The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition

Following on from the recent – and excellent – Tales of Monkey Island comes the game that started it all. The Secret of Monkey Island was released in 1990 and fast became the pinnacle of the hugely popular point-and-click adventure genre. Characters you cared about, puzzles that actually required some thought and a script that was actually funny were the primary reasons.

The Caribbean setting – as rare in gaming then as it is now – also helped to make Monkey Island so enjoyable at the time and so fondly remembered now. So this Special Edition has certainly had the fans waiting – and luckily, the wait was worth it. This is a nostalgia feast from the off with the music – this time live band rather than midi – probably enough to make many 30-somethings shed Amiga-sized tears. And the warm feelings continue as you hook up with hapless pirate Guybrush Threepwood and enter the SCUMM inn.

Once you get playing, Monkey Island reminds you how hard gaming was then. Hints have been added to the Special Edition, but the original left you on your own. Older fans needn't worry though. Nothing has been added to make the game easier. In fact, the controls on the 360 version make it harder to do some of the timed challenges needed throughout the game. Actually, the controls on the 360 version probably work about as well as could be expected. The smooth simplicity of the mouse is lost but the gain in page real estate is worth it.

The most obvious difference to the original is the graphics. The cartoony elements of the unfairly maligned Monkey Island 3 are melded with the original to give the whole game an HD upgrade which feels right. The border around the screen is a shame though. Best of all, you can flick back to the original graphics at the press of a button. his is a perfect example of how to update a game while respecting the original. Some 360 owners, unused to the slow pace and the lack of handholding, may wonder what the fuss is all about before heading back to Halo 3 or Modern Warfare. Let them. For everyone else, whether you played the original or not, The Secret of Monkey Island is must-buy.