Guybrush Threepwood has finished his migration to digital, with Escape from Monkey Island arriving on GOG and completing the Monkey Island franchise. There's a nice discount on the Monkey Island bundle as well, for those memory lane walks.
I swear though, Guybrush seems to have one of those faces that you have to see to realise how much you've missed them. Thankfully, Threepwood's name and face crop up every now and again, rightfully so.
Escape from Monkey Island is now 18 years old and if that isn't enough to make you feel old, then we'll up the ante. The video above is the trailer for Tales of Monkey Island, because there was no YouTube back in 2000, when Escape from Monkey Island launched. Ancient history, I know.
I'm not going to beat around the bush - Escape from Monkey Island is probably the worst instalment in the Monkey Island franchise. However, and it's a huge however, the franchise is so monumental that the game still easily beats 95 per cent of adventures I've played since.
Back when Lucas still actually did Arts, Escape from Monkey Island marked the franchise's foray into 3D and gamepad-oriented controls, which didn't really sit well with many. To be fair, LucasArts did nail the general mood, but tech limitations at the time robbed Guybrush of much of his visual charm, reducing him to a boxy representation of himself.
Looking back though, I can't help but feel spoiled because Escape from Monkey Island was nothing if not a solid game. More than solid in fact, as I recall letting off quite a few laughs while tagging along on the adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, the mighty pirate. Insult sword-fighting, Monkey Kombat, cushy government jobs - I can go on for hours, Escape from Monkey Island had it all.
LucasArts The Curse of Monkey Island
You can find Escape from Monkey Island , with a discount for an entire bundle or just a single game you need to complete your collection. Also, and I never told this to anyone, I think Guybrush Threepwood is a wonderful pirate name. There, I said it.
