Don't forget the plotholes. Herman Toothrot is Elaine's Grandfather? Pish. How could he have crashed on Monkey Island on the Sea Monkey with the hanging man, who calls him Toothrot, if he crashed on it at a different point in time in another part of the world. I disagree with it. Also, Stan knew Guybrush in CMI. Why not in EMI? The giant monkey head is a robot? Too many plot holes, too many mini games. Not to say that there weren't many good things about it, I enjoyed the rehab thoroughly. I also thought that making the perfume was pretty funny too. Monkey Kombat, though, urgh.
No disrespect to Mike Stemmle, but when it comes to Monkey Island give me the dream team of Grossman, Schafer and Gilbert any day. MI4 just doesn't seem canonical.
Yep, I agree with you. MI1 and 2 are the oldest games but the greatest, funniest and weirdest plots of the series. For me, CMI is the most beautiful (it looks like a cartoon!). And I found the team of CMI has written a script in the continuity of the end of MI2, which was not easy to do... Of course, I know that Ron Gilbert said it would like to do his own MI3 if he can, but CMI was a really great ending for the series. EMI was disappointed because of the 3D (the cartoon aspect from CMI was much greater), the keyboard control (how many time I missed my target location on Monkey Island because of it !) and the plot (too many contradictions in this game in the story continuity and
the giant head a robot ??? Too weird, even for a Monkey Island
). But I can't say I don't like this game. It was just a little deception (I have the same opinion with Grim Fandango because of the 3D and keyboard control but I found the script very good). A new Monkey Island was a great event for me... I hope someday a new one will come...
I think the first two Monkey Island games look beautiful. No. 3 and 4 were so-so, plotwise as well as the gfx. But the Sam and Max reference in 3 is fun though :-)
I also think S&M hit the road looks good. I think Half Life 1 is far better than Crysis... I think the longest journey is epic in scope and expression.
In general I think the quest for ever more realistic gfx is flawed and pointless. New games look anonymous and generic, they lack strong art direction. There are plenty of levels on CS made by amateurs that simply look cool, and are fun to be in. Unlike F.E.A.R.
I wish they would make another Noone Lives Forever.
Count me to the vast demographic that thought "Escape" was only a big, fat "meh."
Basically, the graphics just didn't fit the style, and I don't even blame the engine's for it... I honestly felt that everyone involved in the game did a lackluster job. It's like they didn't even polish it, or in many cases, gave up halfway through it. There's a bunch of clues for my theory...
1) Stock music. Up to EMI, every instalment had its own instrumentalization of the main theme, and a neat little intro that set the tone. EMI simply takes the sample from the previous game and uses it to score a flip chart of still photographs. A FLIP CHART! You know... the kind of move you see in really bland PowerPoint presentations.
2) Most of the jokes where duds. When your most edgy pop culture reference revolves around a fake wannabe singer called Brittany, you should just stick tooth picks in the eyes of your writers until they beg for mercy.
3) The story just didn't flow as well, just wasn't as thrilling as the other three games. So, what did they decide to fill the blanks in with? Minigames. I could have forgiven them for inserting the "insult-game for dummies" right at EMI's start if it had'nt kicked my in the balls later on with that irritating Monkey Combat THAT JUST WOULDN'T END. Gee, thanks, writer's department! I think I'll switch the tooth picks for hot pokers.
4) Guybrush wasn't even likeable, which is the most offending thing to ever happen to the MI franchise. Yes, Guybrush was always a little bumbly, but in EMO he isn't just downright retarded. Which could, you know, be fun if his demeanor wasn't so off-putting. I think I have to blame both the writers and the graphic designers for this. If Guybrush isn't well written, you should *really* do some damage control with the graphics. You know... make him act more likeable, more realistic (well, as realistic as MI gets). I think CMI did the best job in that area. Something about the vague "art noveau"-stylings in "Curse" made our protagonists more accessible for the viewer. I think EMI would have profited from a similar design.
Oh gee... I've ranted quite a lot, haven't I? No more coffee for me today...
The plotholes were because of what happened between MI2 and CMI. Guybrush escaped from the carnival to somehow have blond hair and lose a beard. He probably went to another dimension or something. How else could you explain the transition between the second game's ending and the third game's beginning?
It's because when LeChuck's hex turned him back into a child the hair follicles on his face retracted. Guybrush then had to go through puberty again in a matter of seconds. It takes a while to grow a beard and considering Dinky Island is only a short distance from the rest of the Tri-Island area the bumper car didn't have long to travel. Therefore - no beard.
Escape was alright, but the first two will always occupy more space in my heart. The dialogue was fantastic. I even got my sister to love them and she usually hates all my games.
All I was trying to say, was that old Adventure games were bad because without the graphics adventure games don't seem real. With adventure games you need good graphics. But for arcade games, you don't.
I'm quite happy with text adventure games. Sometimes, leaving things to the imagination is best.
I've played all 4 games, but I'd have to say that Escape from Monkey Island is my least favorite. It's not a bad game, but it doesn't have that witty humor that the first 3 had.
I haven't played 1 or 2. I got CMI when it came out and it's one of my all time favorite games. The art style has always stuck with me. Not to mention the music.
Comments
Yep, I agree with you. MI1 and 2 are the oldest games but the greatest, funniest and weirdest plots of the series. For me, CMI is the most beautiful (it looks like a cartoon!). And I found the team of CMI has written a script in the continuity of the end of MI2, which was not easy to do... Of course, I know that Ron Gilbert said it would like to do his own MI3 if he can, but CMI was a really great ending for the series. EMI was disappointed because of the 3D (the cartoon aspect from CMI was much greater), the keyboard control (how many time I missed my target location on Monkey Island because of it !) and the plot (too many contradictions in this game in the story continuity and
I also think S&M hit the road looks good. I think Half Life 1 is far better than Crysis... I think the longest journey is epic in scope and expression.
In general I think the quest for ever more realistic gfx is flawed and pointless. New games look anonymous and generic, they lack strong art direction. There are plenty of levels on CS made by amateurs that simply look cool, and are fun to be in. Unlike F.E.A.R.
I wish they would make another Noone Lives Forever.
b
Basically, the graphics just didn't fit the style, and I don't even blame the engine's for it... I honestly felt that everyone involved in the game did a lackluster job. It's like they didn't even polish it, or in many cases, gave up halfway through it. There's a bunch of clues for my theory...
1) Stock music. Up to EMI, every instalment had its own instrumentalization of the main theme, and a neat little intro that set the tone. EMI simply takes the sample from the previous game and uses it to score a flip chart of still photographs. A FLIP CHART! You know... the kind of move you see in really bland PowerPoint presentations.
2) Most of the jokes where duds. When your most edgy pop culture reference revolves around a fake wannabe singer called Brittany, you should just stick tooth picks in the eyes of your writers until they beg for mercy.
3) The story just didn't flow as well, just wasn't as thrilling as the other three games. So, what did they decide to fill the blanks in with? Minigames. I could have forgiven them for inserting the "insult-game for dummies" right at EMI's start if it had'nt kicked my in the balls later on with that irritating Monkey Combat THAT JUST WOULDN'T END. Gee, thanks, writer's department! I think I'll switch the tooth picks for hot pokers.
4) Guybrush wasn't even likeable, which is the most offending thing to ever happen to the MI franchise. Yes, Guybrush was always a little bumbly, but in EMO he isn't just downright retarded. Which could, you know, be fun if his demeanor wasn't so off-putting. I think I have to blame both the writers and the graphic designers for this. If Guybrush isn't well written, you should *really* do some damage control with the graphics. You know... make him act more likeable, more realistic (well, as realistic as MI gets). I think CMI did the best job in that area. Something about the vague "art noveau"-stylings in "Curse" made our protagonists more accessible for the viewer. I think EMI would have profited from a similar design.
Oh gee... I've ranted quite a lot, haven't I? No more coffee for me today...
For what it's worth, I love both old graphics and new graphics.
As for the blonde hair... I dunno, peroxide?
Quite a song wasn't it? One of the highlights of the series for me. Fortunately it's available to download (legally) on the Monkey Island site!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG7WYCt4SRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AawQvD8L_h4&feature=related
I'm quite happy with text adventure games. Sometimes, leaving things to the imagination is best.
After all... if we all needed pictures to tell stories, noone would be reading novels anymore, we'd all just read comics or watch tv/movies.