Game Review: The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition (Mobile)
“I’ve spoken with apes more polite than you!”
“I’m glad to hear you attended your family reunion!”
Fancy a bit of insult sword fighting? I warn you…I’m pretty good at this.
That is but one sequence of one of the finest point & click games ever created. The Secret of Monkey Island holds a special place in many a gamer’s heart & if you’ve never played it then shame on you! What are you waiting for? There are plenty of versions available now so there is no excuse.
Having played the original, the X-Box 360 arcade remake I’ve settled on the IPad edition as my favourite. Combining the updated visuals, improved controls & many other touch-ups it is easily the definitive version of a top-notch gaming experience.
The thing that makes a great point & click is its story; you have to be completely immersed in it to enjoy it.
Guybrush Threepwood arrives on Melee Island wanting to become a pirate.
“My name is Guybrush Threepwood and I want to be a pirate”.
Once he visits the 3 pirate leaders they set him 3 trials before he can become a pirate. First he must defeat the islands resident sword-master then he must find a buried treasure before finally stealing a valuable idol from the governor’s mansion. As Guybrush sets about his tasks exploring the island he hears more & more about the ghost pirate LeChuck who died trying to reach Monkey Island in an attempt to win the love of the Governess, Elaine Marley.
Upon meeting the governess Guybrush falls madly in love with her & eventually begins to win her over. The island is attacked by the pirate LeChuck who kidnaps Elaine & takes her back to his hideout on Monkey Island forcing Guybrush to mount a rescue operation.
Will Guybrush realise his life-long dream of becoming a pirate?
Can Guybrush find his way to Monkey Island & survive its harsh challenges?
Will Guybrush get the girl & defeat the ghost pirate LeChuck?
Can Guybrush hold his breath for longer than 10 minutes?
Find all this out & more in next weeks….oh wait.
It’s a story that is impossible to not enjoy, Guybrush Threepwood is so likable & every character you meet offers something more to the story. It’s all works so well that you don’t see talking to a character as a hindrance but rather something you actively want to do.
One of the games high points is its excellent use of comedy; The Secret of Monkey Island is a funny game. Guybrush’s conversations are all filled with wit & clever remarks that will have you chuckling away.
One of the major over-hauls with this iPad re-release is the visuals, the original looks extremely dated now. I can’t praise the new look enough particularly the backgrounds that just seem deeper & richer. The interface is easier to use & it makes it easier to spot things on screen as well.
Like all good point & click games the music is Secret’s stand-out stuff. The iPad version updates & improves upon this as well. It is the kind of music that you find yourself humming hours later once the game ends.
Put all of these wonderful achievements together & you get a game that will last long in the memory even if it won’t exactly last long gameplay wise. It is very short if you know what you are doing or following a strategy guide, don’t play it this way the first time as it will spoil the experience.
Spoken about with such respect for many reasons, you must play it if you haven’t. Point & clicks are a thing of the past & games being re-released like this just highlight how much I miss them.
The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition
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The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition - 9/10
9/10