Originally, this piece was going to focus on a different game. Of course, doings thing like you say you will never happens and is pretty much reserved for the anal retentive and badass military generals. I am neither. However, I love my adventure games and I'm happy to be spewing joy juice on one in my top 5: Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. I went with this one because it's the best in the Monkey Island (don't argue) and like King's Quest, it holds a special little place in my GUI-driven heart.





Back in '92 I was able to convince my parents to order this for me with an ad from one of the many gaming mags my brother and I hoarded. LucasArts was offering up a special deal that bundled the hint book with the game for a sweet price; I was 9 or 10 -- I needed that hint book or I would sob when I got stuck. My parents agreed, mom busted out her credit card and placed an order. AWESOME! One problem: we didn't have a computer that would run it. My parents assured me we'd be getting a new, non-Commodre 64 computer soon, which is why they ordered the game for me in the first place. Protip: never listen to my parents.

I was obsessed with this game. When it showed up I was both delighted and sad because I couldn't do anything with it. Nobody I knew had a PC that could rock it, so I was forced to stare at the box and just imagine what it would be like to experience the pirate adventure. It was complete torture. My only solace was to read the hint book which had a little red strip used to "reveal" the solutions. I was cooler than that though, opting to go into the bathroom, turn on the red heat lamps and read the thing without little pieces of colored plastic slowing me down. This process went on for 2 years until we finally got a new PC. Hallelujah! *choir* *angels*

You'd think that after 2 years of anticipating and living a game box I'd be disappointed when I finally experienced what I'd been waiting to. Nuh uh, I loved the hell out of the game! Back then I didn't pay attention to creators and all that jazz. The power team of Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island 1, Penny Arcade Adventures), Tim Schafer (Full Throttle, Psychonauts) and Dave Grossman (Day of the Tentacle) didn't mean a lick of anything; all I cared about was the funny, the pointing, the clicking and that rad music...oh yeah, and monkeys. No wonder this game is such a masterpiece of gaming that needs to be played by everyone with a face and a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor, you have no business being at Destructoid.





Ok, so I just spent 3 paragraphs giving you my life story and not once mentioning what the game is about or why it should be played -- besides the power team that developed it and the voodoo magic I embedded in this post. The story begins with our intrepid, but bumbling, wannabe-pirate hero Guybrush Threepwood on a quest for the treasure of "Big Whoop" and a ship to take him on his journey. Obviously nothing is easy, so much hilarity and puzzle solving ensues as you bounce from island to island meeting familiar and new characters alike while experiencing a bunch of in-jokes and nods to Pirates of the Caribbean. The game plays just like the other classic "verbal command" driven LucasArts games. You click a verb, you click an item, you get pissed because nothing works. They were nice this time around and implemented two difficulty settings: Regular and Lite, which leaves out some puzzles and headsmashing for newbs. Sissys play it on Lite, by the way. They were also nice enough to leave out the obnoxious "dueling" from the first Money Island. Even 15 years after its release the game still shines. The humor is top notch, it looks amazing (shut up) and it's just nice to kick back and enjoy the golden age again.





To not play this game is a crime. No joke. Jail time. Shower rape. You don't want this. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where you can get a hold of this title by legal means. Ebay is a possibility, black hole in the back of a GameStop, maybe? You're a savvy lot, go find this treasure and play it till you puke. I like it on my DS.



Part 1 - Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

Part 2 - Loom

Part 3 - King's Quest: Quest for the Crown

Part 4 - Scooby-Doo Mystery