The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Old? You’d never know it. This screen-for-screen remake of The Secret of Monkey Island, one of the wittiest point-and-click adventure games ever made, brilliantly masks its age thanks to its sharp script, clever puzzle-solving, and upgraded-to-HD art that renders the Caribbean prettier than ever.

Penned by three of the funniest men in gaming, Monkey Island follows Guybrush Threepwood, a bumbling wannabe pirate whose misadventures take him from Melee Island to Monkey Island, solving puzzles that range from the comically logical (gunpowder + magnifying glass + the sun = explosion) to the cerebrally absurd (remember the old saying “monkey see, monkey do”?) in an effort to defeat the evil ghost pirate LeChuck.
You’re likely to get stuck from time to time — it’s the nature of the genre — but this special edition adds a handy new hint system: simply hold X anytime for a clue. Keep pressing for stronger hints and, ultimately, the puzzle’s solution.
While the 2009 hand-painted HD visuals are beautiful (you can press Back whenever you like to switch to the original graphics and sound), the best thing this version offers is spot-on voice-acting. The original never had recorded dialogue, but the entire cast from 1997’s Curse of Monkey Island — the first Monkey that did — has been reunited here, giving Secret a fresh feel even for those who’ve replayed it annually since 1990.

The only barnacle on this ship is the interface. Actions are bound to LB/LT and your inventory is locked to RB/RT, while shortcuts are on the D-pad. Unfortunately, the 360 D-pad is mushy and imprecise, often resulting in unintended actions. Using the triggers is also a bit cumbersome. But you can never really fail in Monkey Island, so no true harm is done. Secret is the foremost example of the genre on Xbox — and arguably anywhere else. Should you buy it? Yarr!
On Xbox Live Arcade
+ Razor-sharp writing and puzzle-solving.
+ Lovingly crafted updates; stellar voice-acting.
- Minor interface issues.
? Who do we have to bribe to get this same treatment for Monkey Island 2?


9.0
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rk1studley
July 16, 2009 at 7:21pm
ryan this game blow me mind i love this game it is one of the best games i have evered played it is the best 800 points i have spent www.rk1gaming.net
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chiknhed
July 16, 2009 at 6:42pm
Ryan every time you suggest a game I pick it up and it blows my mind! Another great one here. What's the next kick ass game? Cannot believe all of these great arcade games coming out this summer.
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MazerRackham
July 15, 2009 at 7:38pm
I've only played for about 30 minutes so far, but it is already great. Being able to switch between old school and HD at the touch of the back button is awesome!!
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gumppy12
July 15, 2009 at 7:34pm
Hey Ryan just wanted to let you know that I downloaded the trial version and was going to give it a shot today, but my 360 couldn't handle the awesomeness and burnt out on me. lol. I'm sending it in for repair and should have it back in a couple of weeks, then I will give it a go!! Nice Review too!!!
















