LucasArts returns to Monkey Island

LOS ANGELES--In 2000, LucasArts released Escape from Monkey Island for the PC, putting the saga of Guybrush Threepwood (and in many ways the company's legacy of adventure gaming) behind it. Nearly a decade later, the publisher is returning to the shores of Monkey Island, and it's bringing a friend with it. LucasArts announced today that it will release The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition, a PC and Xbox 360 remake of the original 1990 game, and is teaming up with Telltale Games to produce all-new episodic installments in the series for PC and Wii.

This summer, the Special Edition version of the original game will give a new generation of gamers the chance to experience the humor-driven adventure game with a handful of alterations. First and foremost, the game is being given a high-definition 2D visual overhaul. (It's optional, though, so players can switch between new and original graphics on the fly.) Additionally, LucasArts is including a new hint feature to prevent gamers from getting stuck, and it's reinserting some "deleted scenes."

Whereas the Special Edition revisits the original game, Tales of Monkey Island will contribute new chapters to the seminal simian adventure series. Starting later this year, five monthly chapters will tell yet another yarn about the ghost pirate LeChuck's undying feud with Threepwood. The game is in familiar hands, with a number of the development team having had experience on previous Monkey Island games. Telltale is also no stranger to the episodic adventure game format, having produced Bone, Sam & Max, StrongBad, and most recently Wallace & Grommit series.

For more on the games, check out GameSpot's preview coverage of both Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition and Tales of Monkey Island.