The Secret of Monkey Island™: Special Edition

Ron Gilbert's classical The Secret of Monkey Island is point-and-click gaming at it's best. It has a great story oozing with atmosphere and a plethora of funny characters. Thanks to Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango) and Dave Grossman, MI1 is also one of the funniest games ever made. It also takes the term "adventure game" quite literal. There are few other point-and-click games that I can think of that make you feel like you're on an epic adventure (apart from maybe Monkey island 2). I think it's fantastic that Lucasarts decided to remake this game as it helped resurrect a timeless classic, as well as introduce adventure games to a new generation, but it is not without it's problems. I have two major complaints about this version: 1. It lacks so much of the charm of the original game. When remaking the game Lucasarts decided to keep the cartoon style used in Monkey Island 3 - 5. It worked well for them, but feels very out of place in this one. + there are some visual glitches and some odd visual changes (all minor issues fixable with mods). 2. The new control scheme is supposed to be more streamlined than the original verb box, but it's surprisingly clunky. There's plenty of flaws to the Special Edition but none of these are enough to ruin it as a whole. Pluss credit where credit is due, the new music and voice acting is nothing short of brilliant. These features really saved this game for me. Would I still recommend this game? Do pirates drink grog? Definitely! Despite it's flaws it's still Monkey Island, and no cartoonish graphics can ruin the great story, humor and gameplay that it offers. And if you're like me and the new graphics put you off, simply press F10 and you'll have the original game in all it's 8-bit glory. I personally recommend playing it this way. There's just something magical about the original that creates an instant sense of nostalgia even if you didn't play it back in the 90's, and this is how you should experience it for the first time.

This game brings back alot of fond memories one of the best and funniest adventure games of all time. Guybrush and Lechuck are two of the most iconic characters and this game is why Lucasarts was one of the kings when it came to adventure games back in the 90s. So glad its finally here on GOG can't wait to get the rest in the series

Most people my age would know about the Monkey Island Game Series and those pixelated graphics will bring back a lot of fond and wonderful memories. I was very happy to see that GOG.com was given permission to sell the first Monkey Island. At first I HATED the new graphics and art and was very much set on the classic version only. But honestly as I played through the special edition - it really grew on me. The art does take some time to get used too, but once you are used to it and the new Verb Action Inventory system - the game is just as great as the original classic. I have the steam version but I will buy it from GOG also once the second game is also available via GOG. I hope that Money Island 3 and 4 will also come to GOG - not sure if this will happen but I really hope so. The special edition does have the F10 action key which lets you switch to the old classic version - I did this a few times only through the game - it turns out that I do enjoy the new art style. I do wish Guybrush was designed differently though - but I get the point of this particular design model. All in all its very enjoyable and I look forward to buying them from GOG when BOTH are available!

In my opinion, Monkey Island 1 and 2 are the best adventure games ever! I've played them so many times and never get bored. Both (Amiga and PC) versions are great. My favourite quote from Monkey Island 2: "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" :D

This is a must have for all who appreciate classic titles. If you are looking for a game in which the story drives the game this is it. You play as a comical want-a-bee pirate as he tries to get the respect of other pirates and establish himself. The controls are easy to understand, but the puzzles it gives you will have you dying to find a walk-thru. Don't give into the temptation. All of the puzzles are solvable with a little perseverance and you will feel so much better when you take the extra 15 minutes to do it yourself. When playing this just remember the golden rule of adventure games: Try to use everything ON everything! Even when it doesn't make sense it will eventually work (often as part of a comical gag). It is also great to give to the under 10 crowd to teach them problem solving skills. Something that modern games rarely do as guides are plentiful or they only require twitch skills.