Adventure Games: Nostalgia Or Lost Art?

Maniac Mansion, 1987

For me, they're both.

I know point-and-click adventure games aren't for everyone, but they hold a certain nostalgia for me.

In 1987, Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick created Maniac Mansion.

You start the game as Dave Miller, a teenager desperate to save his girlfriend from a scientist driven mad by a sentient meteor. (Eventually, you'll play as all 6 different characters)

The game was well received and led to a sequel in 1993, called Day of the Tentacle.

Day of the Tentacle was remastered last year by Tim Schafer's studio, Double Fine Productions.

This is the type of off-the-wall humor I've come to expect from Ron and Gary, as well as eccentric genius Tim Schafer, who helped with both Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle.

Top: Remastered 2016 edition.

Bottom: Original 1993 version.

Another of Gilbert's creations that has endured as a cult favorite is the Monkey Island series.

The original title screen.

Gilbert and Schafer designed The Secret of Monkey Island, which was released in 1990.

Gilbert was tired of the way contemporary adventure titles of the time worked, particularly the player's death.

As a result, he made it virtually impossible for the player to die, and focused on story and exploration.

He based the world on the Pirates of the Caribbean Disney ride, and threw in his (and Tim's) odd sense of humor.

The original 1990 release.

The game was remastered and re-released in 2009, much to the delight of longtime series fans such as myself.

The 2009 remaster...You can almost smell the voodoo.

There are 5 Monkey Island games total, so I won't be going through them all now. Suffice to say, they are all great fun and definitely worth checking out.

Escape From Monkey Island just might be the best of the Monkey Island titles.

Released in 2000, it was the first 3D entry in the series.

The level of detail and art design In Escape from Monkey Island were unprecedented at the time.

Escape from Monkey Island was the last adventure title LucasArts made, as the genre lost popularity due to the dawn of 3D platforming and shooters.

I guess most people just don't have the patience for puzzle-solving anymore, which is a shame.

The dialogue options in the Monkey Island games were always gold.

Guybrush returns to Melee Island to find that his new bride Elaine has been declared dead, and a mysterious new individual named Charles L Charles announces his campaign for her governorship.

Guybrush sets out on the high seas to investigate and as usual, hilarity ensues.

Unfortunately, Xbox One users are shit out of luck. Playstation subscribers can likely still find this one in the play store, but Xbox users will have to play this (as well as the new TellTale series) on PC.

Strange puzzle combinations were part of the humor of LucasArts adventure games.

That brings us to Grim Fandango.

Manny Calavera, underworld travel agent.

Tim's studio, Double Fine has been remastering his old LucasArts titles the past few years.

As I mentioned in the previous article, "Mobile Gaming: Is It Worth It?", Grim Fandango is an amazing game.

Tim Schafer and his team created a day-of-the-dead themed underworld, where you play as Manna Calavera, a travel agent for the dead.

The Blue Casket Casino.

Grim is unfortunately not available to Xbox One users, so you'll need to get it on either IOS/Android, or Steam for PC.

At the price that it's being offered, ($2.99 on Steam for 23 more hours/ $4.99 in Google Play store) I'd highly recommend picking it up while it's so cheap.

Manny's high-roller casino.

Now, on to quite possibly the best game Tim Schafer ever made, the first title he helmed, and one of my top 3 adventure games picks.

Hail to the King, baby.

Full Throttle was one of the first games I played as a kid, and was finally given an HD remaster this year.

I was immediately entranced by the overall tone of the game when it debuted in 1995.

The tongue-in-cheek humor you'd expect from a LucasArts game is present, but Tim's sense of humor is also a bit darker, and I loved that.

The 1995 original next to the 2017 remaster.

You play as Ben, the leader of a biker gang called the Polecats.

Set in a seemingly post-apocalyptic desert, they find themselves caught up in a plot to end motorcycle production and murder it's last captain of industry.

Awesome biker combat, Road Rash style.

Offering clever puzzles, great voice work and oozing style, Full Throttle is an homage to Tim Schafer's interest in bikers, heavy metal, and Mad Max.

Chock full of pop culture references, including of course, Star Wars.

To see the remaster comparison in motion , check out the video below.

Last, but certainly not least, is Ron Gilbert and Gary Minnick's latest creation which was released just March of this year.

They formed a new company called Terrible Toybox, and decided to release a point-and-click adventure game as if it were the old days.

They came up with Thimbleweed Park, a game that looks and plays just like a lost LucasArts title from the 80's.

Agents Reyes and Ray have a definite Scully/Mulder vibe.

Inspired by True Detective, the X-Files, and Twin Peaks, the game is a slightly creepy, self-aware problem-solving adventure that remembers it's roots (and sticks to them).

Much like Maniac Mansion, you are able to swap back and forth between multiple characters, which is especially interesting given that the game is a murder mystery.