The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition iPhone Hands-On
One of the most beloved adventure games of the last 20 years, The Secret of Monkey Island, is back and in all-new high definition glory. Lucasarts revealed The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition at this year's E3 alongside a new episodic adventure, the PC's Launch of the Screaming...
One of the most beloved adventure games of the last 20 years, The Secret of Monkey Island, is back and in all-new high definition glory. Lucasarts revealed The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition at this year's E3 alongside a new episodic adventure, the PC's Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, but certainly surprised everyone when an iPhone version was released roughly one week after it arrived on the Xbox 360 and PC. So just how does Monkey Island shape up in handheld form? We loaded it onto an iPhone and set sail for Melee Island to find out.
Monkey Island is part of Lucasarts' classic point-and-click adventure series. The game was released almost 20 years ago, back in 1990, and went on to spawn three sequels over the coming decade. Monkey Island sets you in the swashbuckling shoes of would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood. Seeking fame and fortune, he arrives on Melee Island, situated deep in the Caribbean, and embarks on three quests to prove to a bunch of "important-looking pirate" chiefs that he's worthy of becoming a member of the pack.
The game combines point-and-click puzzle-solving with an outrageous storyline written by Penny Arcade Adventures' Ron Gilbert and Brutal Legend's Tim Schafer, and features line after line of witty dialogue that's become the staple of geek speak for years. To solve the secret of Monkey Island, you'll need a sharp wit to collect and combine objects into puzzle solutions. Along with talking to the townsfolk for clues, you'll eventually piece together the correct solution.
The most dramatic improvement to the original is the all new graphics, which follow the more caricatured look seen in The Curse of Monkey Island, and Launch of the Screaming Narwhal. Threepwood, Marley, and the rest of the cast have come to life in crisp detail, and it's great to see the world of Monkey Island in such a vibrant recreation. While the backgrounds are still 2D, they've also been given a facelift and include new animations such as swirling clouds, shimmering water, and crackling campfires.
We experienced the occasional dropped frame here and there, but otherwise the iPhone does a great job of recreating the fun of this timeless classic, and the experience plays virtually the same as the Xbox 360 version, but in handheld form. In addition to the new graphics, the special edition also includes some superb voice acting, breathing fresh life into all of the game's characters.
If you're an old school fan then fear not, as Lucasarts has also included the original version, with its classic low-fi graphics. You can seamlessly switch between the two versions on the fly, simply by swiping the screen with two fingers. While the original doesn't have an option to hear the new voice acting, the experience is exactly how we remember it, and it's a great inclusion.
Monkey Island's point-and-click interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone and we're pleased to report that it works great. You can choose from a preset list of verbs, such as "use", "open", "pick up", and then click directly onto an object or person to interact with them. You can access your inventory by clicking on the bottom toolbar and use this to combine items, or use them with other objects, or people. It seems a bit odd that the cursor doesn't reposition itself to where your touch the screen, so at times your finger will reach the edge of the screen and you'll have to drag the cursor several times to the desired place.
If you get stuck at any point you can flip your iPhone to access the main menu, or shake it to access an all-new hints system. The first clue for any situation is usually quite vague but if you're really in a bind you can keep shaking your iPhone until the full solution reveals itself. If you don't want to resort to hints, you can simply pass the time by engaging in some amusing banter.
The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition is a faithful recreation of the original, adding well-delivered dialogue, a new soundtrack and crisp graphics to a beloved old friend. The iPhone version is priced at £4.99, about £2 less than the 360 version, and if you prefer gaming on the go then consider this as a worthy alternative.
Monkey Island is part of Lucasarts' classic point-and-click adventure series. The game was released almost 20 years ago, back in 1990, and went on to spawn three sequels over the coming decade. Monkey Island sets you in the swashbuckling shoes of would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood. Seeking fame and fortune, he arrives on Melee Island, situated deep in the Caribbean, and embarks on three quests to prove to a bunch of "important-looking pirate" chiefs that he's worthy of becoming a member of the pack.
The game combines point-and-click puzzle-solving with an outrageous storyline written by Penny Arcade Adventures' Ron Gilbert and Brutal Legend's Tim Schafer, and features line after line of witty dialogue that's become the staple of geek speak for years. To solve the secret of Monkey Island, you'll need a sharp wit to collect and combine objects into puzzle solutions. Along with talking to the townsfolk for clues, you'll eventually piece together the correct solution.
The most dramatic improvement to the original is the all new graphics, which follow the more caricatured look seen in The Curse of Monkey Island, and Launch of the Screaming Narwhal. Threepwood, Marley, and the rest of the cast have come to life in crisp detail, and it's great to see the world of Monkey Island in such a vibrant recreation. While the backgrounds are still 2D, they've also been given a facelift and include new animations such as swirling clouds, shimmering water, and crackling campfires.
We experienced the occasional dropped frame here and there, but otherwise the iPhone does a great job of recreating the fun of this timeless classic, and the experience plays virtually the same as the Xbox 360 version, but in handheld form. In addition to the new graphics, the special edition also includes some superb voice acting, breathing fresh life into all of the game's characters.
If you're an old school fan then fear not, as Lucasarts has also included the original version, with its classic low-fi graphics. You can seamlessly switch between the two versions on the fly, simply by swiping the screen with two fingers. While the original doesn't have an option to hear the new voice acting, the experience is exactly how we remember it, and it's a great inclusion.
Monkey Island's point-and-click interface seems perfectly suited to the iPhone and we're pleased to report that it works great. You can choose from a preset list of verbs, such as "use", "open", "pick up", and then click directly onto an object or person to interact with them. You can access your inventory by clicking on the bottom toolbar and use this to combine items, or use them with other objects, or people. It seems a bit odd that the cursor doesn't reposition itself to where your touch the screen, so at times your finger will reach the edge of the screen and you'll have to drag the cursor several times to the desired place.
If you get stuck at any point you can flip your iPhone to access the main menu, or shake it to access an all-new hints system. The first clue for any situation is usually quite vague but if you're really in a bind you can keep shaking your iPhone until the full solution reveals itself. If you don't want to resort to hints, you can simply pass the time by engaging in some amusing banter.
The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition is a faithful recreation of the original, adding well-delivered dialogue, a new soundtrack and crisp graphics to a beloved old friend. The iPhone version is priced at £4.99, about £2 less than the 360 version, and if you prefer gaming on the go then consider this as a worthy alternative.
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