Hi all Gaming Maniacs! With this article we are pleased to inaugurate our new column: Hall Of Legends!!
The first game, or rather, the first games to end up in our personal hall of legends, is nothing less than the saga of The Monkey Island! Those who have played these titles cannot help but feel their hearts leap, reliving in these few lines the great adventures of the pirate Guybrush Threepwood, and his bitter and dark enemy, the wicked one Pirate Le Chuck!
The saga of The Monkey Island has 4 titles of the saga itself, published and developed by Lucas Arts, with the addition of a fifth chapter developed by Telltale Games divided into 5 episodes. The brilliant mind and creator of the game is from Ron Gilbert, present in the first two chapters, and collaborator in the episodes of the fifth issue.
The games that make up this epic saga are respectively:
1- The Secret Of Monkey Island
2- Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge
3-The Curse Of Monkey Island
4- Escape From Monkey Island
5- Tales Of Monkey Island
These graphic adventures, 23 years after the release of the first episode, are among the most popular and fun ever created. Guybrush Threepwood has been the most loved character on hundreds of charts for years, on par with Metal Gear's Solid Snake. The often demented and humorous aspect of the game, combined with ingenious plots to say the least, settings of the most varied, and unlikely but hilarious secondary characters, make these titles unmissable (both for fans of graphic adventures, and for those who do not prefer the kind). For those wishing to play these authentic masterpieces starting from the first, I remember that recently the remakes of the first 2 issues were published, in which it will be possible to choose (even during the game) whether to adopt the original and retro graphics, or the one with the restyle. This issue also includes some gems, such as the commentaries of the producers in some parts of the game: not to be missed!
1- THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND
A long long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Hem sorry, in 1990, we saw the birth of the first chapter of the saga, The Secret Of Monkey Island. The protagonist arrives on an island in the Caribbean to fulfill his greatest dream, that of becoming a real Pirate! we will not go too far on the plot, since it is all to be discovered and laughed at, but we can unbalance on the main aspects of the game. The interactions that Guybrush can do are varied, and practically all connected either to dialogues with the secondary characters, or to key objects to look for around the scenarios. Each object will often be used to obtain another, a bit as if it were a domino effect, in other words one of the most classic graphic adventures. I warn you, the game will not be as simple as it may seem at first glance, but it will certainly prove to be a more than demanding challenge even for experts. Among the funniest phases we find the duels between Pirates, even during the navigation phases! There will obviously be citations to other works by Lucas Arts, as well as references to Indiana Jones o Star Wars. Noteworthy soundtrack.
2- MONKEY ISLAND 2: THE CHUCK'S REVENGE
None other than the continuation of the previous chapter, published in 1991, picks up the Guybrush story from where we left off. After the defeat of the terrible Le Chuck, Guybrush is tired of always telling the same story, but he wants to try his hand at a great feat, that is to find the most coveted treasure of all pirates, the treasure that no one has yet ever found: Big Whoop. Obviously, the comic and genius vein of the predecessor is not lost: we will find, for example, the friend Stan, inevitable, or the beautiful (and terrifying at the same time) Elaine Marley, the Voodoo witch who will help us as always, and .. let's just say… BOH… XD. The game layout remains the same, with the addition of the possibility of traveling between one island and another in a small archipelago of 3 islands, in which our hero will have to find the 4 pieces of the map necessary to get to Big Whoop . Its fate will be up to you .. ?
3- THE CURSE OF MONKEY ISLAND
Released in 1997, After the release of Ron Gilbert from Lucas Arts, at the helm as creators present themselves Johnathan Ackley and Larry Ahern. The antiphon does not change. The game is always based on irony and puzzles, some of which will take hours to solve (also because some solutions are "insanely unthinkable"). Unlike the first numbers, of course, we have a clear improvement in terms of graphics and sound, but the real giant step for the time was the change of the interface, much more direct, which uses the mouse in an excellent way. . The purpose of the third episode (which compared to the first 2 has no direct connection with the plot), is to save the beloved Elaine from the curse of the ring that turned her into a golden statue. Here, too, there will be the return of various historical characters, and quotes in front of which you cannot help but smile far
4- ESCAPE FROM MONKEY ISLAND
We are in the 2000, and therefore we arrive at the publication of the fourth chapter, during which Guybrush and Elaine return to the island where the girl acts as governor, but… they come to discover that they are given up for dead! Defined by many as the least beautiful title in the saga, it certainly does not lack innovations from the point of view of gameplay, compared to its predecessors: first of all the new controls (actually a little uncomfortable), the two-dimensional settings and the characters in 3D. However, the variety of places and characters proposed is excellent.
5- TALES OF MONKEY ISLAND
Summer 2009, the fifth and final chapter of the saga comes out. Split into 5 different episodes, this latest title was not released by Lucas Arts, but was produced under the observation of Dave Grossman and in collaboration with original creator Ron Gilbert. Not much remains to be said about the game modes, much less about the plots, which if spoiled would be practically a sacrilege.
Know in conclusion, that this saga is obviously MANDATORY to play, for those who have not yet done so, equip yourself with everything you need, and embark on this fantastic journey. It is no coincidence that I personally wanted to dedicate the first issue of my column to this saga: once played, it enters your heart ? Waiting for the next issues, perhaps in collaboration with others from the editorial staff, I'll meet you next time! Stay tuned! ?
A warm hug
- Jan-Meister -
