Monkey Island Final Thoughts

I'd love to be here, professing my undying love for Monkey Island, pining away for LucasArts to greenlight a remake of the second game. This reaction feels right, considering the outpouring of support the game has received from the enthusiast press, and how much the game is revered by those who played it when it was originally released. I want to fall in line with these people, who've forgotten more about games than I'll ever know...

But I can't. While the writing was spot on, even laugh out loud funny at times, and the voice acting in the remake was perfect for the script, the adventure game mechanic just didn't do it for me. This has the feel of a medium that overcame technical limitations back in the early '90s, which doesn't fly as readily here in twenty-aught-nine, when we can have 3D spectacles like Crysis and Bioshock, or 2.5D fare such as Shadow Complex. Take a script such as this, package it with game mechanics and an experience that utilizes today's tech, and...you have Brutal Legend. Maybe. That's the buzz going around, and Tim Schaefer, who worked on Monkey Island, penned Brutal Legend as well. Here's to hoping.

Anyway, in the eyes of video game snobs, I'm now one to be shunned, because I don't hold what clearly is a classic in the same regard as they do. However, I feel this is yet another example of how strongly nostalgia can impact one's opinion of things. We all have these feelings about something, whether it be a book, a movie, an experience, something. Our strong feelings that we experienced years ago continue to color our perception of the thing, long after everyone else has moved on.

But hey, that's why the retro game market continues to flourish, right? If you have an opinion on this, I'd love to hear it.