Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle

aka: DOTT, Den' Schupaltsa, Der Tag des Tentakels, Il Giorno del Tentacolo, Maniac Mansion 2, Maniac Mansion II: Day of the Tentacle
Moby ID: 719

[ All ] [ DOS ] [ Macintosh ]

Critic Reviews add missing review

Average score: 94% (based on 37 ratings)

Player Reviews

Average score: 4.3 out of 5 (based on 365 ratings with 9 reviews)

Timeless masterpiece!

The Good
without a doubt - here´s an example that shows you the sum of all pros that games has got:

Every now and then I meet people who are playing computer games for quite a while. Often I meet people who are also talking about LucasArts golden-age of adventure gaming and - in an average time of 2 milliseconds - about Day of the Tentacle. And from that moment on it´s only about one thing: sharing quotations from that wonderful, crazy, strange, hilarious piece of entertainment.

Did I mention the ScummVM open-source project? Thank god for that bunch of programmers who did that work: ScummVM is a wonderful emulator for all kinds of adventure games so that they can be run (with all that wonderful midi sounds and voices) on today´s operating systems - so there is no excuse anymore for enjoying that game on today´s machines :)

The Bad
That there isnt any sequel planned...:(

The Bottom Line
Despite the fact that it is over 10 years old now this is one of those very, very rare games that still hold up till today - although it uses just standard VGA resolution at 320x200 pixels the game´s humour, dialogue, story, character-design and of course the game´s design in general are timeless

keeps people laughing from the age of 8 to 99, thanks to ScummVM even nowadays

DOS · by silent_driver (12) · 2005

The funniest computer game ever, and one hell of a game!

The Good
Day of the Tentacle is unique. There has never been anything quite like it, nor will there ever be - nothing can come close. Day of the Tentacle has a reserved place among classic, immortal games like Loom: it is ageless. I will never tire of playing it. It is simply the funniest adventure game I've ever encountered, and my limited English vocabulary doesn't include enough words to properly describe Day of the Tentacle's glory... but I'll give it my best shot.

So what makes The Day of the Tentacle one of the best adventure games ever written?

  • It is hilarious. The best yet implementation of a story in an adventure game. It plays more like a classic Warner Bros. cartoon: everything makes sense in a twisted, preverted kind of way. The twisted logic you have to use to acheive your goals just makes the game that much better. Sticking a hamster in a microwave!
  • Day of the Tentacle features some of the best graphics and animation in a computer game to date, very similar in style to Warner Bros.' Road Runner: while everything looks "kind of" realistic, it all looks twisted: the house is built all wrong, the river doesn't curl but rather break, the rooms are impossibly big and oddly built. Just take a look at these screenshots - see how outright ludicrous the in-game graphics are, and just how well they're drawn!
    As for animations, they are equally ridiculous and add just as much to the atmosphere of the game. The game has the feel of a bizarre cartoon (again, look at the screenshots: the picture of the Edisons screaming in tandem).
  • The interface is the best ever, even better than the wonderful Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and far beyond anything Sierra ever accomplished. It is easy to use and makes perfect sense, and the keyboard shortcuts (along with the mouse rightclick) makes things even easier.
  • Outright terrific music: the best heard in any adventure game to date. The spectacular MIDI soundtrack sounds as ridiculous as the plot it accompanies, and the terrific tracks are best experienced with a wavetable-enabled MIDI card (being that it's a DOS game, I would recommend the easy to obtain AWE32), but is extremely good even with a standard AdLib-compatible FM card.
    The sound effects are equally terrific, and add a great deal to the game's cartoon-like atmosphere: thinks sound just as you would expect them to in Animaniacs. Spectacular execution.
  • The best voice acting ever heard in a game. It couldn't have been better. I wouldn't want them to try and improve it. It's perfect.
  • Best ending in an adventure game, ever!
  • And last, but not least, the addition of the original Maniac Mansion in the CD-ROM version. A very nice touch indeed!



The Bad
It ends. :-(

The Bottom Line
I don't envy anyone who has never experienced the fantastic Day of the Tentacle. Get it, no matter how. Play it. Enjoy it. Love it. Get hooked. Sell your house and go to live in a cave with the CD and your laptop.

DOS · by Tomer Gabel (4539) · 2000

Make my day tentacle....

The Good
Lucasarts proved they couldn't be beaten to the top in the adventure genre when they released this baby. Generally regarded as one of the best adventure games ever made, DOTT managed to overcome it's "being the sequel to" stigma (in this case the legendary Maniac Mansion) and instead managed to become a killer game in it's own right, surpassing the original in many aspects.

Ron Gilbert may not have leaded this particular game, but Tim Schafer proved that if someone could beat ol' man Gilbert at his own game was him, and designed a magnificent adventure game that follows the wacky tradition set by the original. Years have passed and after a typically cooky event (toxic waste turns purple tentacle evil!!!.......snif.... Ed Wood would be proud) all hell breaks loose and the green tentacle asks for the help of the only member of the original Maniac Mansion gang still around: super-geek extraordinaire Bernard, whom with the aid of new friends Hoagie (total asskicker) and Laverne (kind of a letdown) journeys to the Edison's mansion to see what's cooking. Once in the mansion you'll get zapped in a time-travelling plot which leaves each character stranded in a different time period and from that point on it's typical adventure gaming goodness as you switch from each of the 3 characters in standard MM-fashion trying to solve deduction and inventory-based puzzles and teaming-up (and I do mean teaming-up!) for a grand finale against Purple tentacle.

So far we have a typical adventure game, sure there's the wacky B-movie plotline that spoofs ol' sci-fi flicks but aside from it there's nothing super-duper about it. What sets DOTT appart from other games is that the technology finally catched up with the narrative in terms of wackyness. Taking it's cues from classic animated works, the artists of DOTT crafted a bizarre visual world in par with the one the script called for. Thus, all the characters are wildly distorted to cartoony proportions, and the backgrounds and items are drawn in wild perspectives, with lots of jagged lines and distorting stuff which gives it a distinct graphic look similar to the Ren & Stimpy cartoons in their graphical surreality. Heck, even the font used in the SCUMM interface is all twitchy and wacky!!

However the real genius of DOTT is that the cartoony look is not just a graphical gimmick, it's a core aspect of it's design thus it's present in it's storyline, graphics and gameplay, making for a tightly designed package that never lets you down. Because the graphics and story may be as wacky as you can imagine, but if the puzzles are all "use hammer on nail" then we have a problem. Fortunately the puzzles in MM follow equally weird rules and include washing a car to summon rain (loved that one!) for example, thus providing a gameplay experience on par with the story and graphics.

Plus it includes the complete original masterpiece Maniac Mansion in it!!!

The Bad
Pretty much the only thing I missed was the fact that Bernard was the only returning character from the old MM gang, and while Hoagie is an excellent addition, Laverne was far lower on the "cool-o-meter" for me. And I also would have loved to have some good old cheesy horror spoofs as in the original. DOTT is more of a "just" sci-fi game.

So yeah, I'm bitching. But I would have Killed to be able to play as Bernard, Syd an Razor!! And Hoagie of course!!

The Bottom Line
Incredible game that has to be played to be believed. Another masterpiece by Lucasarts, another milestone in the world of adventure games. Both honors it's tradition and surpasses it. Memo to the powers-that-be: make Day of the tentacle a worldwide holiday!

DOS · by Zovni (10504) · 2001

Another LucasArts masterpiece

The Good
The art, music, story and characters are wonderful. There's nothing to fault here. This is perhaps one of the best LucasArts games, and quite possibly, even one of the greatest adventure games of all time.

The Bad
Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

The Bottom Line
If you are not a fan of adventure games, then this one may not interest you. But if you enjoy adventure games, give this one a try. It will not disappoint.

DOS · by Lal Fam (27) · 2024

Crazy, funny, overall great game!

The Good
Where to start? The three-way storyline was a big plus; working in three different time periods opened up all kinds of possibilities for humor and puzzles. The puzzles themselves were definitely challenging and occasionally had VERY abstract solutions, but I was never stumped on any one puzzle for too long. You get stumped, but eventually you figure out the crazy logic and move on--the difficulty level is right on the mark. Voice acting is superb, and I will NOT say that about many games. I can hear Laverne's voice in my head now, years after playing the game. Lots of little jokes throughout the game, and three separate but connected, and COMPLETELY absorbing settings put this one among my favorite games of all time.

The Bad
It doesn't work very well on newer systems. Ran like a dream on my old 486, and on everything since the sound has been buggy and the animation is choppy. It would be nice to get an updated release that will run on newer versions of Windows for those of us who stupidly sold our old computers.

The Bottom Line
Undescribeable. You have to play it to believe it. One of the few games worth forcing newer PCs to run in DOS mode for.

DOS · by hikari_no_tsubasa (9) · 2002

LucasArts strikes again!

The Good
The whole darn thing! Humor, challenge (but NOT frustrating. This is crucial!), and some of the best music and voice to ever find its way onto a computer. File this one under "pure enjoyment."

The Bad
Well, it ends, and unlike the first game there are no other kids to use, so replay value takes a hit. I understand the space limitations, but why not allow for the player to choose which kid goes to which time period? This would have made an already fantastic game just that much better.

The Bottom Line
More fun than should legally be allowed by law. Heck, it even includes the first game as a bonus! Simply untouchable.

DOS · by Toka (13) · 2001

A ludicrously funny romp through time!

The Good
The best thing about this game was the name of the time machines. How could anyone resist travelling in a Chron-O-John? Little jokes like that, along with funny sight gags, such as Bernard scratching himself or Hoagie belching if you leave him alone for too long, are evidence of the great effort put forth by the developers of this game.

The game's storyline flows very smoothly with fabulously done cut-scenes. I thought it was awesome when I reached the first scene after finding Dr. Fred's secret lab. Who can forget Hoagie hanging ten in his Chron-O-John?

Another bonus was that you actually play the old Maniac Mansion while playing DOT!! Of course, you also have to use Maniac Mansion's poor mouse interface,

The Bad
Nothing, really. A very fulfilling computer entertainment experience.

The Bottom Line
A great game that you definitely should rush to play if you can get your hands on it.

DOS · by Michael Reznick (37) · 2000

Even funnier than Maniac Mansion

The Good
When you start Day of the Tentacle, you can see why it is the sequel to Maniac Mansion. All the characters are here from the original, including Green and Purple Tentacle, Weird Ed, Nurse Edna, and of course, Doctor Fred. In Maniac Mansion, you selected three of nine people that will rescue Sandy from the clutches of Doctor Fred and stop him from turning her into a zombie

There are a lot of differences between this game and Day of the Tentacle. For example, there are over 100 zany sound effects, which you can hear through your Sound Blaster, not the PC speaker. Also, whereas the original game allowed you to select three of the nine characters to choose from, you can’t in this game. Instead, you control three university students: Bernard, the character you could select from Maniac Mansion and has experience with a lot of technology; Hoagie, a member of an unknown metal band; and Laverne, a feisty medical student whose favorite Edison is Cousin Ted.

They receive a letter from Green Tentacle saying that Doctor Fred is planning to kill both him and Purple Tentacle, so they all go on a rescue mission to save them from execution. Later, after the rescue, Doctor Fred must turn off the Sludge-O-Matic machine to prevent the sludge from intoxicating the river. Realizing it is too late, he attempts to transport Bernard, Hoagie, and Laverne to yesterday to fix the problem. However, due to the fake diamond that he installed in the time machine, the machine malfunctions, sending Hoagie 200 years in the past, Laverne 200 years in the future, and Bernard back to the present. To make matters worse, Purple Tentacle goes out to take over the world and enslave all humanity, and in the process, he manages to steal diamonds and do some cow tipping.

Apart from Bernard, everybody must find a way to transport themselves back to the present. Bernard, on the other hand, must order a real diamond to replace the broken one. You control him at first, but if you get the Super Battery Plans that Doctor Fred asks you to get, you can switch to Hoagie, in the past. And if you do something in the past that will affect the future, you might get to control Laverne. All three characters can exchange objects that will help them in their quest by flushing them down the toilet (known as the Chron-O-John, a device which was used to transport the characters through time).

Only the Edison family may still be living in the present, but a few other characters can only be found in the past and future time periods. In the past for example, the mansion is where the famous presidents live, and the only Edison living there is Red Edison. In the future, tentacles take control of the mansion where the Edisons are prisoners in their own home.

Day of the Tentacle uses the SCUMM interface similar to Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, where nine verbs are displayed to the left of the inventory, and you choose one to perform an action. This type of interface certainly has few less commands than Maniac Mansion. When I first played this game, I found that I didn’t know what half of the commands do, but Tentacle’s interface is easy to use.

Two versions of Tentacle exist: the floppy disk version, and the CD-ROM version. There is not much difference between the two, apart from the fact that the CD-ROM version has full speech, featuring the voice of Richard Sanders as Bernard. The disk version has speech in the introduction, but it’s “text only” for the rest of the game. Back in the present, there is a computer in the mansion, and if you decide to use it, you can actually play Maniac Mansion (in both versions), which has its advantages and disadvantages. It may save you money from buying the game, but the sounds and graphics are not nearly as good as the stand-alone version, and the paths you must take to complete the game are no different.

Chuck Jones, the director of old Looney Tunes cartoons, consulted with LucasArts and helped them design the graphics. The result is beautifully hand-drawn graphics and smooth textures. The game is also very funny. Do nothing in the present and Bernard will pick his nose. Give Doctor Fred a cup of decaf coffee and he’ll sleepwalk and immediately remember the combination to his safe. Blow Washington’s teeth out and give him chattering teeth, and his mouth doesn’t stop moving. More often than not, Laverne walks around with her arms out while she walks, behaving like an airplane.

The Bad
Too short.

The Bottom Line
Day of the Tentacle is even funnier than LucasArt’s past adventures. If you like a bit of comedy, or if you’ve play Maniac Mansion, then it’s worth buying this game. ****½

DOS · by Katakis | カタキス (43092) · 2003

perhaps LucasArts' best, right up there with Monkey Island...

The Good
Well, to me the most important aspects of a game - especially an adventure game - are the storyline, plot, fun factor, etc; graphics and sound are not as vital. However, when a game has it ALL, like Day of the Tentacle, it's definitely an added bonus.

The game is chaotic and hilarious, but also logical (if a little abstract). I often tire easily when in an adventure game I play for hours without making progress - this was never the case in Day of the Tentacle. The difficulty was just right - not too challenging, not too easy. I only needed to consult the walkthough once, less than in most other games :)

The plot is sheer genius too. If you do something in the past, the future might be affected accordingly. Also, the graphics are beautiful even now (8 years later) and the characters are all loveable.

The Bad
It was too short! Give me more!!

The Bottom Line
Highest, highest recommendation. Even non-adventure freaks would enjoy this.

DOS · by Gothicgene (66) · 2001

Contributors to this Entry

Critic reviews added by Karsa Orlong, Scaryfun, Tomas Pettersson, Tobias Maack, Jeanne, Alsy, Crawly, deepcut, kelmer44, Big John WV, RetroArchives.fr, Tim Janssen, Patrick Bregger, Terok Nor, Wizo, mailmanppa, Emmanuel de Chezelles, WONDERなパン, Tracy Poff, Parf, Mr Creosote.