iPhone game of the day: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition

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Now you really have no choice for never having played this classic adventure

Game: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Price: $2.99 / £1.79
Size: 355MB
Buy it now from the iTunes store:US/UK

It's common for devoted fans to buy a landmark movie or piece of music over and over and over. For example, I've purchased the original Star Wars trilogy on VHS (twice), laserdisc, bootleg DVD and legit DVD.I've alsobought Journey's album Escape oncassette, vinyl, and CD - thoughnever when it wasquasi-fashionable, as it is now. And with the sounds of iTunes' virtual cash register, I have now plunked down for The Secret of Monkey Island for the fourth time. The point of this self-indulgent reverie? It's been worth it every time because the gameis still hilarious.


If you don't know the drill by now, here it is: You play as Guybrush Threepwood, a lovably aloof clod who really wants nothing more than to be a pirate despite the fact that he's completely untrained for it and about as quick-witted as an eggplant. Yet, thanks to dogged determination, endless enthusiasmand some of the most clever dialogue ever typed into a point-and-click (tap?) adventure, he gets the job done. He alsofinds the love of his life, butts heads with an undead pirate captain, and meetsa fabledthree-headed monkey.

Sound ludicrous? You don't know the half of it. This is a game in which a rubber chicken with a pulley in it is a valuable item. But that's what makes it a classic.

True, the interface takes a little getting used to this time around - you can call up a list of possible actions easily enough, but it can be a challenge to hit the exact spot on the screen that triggers the action you want. And we've yet to locate a way to skip through the dialogue more quickly, which can make things drag a bit. But those quibbles can't spoil a great adventure. If you're already a fan, grab this for those giggles on the go. And if you're not? Play this and understand why the old guys are always raving about old-school adventure games.


Above: You know, LucasArts, a LOOM remake would be pretty sweet too. Just sayin'.

Oct 15, 2010

Eric Bratcher
Eric Bratcher
I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.