For most modern gamers, the recent news of a newMonkey Islandgame probably didn’t mean all that much. For fans of classic adventure games, however,the imminent return of Ron Gilbert’s long-dormant franchiseis long overdue and has the potential to once again revolutionizethe recently revived point-and-click adventure game genre.
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Like other greatLucasArts games from the nineties, one of the things that made theMonkey Islandgames so enjoyable was the way that they seamlessly blended the developers' humor together with their mysteries, leading to some of the most thought-provoking puzzles of the era. The series may have lost its way a little in later years, but, withGilbert now back at the helm forReturn to Monkey Island, fans can no doubt expect to see plenty more fantastic puzzles like these.
Two-Stepping to Treasure
The main protagonist of theMonkey Islandseries is Guybrush Threepwood, a would-be pirate with a tongue that’s every bit as sharp as his sword. In the first game, he sets out to impress a trio of Grog-swilling pirate leaders by completing three challenging tasks. One of these tasks requires him to find the Legendary Lost Treasure of Melee Island, which ends up being quite a bit simpler than it first sounds.
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After volunteering to be shot out of a canon to earn a few hundred pieces of eight, Guybrush is able to purchase a map that will supposedly lead him right to the treasure. Upon first looking at the map, it appears that he has been duped as it seems to beinstructions on how to do a dancecalled The Monkey rather than an actual map. However, looks can be deceiving.
If players head out into the nearby woods and take the exits that correspond to the dance instructions on the parchment (Back, Left, Right, Left, Right, Back, Right, Left, Back), they’ll eventually come to a new area with a giant X on the ground. Sure enough, using Guybrush’s trusty shovel on this spot will lead to him digging up the treasure, which, sadly, turns out to be nothing more than a commemorative T-Shirt planted by the Melee Island Chamber of Commerce.
Standing Idly By
Another of the tasks given to Guybrush by the three pirate leaders requires him to steal a fabulous idol from the Governor of Melee Island, Elaine Marley,who eventually goes on to marry Guybrushmuch further down the line. To get his hand on the idol, Guybrush will need to trade a can of gopher repellant and some breath mints with a flower-stealing prisoner called Otis in exchange for a cake with a file in it. After opening the cake and putting the Governor’s guard dogs to sleep with some sedative-infused meat, he’s able to use the file to get the Idol.
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Though he’s ultimately caught red-handed before making his escape, Elaine allows Guybrush to hold onto the idol to prove himself to the pirate leaders. Unfortunately, however, Melee Island Sheriff Fester Shinetop (who turns out to be the ghost pirate LeChuck in disguise) has other ideas. He ties Guybrush to the idol using a length of rope and pushes him off the pier into the water down below.
Despite there being several swords and other sharp objects lurking down in the depths, they are all just a little bit out of reach. As it happens though, they’re not actually needed. Instead,players simply need to pick up the idol, which, although obvious to some, is the last thing that a lot of players think to try. Luckily, the game does give them plenty of time to figure this out, with Guybrush famously able to hold his breath for ten whole minutes while underwater.
Burying Buddies Alive
A lot of the characters from the firstMonkey Islandtitle return for the game’s sequel,Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. This includes fan-favorite Stan, a used boat salesman on Melee Island from whom Guybrush originally purchases a decrepit ship. In the second game, Stan has shut up shop and opened up a used coffin store on Booty Island, where he holds the key to a special crypt that Guybrush needs to access.
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Sadly, despite the pair’s past connection, Stan is unwilling to just hand over the key, forcing players to take matters into their own hands. If they steal a saw and cut off a pirate’s wooden leg, they’ll get a chance to steal a hammer and nails from a nearby woodworking store whose owner is out repairing the aforementioned appendage. From here, they’ll simply need to return to Stan’s store and get him to demo one of the coffins. What comes next is a little sadistic.
After Stan gets inside the coffin, players need to use their recently acquired hammer and nails to trap the previously owned coffin salesman inside his own merchandise. They’ll then be free to steal the crypt key without any interference. As for Stan, it’s revealed inThe Curse of Monkey Islandthat the coffin in which he was trapped was later shipped out to Blood Island, where he remained stranded for three long months.
Return to Monkey Islandis currently in development and will release at some point in 2022.
