Monkey 2 is slightly different in that it has two modes of play. There is a normal mode which is quite challenging at times. Then there is "Monkey 2 Lite" which, aside from being less filling tastes just as great. The copy protection is your standard "now lets align the little symbols on the cheap cardboard wheel" type deal. It gives you two voodoo recipe ingredients, such as gravedigger's socks, wads of pre- chewed gum, and MSG. You must type in the right amount of each ingredient for a specific "pirate ailment", such as trench mouth, tattoo rash, and peg leg rot. This immediately gets the player in a voodoo mood which is the feel throughout the entire adventure. After using the "Mix N' Mojo" wheel and a quite entertaining intro, the adventure begins proper.
Those familiar with previous Lucasarts efforts will immediately recognize their SCUMM interface system. You select an action such as "GIVE" or "PICK UP" or "TALK TO", then you select an inventory object or an object in the game screen. The best part is, only objects that actually serve a purpose in the game can be highlighted by the cursor, which saves mouse clicking on every object on the screen. And let me tell you, these screens are FULL. One nice change from Monkey 1 is the inventory listing. Instead of a text listing, Monkey 2 shows each item as a little picture. These pictures also change as they are used. For example, the martini glass appears empty when you pick it up. When you scoop up some sea water with it, the glass then appears full. And so on. HINT: The inventory is unlimited, so be sure to pick up EVERYTHING you can get your grimy little paws on (even some things that would be impossible to pick up outside of an adventure game.)
As the title of the game clearly states, LeChuck, that dreaded bad boy of the high seas whom our hero Guybrush Threepwood "rooted out" (get it?) in Monkey 1 is back. You see, Guybrush only destroyed his spirit form, so now his re-animated body is lumbering around trying to take out his frustrations on our hero's humble hide. In addition to LeChuck and Guybrush, there are many familiar faces from Monkey 1. Remember salesman Stan? How about Herman Toothrot or The Men Of Low Moral Fiber(pirates)? Even the rat is back. There's lots of new faces too such as the Governor of Phatt Island and Largo LeGrande (my favorite).
Graphics have improved somewhat over Monkey 1 and the scenery really sets the mood in the game. Due to the price of certain luxuries in life like gas and food, I do not own a hard drive. I played the entire game from disks and though the "floppy-swappin'" was difficult, (did I mention the game is on 11 disks?), I put up with it. The game is good enough so it is worth getting a little "Amiga-Elbow" to see it all. You lucky dogs with hard drives should have no problem. As for music, the tunes in Monkey 2 are just as wild as Monkey 1. Some tunes are used for certain characters, (Largo's theme is perfect for the little creep) and help in setting the mood. As for sound effects, well that's a different story. There are very few sounds in the game. There seems to be one "Generic" sound effect throughout the game which is used for everything from shutting a door to dropping an object. Although this reviewer thinks it sounds more like Roger Ebert sitting on a bag of nacho chips.
The humor in Monkey 2, as in Monkey 1 is an absolute laugh a minute. You know when you laugh SO hard that you make no sound whatsoever? Well that pretty much sums up Monkey 2. There were times I had to pause the game and breathe into a paper bag. For example, Guybrush is being roughed up by Largo LeGrande who says to Guybrush, "Scream all you want, there are no police on Scabb Island." Guybrush then gets a choice of responses, one of which is, "Then who eats the donuts and roughs up the transients?" One may take any "goofy" dialogue choice in the game without being suddenly killed off. In fact, like Monkey 1, I failed to find any "deaths" whatsoever. There seem to be no Grues in Monkey 2. This allows the player to get in there and get his hands dirty without saving the game every three minutes and walking on eggshells through the bloody thing.
There are all kinds of nifty little tidbits in the game which are a blast to watch. The deep sea diving scene and the regeneration of Rapp Scallion are enough to blow you out of your computer chair. Also, veterans of Monkey 1 should note where the freight elevator goes to. The ending to Monkey 2 is probably the most twisted ending I've ever seen in a game. It is a real "What the...." type ending. (Note- be sure to watch ALL the credits, it's worth it.) "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" fans should pay particular attention to how Indy...er...I mean Guybrush gets the book from Gov. Phatt's bedroom.
To sum things up Monkey 2 is, to put it mildly, an absolute gas. With the exception of an annoying (but not life threatening) little foul up in the music when the next screen is loading, Monkey 2 seems to be free of glitches. I can't wait to see what Monkey 3 has to offer. What I said earlier about hating sequels must have been a lie. OK, I was lying through my teeth just to have a catchy opening paragraph. In fact most of my first paragraph was a load of pampers. I love sequels. I love LeChuck's Revenge. If you like your adventures full of dazzling graphics, unique and entertaining music, and completely wonky humor, set sail for Monkey Island 2. You'll flip an eyepatch.
Dr. Torgo
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