaps of logic and a longer memory and it's easy to see why we're so encouraged by the direction that Telltale is taking this series.

4Players.de (82 out of 100)

Langsam tritt die eigentlich verrückt-geniale Reihe auf der Stelle, obwohl sie meilenweit davon entfernt ist, schlecht zu sein. Aber keine Panik vor einem Absturz - alles verharrt auf hohem Niveau und für Fans ist ohnehin jede Episode ein Muss. Aber muss es wirklich immer der altbekannte Mann aus Szene 36 sein, der wieder in jedem Teil auftritt? Klar Bosco, Jimmy und Sybil bekommen ihren Pflichtauftritt, aber ein paar neue Typen dürften so langsam schon mal auftauchen. Und das Umherstreifen in der Nachbarschaft war auch schon mal spannender. Wie wäre es also mit einem Umzug, um neue Leute zu sehen? Auch in punkto Rätsel waren schon innovativere Episoden dabei und die Actionsequenzen sind keine große Herausforderung. Daher gibt es "nur" ein gut. Wir hoffen auf die nächste Episode, in der Untote alles aufmischen sollen.

GameDaily (8 out of 10)

Overall, we had a fun time visiting Easter Island for a new Sam & Max adventure. The ending could be a little stronger, but we get the feeling that things are still gaining momentum. Plus, we're juvenile enough to enjoy jokes about stone heads, and we didn't need to drink from the Fountain of Youth to be immature.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

To end on a positive note, the increased writing quality, cunning puzzles and Telltale's self-referential ability to know when the game is slipping into self-parody makes Moai Better Blues a marked improvement on the last one. For those of you wanting to cherry-pick the best bits of the new Sam & Max games, this is a great place to start.

GotNext ( )

Compared to other Sam and Max adventures, this is a short one. There are fewer locales to check out than usual, but that lets it tell a nicely condensed story that amuses well before it frustrates (and free hints are better than no hints, anyway). This applies to you whether you're fifteen or fifty five, unless you lack culture and a funny bone. If that's you, I hear they sell that show Friends on DVD nowadays for you to waste a fifty on. For the rest of us, it takes a lot less green, very little effort (and much less time) to get plenty of enjoyment out of the latest well-scripted episode of Sam and Max.

UOL Jogos ( )

"Moai Better Blues" é uma grande continuação que mantém o alto padrão da segunda temporada, com enigmas inteligentes e inspirados, regados a muito bom humor e inúmeras referências ao mundo pop. Peca apenas por parecer mais curto do que outros capítulos e por se apoiar demais seu humor em figuras conhecidas somente por um público restrito.

Adventure Classic Gaming (4 out of 5)

Overall, Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai better Blues is more or less exactly what is expected from Telltale Games. It is a short but entertaining game that has a few interesting twists and delivers a lot of familiar Sam & Max’s bizarre humor. With the latest episode showing more innovative gameplay, the series is surely heading for another exciting conclusion in the new season.

Adventure Gamers ( )

There are criticisms, to be sure, but ultimately they feel like small nitpicks on what is an intelligent and wildly creative episodic adventure that continues the series with the requisite lunacy.

GameSpy ( )

It's great to see Season Two is shaping up so nicely. Sam and Max may never get their vacation, but hopefully the rest of us will continue to get new episodes as good as Moai Better Blues. Moai Better Blues can be purchased and downloaded for $8.95 (the game is free with a Gametap subscription), but at this point you might as well just go for the entire five-episode "Season Two" package that's available for $34.95.

HonestGamers (Staff reviews only) (8 out of 10)

But while what the game has to offer is as grand as a long time player of Telltale’s Sam & Max would expect, valid complaints arise about the length of 202; in fact, The Mole, The Mob & The Meatball aside, it's the shortest episode in the revived franchise thus far. The difficulty of some of the puzzles will certainly stop you from flying through the game as quickly as Season 1's forerunners, and the lack of pure filler, like dialogue battles, are welcome, but it's still a game whose end comes too soon. You’ll complete a quest that you might think would simply lead on to the next and suddenly find yourself staring at the end credits complete with the groovy jazz score and a cliff-hanger ending. Much like the one I’ll provide now.

Quandary ( )

I did feel that Sam & Max: Episode 202 - Moai Better Blues was one of the shorter trips in the series and a couple of ends could have been tied in better. Where in the world (it could have been anywhere with so many triangles) did Sybil go, for instance, after her abrupt exit? I looked in vain. And Bosco could have had a little more to contribute to add an extra twist to the tale, and Flint Paper too. Both of these characters were rather underused and involving them more might have added to the whole. But I'm nitpicking, probably because I wanted more. Don't miss it, Sam & Max turn on the charm once again and dish out plenty of wisecracks in this crazy adventure in the sun. It's short and sweet and a lot of fun.

GameStar (Germany) (79 out of 100)

Ice Station Santa hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht, denn als Auftakt der zweiten Staffel hat die Episode zu wenig Neues ausprobiert. Moai Better Blues ereilt dasselbe Schicksal, punktet aber mit anspruchsvolleren Rätseln und der abgedrehtesten Geschichte seit Max' Präsidentschaftskandidatur in Abe Lincoln must die. Allerdings wäre es toll, wenn das Spiel zumindest so umfangreich wäre wie seine Vorgänger - der Spaß ist nämlich viel, viel zu schnell vorbei.

Gameplay (Benelux) (79 out of 100)

Het thema is ietwat vergezocht, maar voor de rest biedt Moai Better Blues voorspelbare Sam & Max fun.

GameZone (7.8 out of 10)

I believe this episode to be a little superior to Ice Station Santa in the smoothness of the story and the good integration of puzzles. Some things could have been better, such as more to do at Stinky’s Diner, and more Bosco, whom I adore! However, the direction of the humor at Christianity was a little heavy-handed and could offend some players.

411mania.com (7.8 out of 10)

Sam and Max Episode 202 – Moai Better Blues is a funny, off beat adventure game with really entertaining graphics and humor. Being an adventure game in a long running series, it is not so friendly to newbies and can be considered boring when compared to some of the fast paced genres available today. But for what it is, Moai Better Blues is solid and fun for veteran and aspiring adventure fans.

Defunct Games (75 out of 100)

Moai Better Blues is another worthwhile Sam & Max game. Unfortunately this month's episode isn't nearly as exciting as the ones that came before it. If you can overlook some disappointing plotting and a lame story then you'll find this to be a solid adventure game with enough laughs to hold you over until the next episode.

Factornews (7 out of 10)

Bien que le scénario soit moins barré que celui de l'épisode précédent, Moai Better Blues est un bon jeu d'aventures à petit prix. Les amateurs de jeux d'aventures ayant certainement déjà commandé la saison deux, je ne puis qu'inciter aux autres d'essayer la démo, disponible chez TellTale dès le 11 janvier.

Video Game Generation (7 out of 10)

As a bridge between the season opener and the last three episodes this season, Moai Better Blues does its job well enough. It’s easy to see that a few things are being setup for later episodes in this one, although that unfortunately leaves this game a little flat. While casual fans of the series may be able to skip this episode and not miss a whole lot, given the minimal time investment involved I still recommend playing through it anyway.

Hooked Gamers (7 out of 10)

The team at TellTale seem to have done it again. Sam and Max: Moai Better Blues is another must have in your adventure game collection. The comedy continues in a way that only a dog in a suit and a maniacal rabbit can deliver. If you haven’t played any of the previous games in the Sam and Max series, then you are sorely missing out on more than just some of the game’s in-jokes. The episodes continue to get better with each instalment. The puzzles (with the help of the hint system) will be easy enough for newcomers and still entertaining for experienced adventures. Visit the Telltale site to download your copy of Episode Two: Moai Better Blues.

Aventura y Cía ( )

Pequeño bajón el que pega este capítulo, aunque quizá no tan dramático como me he empeñado en describir, pero sí lo suficiente como para que merezcan un toque de atención los chicos de Telltale. Al fin y al cabo, ellos se lo han buscado empeñándose en armarla desproporcionadamente más gorda en cada capítulo, y obviamente la cosa tenía que desinflarse en algún momento. Pues ha sido con este Moai Better Blues, que no por ello deja de ser tan recomendable como las primeras entregas de la serie, si bien no brilla tanto como las últimas.

Destructoid (6 out of 10)

All things considered, Moai Better Blues is a fun, entertaining, but unfortunately disappointing entry in the Sam and Max series. It retains the great writing of the other episodes, but its considerable lack of difficulty and completely lackluster ending make this episode the worst in the series thus far. Granted, being the worst Sam and Max episode is like being the ugliest Playboy bunny or the least bitchy co-host on The View; it’s generally effective at what it sets out to do, and fans of the other episodes will still find a great deal of enjoyment out of it, but Moai Better Blues could stand to be much better.

Gamekult (6 out of 10)

Le gameplay est heureusement toujours aussi sympathique, les dialogues font souvent mouche, et les deux personnages principaux sont très attachants, surtout en version mini. Reste donc un bon petit jeu d'aventure fun et accessible, c'est déjà pas mal, même si Telltale nous avait habitué à mieux.