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Look, an iPhone-sized Monkey Island: Special Edition wallpaper ('Wink wink nod nod')
You can say a lot of things about LucasArts CEO Darrell Rodriguez (he's managed to get the Lucas Empire to acknowledge its adventure game heritage, for starters!) but you probably can't call him slick. When he told us that it "would make sense" for LucasArts games to come to the iPhone, "wink wink, nod nod" (he actually said that, out loud), we caught what he was throwing ... which was a boulder. On fire. Neon fire. So now, when the 'droids responsible for maintaining the @lucasartsgames Twitter account dropped a curiously iPhone-sized Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition wallpaper with another "wink wink nod nod" we barely raised a boulder-singed eyebrow. Instead, we're wondering what the plan is for the iPhone market: "Special Edition" remakes only (ala Xbox Live Arcade), or another marketplace for the classics (see: Steam). Like most of the unanswered questions in LucasArt's journey into the vaults, we imagine it all depends on the success of this first foray. %Gallery-67743% [Via @lucasartgames]
Get yer Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1 demo all fast-like
If, for some unfathomable reason, Ludwig's review of Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal didn't have ye partin' with yer pieces of eight for the full game, perhaps a free demo is what ye be after. Our mateys at BigDownload have weighed anchor on the 187MB download and it's yers for the takin' -- without any waitin' -- over at their site. Oh, and we wouldn't try runnin' it on a pirated operatin' system if we were you. Savvy? Download Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal Demo (188MB)
Review: Tales of Monkey Island (Launch of the Screaming Narwhal)
Resurrecting a dead franchise (and let's face it, this industry will pronounce you as such if you've been missing for almost ten years) can bring about equal amounts of delight and regret. It's the difference between having dear ol' grandma brought back to life or having someone dump her freshly exhumed corpse on your doorstep. Sometimes she's best remembered -- and not smelled. It's a relief, then, to declare the first episode of Telltale's five-part Tales of Monkey Island series a wonderful, heart-warming reunion. Grandma's back, full of life and ready to bake some cookies! Okay, so her eyeballs will occasionally fall out, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with some time and some practice. %Gallery-64680%
Discover The Secret of Monkey Island (again) on July 15
Mighty pirates and lowly flooring inspectors alike are encouraged to sign up for a return trip to the shores of Monkey Island on July 15th, when a remastered version of the adventure classic arrives on Xbox Live Arcade and PC (via Steam and other online distribution channels). The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition sees that lovable display of ineptitude, Guybrush Threepwood, rendered in splendid HD graphics, surrounded by newly recorded voices and ... fired out of a cannon with a pot on his head. That part's still the same. LucasArts has yet to announce a price for the point-and-clicker, but if there's anything our encounters with the dreaded ghost pirate LeChuck have taught us, it's that you should never pay more than $20 for a computer game. %Gallery-64659%
Monkey Island SE might go to WiiWare, PSN, Monkey Island 2 a possibility
Speaking to the Guardian, Craig Derrick, producer of The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition, said that the game may make the jump from XBLA and PC to another platform as well. When asked about why LucasArts chose Xbox Live Arcade as the launch platform and not Wiiware or PSN, Derrick responded, "Well, we never said we wouldn't be on Wiiware or PSN now did we?" He added, "We may have another platform announcement to make very, very soon," though he failed to elaborate any further on the matter. Derrick also seemed to share the sentiments of some other folks involved with both the Special Edition and the upcoming Tales of Monkey Island from Telltale, saying that he'd like to see a redone version of Monkey Island 2. He noted that Monkey Island Special Edition is an "experiment to see what interest there is for these types of games and if people are interested in playing them on a console." In other words, whether or not we see another revamped LucasArts adventure game depends on how well the Monkey Island sells. We're sure the Joystiq staff will buy at least one copy, if that helps ....
Architect's Journal ranks top 10 gaming worlds
Before you start furiously clicking through the source link to see where on the list of Architect's Journal's "Top 10" gaming worlds Second Life falls, we're just going to tell you upfront that it's number seven. That's three full spots ahead of the (apparently) FAT-inspired Super Mario World! Outrageous, we know, we know. The list is rounded out by some rather ... interesting choices -- from Jet Set Willy's house to Halo's ring world, and everything in between, which are all discussed in highfalutin terms that we simply can't wrap our heads around. "Gemutlich?" "Miminalism" (note: not "minimalism")? We're sticking with the video games, thank you very much. [Via Kotaku]
Telltale: Tales of Monkey Island might come to XBLA 'later on'
Speaking to Eurogamer, Telltale's Dave Grossman spoke to the possibility of seeing Tales of Monkey Island on Xbox Live Arcade. Currently slated only for Wii and PC, Tales of Monkey Island could eventually see the light of day on XBLA, according to Grossman. "We didn't so much decide not to put it on Xbox Live Arcade as we decided not to put it on XBLA now," said Grossman, explaining that Telltale has been alternating platforms for each release. Joystiq readers will recall that Strong Bad is on Wii, while Wallace & Gromit is an XBLA title. Grossman indicates that Tales of Monkey Island may wind up on XBLA, saying, "Yeah, I mean I wouldn't rule it out. We might do that one later on." Regarding Telltale's overall strategy for future titles and other platforms, Grossman says that Telltale would eventually like to release "on every downloadable channel there is." When that will actually happen revolves around "how and when and can [Telltale] actually afford to do it."
Taking a stroll back through The Secret of Monkey Island
With an HD remix of The Secret of Monkey Island and a full-on episodic assault in Tales of Monkey Island on the way, many might find themselves wondering what all of the fuss is about. Those individuals have likely been stomping around the Earth for no more than 12 years or so, and thankfully GameSetWatch has come to the rescue with an incredibly lengthy retrospective (like, 5,000 words long) on the series. We must warn you that the piece is filled with various spoilers, so if you've never played any of these games before, don't say we didn't warn you. But, for the rest of us, it's a great primer for the bounty of content ahead. %Gallery-64659%
Telltale's Dave Grossman promises Tales of Monkey Island will be more 'epic'
A brand new episodic Monkey Island adventure is heading to PC and WiiWare this summer. While some are weary of the game's new 3D look, series co-creator Dave Grossman reassures players that the upcoming adventure is a true sequel. "The series takes place a couple of years after the end of the last game. The characters are a little bit older, but haven't really learned anything," he says in this exclusive video.The episodic format is giving Telltale an opportunity to create a grander adventure for the upcoming game. "It's going to come out one chapter at a time over the period of five months, and the story's going to be told that way. So, it's more of an epic saga," Grossman says.The first episode of Tales of Monkey Island will be available on PC in July, with the Wii release to follow shortly thereafter. To check out this video on your Wii, check out the Nintendo Update channel next Monday.%Gallery-64680%
LucasArts developers play Monkey Island on Justin.tv tomorrow, June 19, at 3PM
Be ye ready for a ... sorry, we can do better pirate than that! Noy jitat, arrrrrrrrre ye ready to watch some LucasArts developers play Monkey Island and answer your barnacle infested questions? Then head on over to Justin.tv/lucasartsgames tomorrow at 3PM Pacific. LucasArts devs will play through the early part of the game for approximately an hour and answer viewer questions. The event will not be recorded, so you'll have to make a date if the event interests you. Or, you know, someone out there in the stormy seas of the internets can record the event and then maybe slide a link where people can watch it later. You know, in the comments here or something. Too right, now ye be thinkin' like pirates!
LucasArts wants to re-release classic adventure games (if you want to buy them)
If the words Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango and Full Throttle bring pangs of joy to your heart of hearts, you'll want to hear this -- several LucasArts higher-ups have stated the desire to bring more of their catalog of classic adventure titles back to life, provided that people show interest in purchasing them. For starters, you could drop a few bucks on the upcoming XBLA and PC remake of The Secret of Monkey Island as a good faith offering. This sentiment was mentioned to Australian news outlet WAToday by LucasArts community manager Brooks Brown, who said, "if this sells, there's no one at this company who doesn't want to do these games." One fan of the company's beloved point-and-clickers is LucasArts CEO Darrell Rodriguez, who spoke with Joystiq on the possibility of more classic revamps just before E3, and explained that he "couldn't do anything but release more of these titles" if sales for Monkey Island and desire from the gaming populous were strong. Long story short, if you don't buy Monkey Island, and they don't re-release Grim Fandango because of your non-purchase, we're going to find you and punch you repeatedly in your most delicate places. %Gallery-64659%
Some original voice cast returning to Monkey Island
Here's a bit of good news for those worried about Telltale's Tales of Monkey Island capturing the spirit of the series. The episodic title will welcome back Dominic Armato as Guybrush Threepwood and Alexandra Boyd, who portrayed Elaine Marley in Curse of Monkey Island. The two other returning characters, LeChuck and the Voodoo Lady, have new voice actors attached but (unsurprisingly) Telltale says it's very happy with them. OK purists, are you totally excited yet?
Monkey Island won't hold any secrets after these videos
If you're new to adventure games and have yet to see The Secret of Monkey Island, check the videos after the break for a pretty good idea of what the game's like. If you love Monkey Island, check the videos for a look at the beautiful HD upgrade that has been lavished upon it. There's really something here for everyone. And by "something" we mean "eight videos." Is it cool for us to say that one of the best new games of E3 is an old game? Because it totally is. Along with the actually new Monkey Island game.
Episodic Tales of Monkey Island coming to WiiWare, PC
digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Episodic_Tales_of_Monkey_Island_coming_to_WiiWare_PC'; The tale of Guybrush Threepwood and his ascent through the pirate ranks is one of the most-loved stories from the adventure games of yesteryear, and now you can get ready for a whole lot more of it. LucasArts has announced to us at E3 that they're working with Telltale Games on Tales of Monkey Island, a five-part episodic series to be released monthly on both PC and WiiWare. LucasArts says that there's no shortage of demand among both developers and gamers to make and play as much Monkey Island as possible, so they're giving what they call "one of the forefathers of adventure gaming and the precusor to the RPG genre" the Sam and Max treatment. There aren't any other platforms scheduled for release -- while the Monkey Island special edition is being released on Xbox Live, LucasArts CEO Darrell Rodriguez was tight-lipped when it came to getting the episodic content on consoles or even a platform like the iPhone. But he did tell us that their plan is to take us back to the "halcyon days" of the company, "when people couldn't wait for a LucasArts game to come out." Considering that the last Monkey Island release was almost nine years ago, it'll be nice to have the wait for a trip to the Tri-Island Area reduced to just 30 days. %Gallery-64662%
The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition coming to XBLA, PC
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Special_Edition_Secret_of_Monkey_Island_coming_to_XBLA_PC'; Remember that XBLA version of Secret of Monkey Island that was rumored a few weeks ago? Brush up on your insult swordfighting, because it's totally happening. LucasArts is bringing Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition to XBLA and PC. When don't know when it's happening, but LucasArts will revitalize the series in-house along with its Singapore studio with high-def graphics, full voiceover, a remastered score and a new in-depth hint system. You can check out comparison shots of the old version and the new one (pretty!) in the gallery below. %Gallery-64659%
Rumor: Secret of Monkey Island coming to XBLA
Listen, we know you want to freak out after reading that headline, we do too. But let's work through this together, OK? GamerBytes says it spotted Secret of Monkey Island, the first in Ron Gilbert's revered adventure series, listed for Xbox 360 (likely XBLA) on the website of the German USK ratings board. The listing -- which actually called the game a "Special Edition" -- shows Activision as having some involvement, but likely because it handles European publishing duties for LucasArts. However, the only evidence we have of the game now is GamerBytes' screengrab, as the listing's apparently been pulled. We're hoping against hope it was removed not because the listing was in error, but because it popped up a bit earlier than the companies behind it would have liked. You may now commence the freakout.
Classic LucasArts artwork turned into movie posters
All too often when mixing genres, the results – like that Mountain Dew left over from last night – fall flat. However, one enterprising forum-goer has has defied convention (and warmed our hearts), successfully marrying classic LucasArts adventure games with our wall's longstanding desire to be covered in nostalgia. The results consist of several beautiful posters, most based on original artwork lifted from an era when LucasArts wasn't afraid to point and click, including Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman masterpieces, The Secret of Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. Designed to be printed and hung, we can't think of a better way to hide that unsightly crack above your bed.
LucasArts' PC adventures possible on DS, stalled by size limitations
To this day, it baffles us that LucasArts still hasn't re-released its library of adventure titles, if only so our non-gaming friends can believe us when we tell them the developer "doesn't just make Star Wars games." Speaking to Eurogamer, Fracture assistant producer Jeffrey Gullett said it's something they've looked into it but that there's an issue of size limitations for a DS version. Said Gullet, "The cart size of the DS makes it impossible to put out ports of any of our old graphic adventures ... There's literally not enough room on those carts to put the games out." The standard DS cart supports up to 256MB (but with slower data transfer speeds), while the DS version of ScummVM is just over 7MB. We're not sure if Gullet meant the entire LucasArts adventure library wouldn't fit on a cart, but we're willing to bet you could at least get the first three Monkey Islands under 128MB.
Joystiq interviews DeathSpank's Ron Gilbert
Described as "the perfect melding of a Monkey Island style adventure game with the wicked RPG gameplay of Diablo," Ron Gilbert's episodic endeavor also formed part of our recent GDC interview with Hothead Games. Though the Orphans of Justice still have quite a bit of growing up to do, we quickly quizzed designer Ron about Deathspank's upcoming lampooning of adventure game heroes, as well as the series' inevitable downward spiral in quality after the, uh, 600,000th episode.
GDC Quest Quiz I: Ron Gilbert
We did a terrible thing at last week's Game Developer's Conference. Aside from our usual barrage of photographs and "reporting," a select group of attendees had to endure a particularly inane and utterly pointless line of questioning -- just for laughs. This is what happens when you hunt down several adventure game connoisseurs and challenge them to solve a typically obnoxious adventure game puzzle. The Player Ron Gilbert, designer of The Secret of Monkey Island (amongst other LucasArts adventures), consultant on Penny Arcade Adventures and designer of Hothead's upcoming episodic series, Deathspank. The Puzzle You're standing in front of a cave. The goal is to get inside the cave, taking care to foil the ferocious robot bear guarding the entrance first. The Inventory (1) perforated parasol (1) rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle (1) sealed manila envelope (1) miniature macaroni Tim Schafer statue Find Ron Gilbert's surprisingly direct solution after the break.
