Escape from Monkey Island
Encyclopedia
Escape from Monkey Island is a computer adventure game
developed and released by LucasArts
in 2000. It is the fourth game in the Monkey Island series
.
Production was headed by Sean Clark
and Michael Stemmle
who had previously worked on Sam & Max Hit the Road
.
The game centers on the pirate Guybrush Threepwood
, who returns home with his wife Elaine Marley
after their honeymoon
, to find her erroneously declared dead, and her office of governor
up for election. Guybrush must find a way to restore Elaine to office, while uncovering a plot to turn the Caribbean
into a tourist trap
, headed by his archnemesis LeChuck
and Australia
n conspirator Ozzie Mandrill.
Sean Clark and Michael Stemmle were the lead designers, both of whom worked on previous LucasArts adventure titles. The soundtrack encompassed contributions from five different composers, including Michael Land
, composer for the previous Monkey Island games. Escape was the last of LucasArts' adventure games
to be released. It was also the second and last game to use the GrimE
engine, which was upgraded from its first use in Grim Fandango
.
or alternatively with a joystick
.
A new feature of the game are action-lines. Guybrush will glance at any items that can be interacted with; the player can use 'Page Up' or 'Page Down' to select the item that he wants Guybrush to look at.
In the second part of the game, the insult games are replaced by "Monkey Kombat", the name being a parody of Mortal Kombat with a symbol to match. Monkey Kombat is a sub-game akin to rock-paper-scissors
, where you need to memorize lines of "monkey insults and retorts" which consist of per-game randomized compositions of "monkey words" like "oop", "chee", "ack" and "eek".
and Elaine Marley
returning to Mêlée Island from their honeymoon, which they embarked on in the epilogue of The Curse of Monkey Island. Here they find that Elaine has been declared officially dead, her position as governor has been revoked and her mansion is scheduled to be demolished. The governorship is up for election, and suddenly a person known as Charles L. Charles presents himself as the lead candidate. As Elaine begins her campaign to recover her position, Guybrush hires navigator Ingacius Cheese in a game of insult arm-wrestling, meets again with three of his old "friends", Meathook, Otis and Carla, (see Minor characters in Monkey Island) and heads out to recover the Marley family heirlooms and obtain the legal documents to save her mansion. During his trip, Guybrush learns of the Marley family's greatest secret: a voodoo talisman known as the Ultimate Insult, which contains an insult so insidious, it destroys the spirit of those who hear it. He also winds up being framed for bank robbery by crook Peg-Nosed Pete at the hiring of the Australian land developer Ozzie Mandrill, but manages to prove his innocence.
After acquiring the legal deeds and returning to the manor, Guybrush and Elaine soon discover that Charles L. Charles is really the Demon Pirate LeChuck
, having been freed from his ice prison of the last game and seeking the Ultimate Insult. As Elaine continues her campaign, Guybrush searches the Caribbean and recovers all but one of the pieces of the Ultimate Insult. Upon returning home, he is ambushed by LeChuck and Ozzie Mandrill, who steal the pieces from him. The two villains are revealed to be working together, Ozzie to rid of all pirates and turn the area in a resort and LeChuck out of debt to Ozzie for freeing him and to use the Ultimate Insult to break Elaine and marry her. Feeling they might need Guybrush as a hostage, the two decide to dump him back on Monkey Island.
Despite temporary discouragement, Guybrush sets about making his escape, learning the art of Monkey Kombat from the elder monkey and discovering Herman Toothrot is Elaine's grandfather, having contracted amnesia twenty years prior due to being pushed into a whirlpool by Ozzie. After discovering a giant monkey robot on the island, Guybrush manages to disable an Ultimate Insult amplifier made by Ozzie before returning to Melee. During this time, Ozzie has managed to capture Elaine and assemble the Ultimate Insult. When it appears to fail due to the lack of the amplifier, LeChuck takes matters into his own hands and possesses a statue of himself he had built shortly after his gubernatorial victory. Before Guybrush can stop him, Ozzie uses the Ultimate Insult to take control of LeChuck's statue form and engages the monkey robot in Monkey Kombat. During the duel, Guybrush forces LeChuck to perform the move invoking by repeated ties, causing LeChuck to smack his head in exasperation, crushing Ozzie and destroying the Ultimate Insult. LeChuck explodes in defeat, Guybrush and Elaine are reunited and Grandpa Marley resumes being the governor of Melee Island, so the two can go back to being pirates.
and Sam & Max Hit the Road
. Sean Clark also worked on Loom and The Dig
. Escape uses a slightly improved version of the GrimE
engine introduced by Grim Fandango. Compared to the rest of the series, the SCUMM
scripting language
was replaced by the Lua programming language
.
A new version of the iMUSE interactive music system incorporating MP3
compression, among other changes, was built and used for the game. Interactive programming of the music and ambiance streams in the iMUSE system was done by lead sound designer Larry the O. Escape's introductory music is identical to that of the third game, unlike the earlier sequels which featured newly-composed remixes of the well-known Monkey Island theme. The soundtrack itself consisted of pieces from five composers: Michael Land
(who wrote the music for the previous "Monkey Island" games), Peter McConnell, Clint Bajakian, Anna Karney, and Michael Lande (often confused with Michael Land).
The voice cast saw the return of Dominic Armato
as Guybrush, Earl Boen
as LeChuck, Leilani Jones Wilmore as the Voodoo Lady and Denny Delk
as Murray. The only major voice not to return was Alexandra Boyd
who voiced Elaine in the previous game. She was replaced by Charity James. Stan is also voiced by a different actor, Pat Fraley
. Additionally characters who had previously appeared in The Secret of Monkey Island such as Carla, Otis and Herman Toothrot are heard with voice actors for the first time.
The game was also released on PlayStation 2
in 2001. Apart from obvious control differences, the PS2 version only varies by a slightly higher polygon count and use of less pre-rendered material. Escape is the second Monkey Island game to have a console release, with The Secret of Monkey Island being the first as it was also released for the Sega CD.
review stating that "unfortunately Monkey Kombat may be the single biggest problem with Escape from Monkey Island". Another reviewer speculated that "Perhaps the designers figured that combining insult fighting, cute monkeys, and a Mortal Kombat spoof would work well, but it didn't".
, to be released.
In a reference to LucasArts founder George Lucas
' movie Star Wars: A New Hope
, Guybrush finds the model of a "ACME Prosthetic Proboscis" model to be TK-421. TK-421 is a reference to the call number of the Stormtrooper
that Luke Skywalker
ambushes in A New Hope. Another Star Wars joke is that one of the possible names to Pegnose Pete is "Obi W. Kenobi". Another option in the game allows the users to ask Ozzie Mandrill if he was "the one who was to restore order to the force" which is a clear reference to the Star Wars Saga. Another LucasArts reference appears when typing S-K-U-L-L during gameplay while on the second disc. This will cause a large Murray to appear on the screen and laugh manically, similar to the "B-L-A-M" joke in LucasArts game Grim Fandango
. Similarly to the previous code, typing M-U-R-R-A-Y-B-A-L-L after repeatedly trying to pick up Murray will start a Pong
clone featuring Murray as the ball. Also on Lucre Island, when traveling through the Mist O' Tyme swamp, in one of the backgrounds is Luke Skywalker's X-Wing.
The game includes a number of call-backs to the earlier games in the series. The joke that Guybrush can hold his breath for ten minutes, which is repeated throughout the Monkey Island series, can be put to the test when the game presents a chance for him to dive. After about 8 minutes underwater, Guybrush says "I'm running low on air." If kept under water for another 2 minutes, he decides to head back up to the surface. If tried again, after ten minutes he will drown, ending the game.
In the Palace O'Prostheses location, the records system harbours a number of in-jokes; as well as Obi W. Kenobi (see above), the system also contains alter egos named Sam N. Max and Manuel J. Calavera
. A musical reference to Sam & Max Hit the Road is also featured in the Lua Bar, which uses a track based on Hit the Roads bigfoot party music.
On Knuttin' Atoll, Guybrush has to trick the deranged Admiral Casaba into firing a cannon at a rock with puppets of Guybrush and LeChuck to obtain the Bronze Hat of Tiny LaFeet. Guybrush obtains Casaba's attention by getting his puppets to insult each other, which quickly devolves into general name-calling (i.e., "Jerk! Idiot! Nimrod! Dork!"). Guybrush then remarks to himself, "I've obviously got some deep-seated issues to work with here," referencing the ongoing feud between Guybrush and LeChuck which composes most of the conflict in the series. Also, a humorous reference to the previous Monkey Island adventures is made when Guybrush gets dumped on Monkey Island, where he laments, "I feel like my life is a series of... of puzzles!"
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
developed and released by LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
in 2000. It is the fourth game in the Monkey Island series
Monkey Island series
Monkey Island is the collective name given to a series of five graphical adventure games produced and published by LucasArts, originally known as LucasFilm Games through the development of the first game in the series; the games have produced a significiant cult following. The fifth installment of...
.
Production was headed by Sean Clark
Sean Clark
Sean P. Clark is a game designer, director and programmer who worked on a number of notable LucasArts adventure games from early 1990 through to 2002.- Game development history :* Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure...
and Michael Stemmle
Michael Stemmle
Michael J. Stemmle is a computer game writer, designer, and director who cocreated some of LucasArts' adventure games in the 1990s and early 2000s...
who had previously worked on Sam & Max Hit the Road
Sam & Max Hit the Road
Sam & Max Hit the Road is a graphic adventure computer game released by LucasArts during the company's adventure games era. The game was originally released for DOS in 1993 and for Mac OS in 1995. A 2002 re-release included compatibility with Windows and Amiga...
.
The game centers on the pirate Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
, who returns home with his wife Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley–Threepwood is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure video games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, the character first appears in The Secret of Monkey Island and is one of the core characters in the franchise...
after their honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
, to find her erroneously declared dead, and her office of governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
up for election. Guybrush must find a way to restore Elaine to office, while uncovering a plot to turn the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
into a tourist trap
Tourist trap
A tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that has been created with the aim of attracting tourists and their money...
, headed by his archnemesis LeChuck
LeChuck
LeChuck is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island and is the chief antagonist of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n conspirator Ozzie Mandrill.
Sean Clark and Michael Stemmle were the lead designers, both of whom worked on previous LucasArts adventure titles. The soundtrack encompassed contributions from five different composers, including Michael Land
Michael Land
Michael Z. Land is an American video game composer and musician best known for his scores for various games produced by LucasArts.-Early life and career:Michael Land was born in the North Shore area north of Boston, Massachusetts...
, composer for the previous Monkey Island games. Escape was the last of LucasArts' adventure games
LucasArts adventure games
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, LucasArts was well known for their point-and-click graphic adventure games, nearly all of which received high scoring reviews at the time of their release. Their style tended towards the humorous, often irreverent or slapstick humour, with a few exceptions...
to be released. It was also the second and last game to use the GrimE
GrimE
GrimE is an adventure game engine, created by Bret Mogilefsky at LucasArts using the free software scripting language Lua. It was first used for Grim Fandango. Partly based on the Sith engine, GrimE was the successor to SCUMM, preserving some of that engine's features...
engine, which was upgraded from its first use in Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango is a personal computer game in the graphic adventure genre released by LucasArts in 1998 and primarily written by Tim Schafer. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered, static backgrounds...
.
Gameplay
Escape from Monkey Island is an adventure game that consists of dialogue with characters and solving puzzles. The game is controlled entirely with the keyboardComputer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
or alternatively with a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
.
A new feature of the game are action-lines. Guybrush will glance at any items that can be interacted with; the player can use 'Page Up' or 'Page Down' to select the item that he wants Guybrush to look at.
Monkey Kombat
One of the hallmark aspects of the Monkey Island games, the insult swordfighting — the witty sword duels which were won by knowing the appropriate insults and responses — is briefly touched upon in the game as "insult armwrestling", and in an unwinnable insult duel against Ozzie Mandrill.In the second part of the game, the insult games are replaced by "Monkey Kombat", the name being a parody of Mortal Kombat with a symbol to match. Monkey Kombat is a sub-game akin to rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
, where you need to memorize lines of "monkey insults and retorts" which consist of per-game randomized compositions of "monkey words" like "oop", "chee", "ack" and "eek".
Story
The game begins with Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
and Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley
Elaine Marley–Threepwood is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure video games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, the character first appears in The Secret of Monkey Island and is one of the core characters in the franchise...
returning to Mêlée Island from their honeymoon, which they embarked on in the epilogue of The Curse of Monkey Island. Here they find that Elaine has been declared officially dead, her position as governor has been revoked and her mansion is scheduled to be demolished. The governorship is up for election, and suddenly a person known as Charles L. Charles presents himself as the lead candidate. As Elaine begins her campaign to recover her position, Guybrush hires navigator Ingacius Cheese in a game of insult arm-wrestling, meets again with three of his old "friends", Meathook, Otis and Carla, (see Minor characters in Monkey Island) and heads out to recover the Marley family heirlooms and obtain the legal documents to save her mansion. During his trip, Guybrush learns of the Marley family's greatest secret: a voodoo talisman known as the Ultimate Insult, which contains an insult so insidious, it destroys the spirit of those who hear it. He also winds up being framed for bank robbery by crook Peg-Nosed Pete at the hiring of the Australian land developer Ozzie Mandrill, but manages to prove his innocence.
After acquiring the legal deeds and returning to the manor, Guybrush and Elaine soon discover that Charles L. Charles is really the Demon Pirate LeChuck
LeChuck
LeChuck is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island and is the chief antagonist of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger...
, having been freed from his ice prison of the last game and seeking the Ultimate Insult. As Elaine continues her campaign, Guybrush searches the Caribbean and recovers all but one of the pieces of the Ultimate Insult. Upon returning home, he is ambushed by LeChuck and Ozzie Mandrill, who steal the pieces from him. The two villains are revealed to be working together, Ozzie to rid of all pirates and turn the area in a resort and LeChuck out of debt to Ozzie for freeing him and to use the Ultimate Insult to break Elaine and marry her. Feeling they might need Guybrush as a hostage, the two decide to dump him back on Monkey Island.
Despite temporary discouragement, Guybrush sets about making his escape, learning the art of Monkey Kombat from the elder monkey and discovering Herman Toothrot is Elaine's grandfather, having contracted amnesia twenty years prior due to being pushed into a whirlpool by Ozzie. After discovering a giant monkey robot on the island, Guybrush manages to disable an Ultimate Insult amplifier made by Ozzie before returning to Melee. During this time, Ozzie has managed to capture Elaine and assemble the Ultimate Insult. When it appears to fail due to the lack of the amplifier, LeChuck takes matters into his own hands and possesses a statue of himself he had built shortly after his gubernatorial victory. Before Guybrush can stop him, Ozzie uses the Ultimate Insult to take control of LeChuck's statue form and engages the monkey robot in Monkey Kombat. During the duel, Guybrush forces LeChuck to perform the move invoking by repeated ties, causing LeChuck to smack his head in exasperation, crushing Ozzie and destroying the Ultimate Insult. LeChuck explodes in defeat, Guybrush and Elaine are reunited and Grandpa Marley resumes being the governor of Melee Island, so the two can go back to being pirates.
Development
The game was made with Sean Clark and Michael Stemmle as lead designers, both of whom worked on LucasArts' previous adventure titles Indiana Jones and the Fate of AtlantisIndiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a point-and-click adventure game by LucasArts originally released in 1992. Almost a year later, it was reissued on CD-ROM as an enhanced "talkie" edition with full voice acting and digitized sound effects...
and Sam & Max Hit the Road
Sam & Max Hit the Road
Sam & Max Hit the Road is a graphic adventure computer game released by LucasArts during the company's adventure games era. The game was originally released for DOS in 1993 and for Mac OS in 1995. A 2002 re-release included compatibility with Windows and Amiga...
. Sean Clark also worked on Loom and The Dig
The Dig
The Dig is a graphical adventure game developed by LucasArts and released in 1995, and a game based on an idea for an Amazing Stories episode by Steven Spielberg...
. Escape uses a slightly improved version of the GrimE
GrimE
GrimE is an adventure game engine, created by Bret Mogilefsky at LucasArts using the free software scripting language Lua. It was first used for Grim Fandango. Partly based on the Sith engine, GrimE was the successor to SCUMM, preserving some of that engine's features...
engine introduced by Grim Fandango. Compared to the rest of the series, the SCUMM
SCUMM
Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion is a scripting language developed at LucasArts to ease development of the graphical adventure game Maniac Mansion....
scripting language
Scripting language
A scripting language, script language, or extension language is a programming language that allows control of one or more applications. "Scripts" are distinct from the core code of the application, as they are usually written in a different language and are often created or at least modified by the...
was replaced by the Lua programming language
Lua programming language
Lua is a lightweight multi-paradigm programming language designed as a scripting language with extensible semantics as a primary goal. Lua has a relatively simple C API compared to other scripting languages.- History :...
.
A new version of the iMUSE interactive music system incorporating MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
compression, among other changes, was built and used for the game. Interactive programming of the music and ambiance streams in the iMUSE system was done by lead sound designer Larry the O. Escape's introductory music is identical to that of the third game, unlike the earlier sequels which featured newly-composed remixes of the well-known Monkey Island theme. The soundtrack itself consisted of pieces from five composers: Michael Land
Michael Land
Michael Z. Land is an American video game composer and musician best known for his scores for various games produced by LucasArts.-Early life and career:Michael Land was born in the North Shore area north of Boston, Massachusetts...
(who wrote the music for the previous "Monkey Island" games), Peter McConnell, Clint Bajakian, Anna Karney, and Michael Lande (often confused with Michael Land).
The voice cast saw the return of Dominic Armato
Dominic Armato
Dominic Armato is a voice actor who is known primarily for his work on LucasArts games.Dominic had been a fan of adventure games, specifically LucasArts game such as the Monkey Island games...
as Guybrush, Earl Boen
Earl Boen
Earl Boen is an American actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series...
as LeChuck, Leilani Jones Wilmore as the Voodoo Lady and Denny Delk
Denny Delk
Denny Delk is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Murray in the Monkey Island series as well as a range of voices in LucasArts games.-Background and career:...
as Murray. The only major voice not to return was Alexandra Boyd
Alexandra Boyd
Alexandra Boyd is a British actress, who is best known for playing Clarissa Mason in Coronation Street. On British TV Alexandra has also appeared in two episodes of Doctors was Denis Waterman's love interest in New Tricks and has also appeared in Holby City...
who voiced Elaine in the previous game. She was replaced by Charity James. Stan is also voiced by a different actor, Pat Fraley
Pat Fraley
Patrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
. Additionally characters who had previously appeared in The Secret of Monkey Island such as Carla, Otis and Herman Toothrot are heard with voice actors for the first time.
The game was also released on PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
in 2001. Apart from obvious control differences, the PS2 version only varies by a slightly higher polygon count and use of less pre-rendered material. Escape is the second Monkey Island game to have a console release, with The Secret of Monkey Island being the first as it was also released for the Sega CD.
Reception
The game was met with a generally favorable reception.Critical response
The gameplay received criticism for its interface and the difficulty of keyboard or joystick control as compared to mouse controls. The "Monkey Kombat" was also criticized, with the GamespotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
review stating that "unfortunately Monkey Kombat may be the single biggest problem with Escape from Monkey Island". Another reviewer speculated that "Perhaps the designers figured that combining insult fighting, cute monkeys, and a Mortal Kombat spoof would work well, but it didn't".
Awards
- E3 2000 Game Critics AwardsGame Critics AwardsThe Game Critics Awards are a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards are given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The nominees and winners of the awards are chosen by individual judges representing 35 major North...
: Best Action/Adventure Game
LucasArts
As EMI uses a new engine that was programmed with the Lua programming language instead of the SCUMM engine, Guybrush returns from a journey to find the "SCUMM Bar" originally featured in The Secret of Monkey Island replaced by the tourist-oriented "Lua Bar." The game makes many references to a "five game contract," it took nearly ten years for the sequel, a five part PC and WiiWare game named Tales of Monkey IslandTales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games and LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was...
, to be released.
In a reference to LucasArts founder George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
' movie Star Wars: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, Guybrush finds the model of a "ACME Prosthetic Proboscis" model to be TK-421. TK-421 is a reference to the call number of the Stormtrooper
Stormtrooper
Stormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, Stoßtruppen were trained to fight with "infiltration tactics", part of the Germans' new method of attack on enemy trenches...
that Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
ambushes in A New Hope. Another Star Wars joke is that one of the possible names to Pegnose Pete is "Obi W. Kenobi". Another option in the game allows the users to ask Ozzie Mandrill if he was "the one who was to restore order to the force" which is a clear reference to the Star Wars Saga. Another LucasArts reference appears when typing S-K-U-L-L during gameplay while on the second disc. This will cause a large Murray to appear on the screen and laugh manically, similar to the "B-L-A-M" joke in LucasArts game Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango is a personal computer game in the graphic adventure genre released by LucasArts in 1998 and primarily written by Tim Schafer. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered, static backgrounds...
. Similarly to the previous code, typing M-U-R-R-A-Y-B-A-L-L after repeatedly trying to pick up Murray will start a Pong
Pong
Pong is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. While other arcade video games such as Computer Space came before it, Pong was one of the first video games to reach mainstream popularity...
clone featuring Murray as the ball. Also on Lucre Island, when traveling through the Mist O' Tyme swamp, in one of the backgrounds is Luke Skywalker's X-Wing.
The game includes a number of call-backs to the earlier games in the series. The joke that Guybrush can hold his breath for ten minutes, which is repeated throughout the Monkey Island series, can be put to the test when the game presents a chance for him to dive. After about 8 minutes underwater, Guybrush says "I'm running low on air." If kept under water for another 2 minutes, he decides to head back up to the surface. If tried again, after ten minutes he will drown, ending the game.
In the Palace O'Prostheses location, the records system harbours a number of in-jokes; as well as Obi W. Kenobi (see above), the system also contains alter egos named Sam N. Max and Manuel J. Calavera
Grim Fandango
Grim Fandango is a personal computer game in the graphic adventure genre released by LucasArts in 1998 and primarily written by Tim Schafer. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered, static backgrounds...
. A musical reference to Sam & Max Hit the Road is also featured in the Lua Bar, which uses a track based on Hit the Roads bigfoot party music.
On Knuttin' Atoll, Guybrush has to trick the deranged Admiral Casaba into firing a cannon at a rock with puppets of Guybrush and LeChuck to obtain the Bronze Hat of Tiny LaFeet. Guybrush obtains Casaba's attention by getting his puppets to insult each other, which quickly devolves into general name-calling (i.e., "Jerk! Idiot! Nimrod! Dork!"). Guybrush then remarks to himself, "I've obviously got some deep-seated issues to work with here," referencing the ongoing feud between Guybrush and LeChuck which composes most of the conflict in the series. Also, a humorous reference to the previous Monkey Island adventures is made when Guybrush gets dumped on Monkey Island, where he laments, "I feel like my life is a series of... of puzzles!"
Popular culture references
- The title of the first chapter "Things to do on Melee Island When You're Dead" is a parody of the film and song title Things to Do in Denver When You're DeadThings to Do in Denver When You're DeadThings to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a 1995 crime film directed by Gary Fleder from a screenplay written by Scott Rosenberg. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Andy García, Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Fairuza Balk, and Gabrielle Anwar.The film's title...
. - At one point, Guybrush has to go to a coffee shop called Starbuccaneer's, a parody of StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. Also, Planet HollywoodPlanet HollywoodPlanet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
is parodied as the Planet Threepwood. - Monkey Kombat, a feature in the third act of the game is a parody of Mortal KombatMortal Kombat (series)Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
, a line of fighting games. - When Guybrush walks by the grassy knoll on Lucre Island, he says, "I better get out of here before I'm accused of another crime I didn't commit," a reference to the grassy knoll of Dealey PlazaDealey PlazaDealey Plaza , in the historic West End district of downtown Dallas, Texas , is the location of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
and the John F. Kennedy assassinationJohn F. Kennedy assassinationJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
. If you try to use it, he says "Triangulation of crossfire. That's the key!", a line reused from a similar joke in the previous game. - When Guybrush examines the brass monkey in the Lua Bar kitchen, he says, "Hey a brass monkey". This is responded with an unseen crowd of people yelling "that funky monkey!". This is a reference to the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
song "Brass MonkeyBrass Monkey (song)"Brass Monkey" is a song by the New York hip hop group Beastie Boys. It was a single released from their first album Licensed to Ill. It is also on the Beastie Boys' compilation album Solid Gold Hits. It samples "Bring It Here" by Wild Sugar. The song features the Roland TR-808 drum machine...
". - When Guybrush uses the Rat in the Lua Bar kitchen, he says, "So what are you gonna do tomorrow night?", replying to himself "The same thing we do every night - TRY TO TAKE OVER THE CARIBBEAN!". It is a reference to the Pinky and the BrainPinky and the BrainPinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
animated series. - When Guybrush sits in the bench in Lucre Island, he pronounces a sentence that is reminiscent of the film Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
. - If you examine the Iron Maiden in the dungeon on Jambalaya Island Guybrush will exclaim "Iron Maiden, excellent!", followed by "...I have no idea why I just said that". This is a reference to the film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and the band Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. - When Guybrush follows Ozzie up to the secret basement in jungle and Australian goes back to his mansion, Guybrush hides in the grass and says to player: "Quiet! I'm hunting Ozzie here...". This is a reference to a catchphrase by Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
character Elmer FuddElmer FuddElmer J. Fudd/Egghead is a fictional cartoon character and one of the most famous Looney Tunes characters, and the de facto archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheon . His aim is to hunt Bugs, but he usually ends up seriously injuring...
, "Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits!".
External links
- Official Escape from Monkey Island website at LucasArts (currently down)
- Escape from Monkey Island at MIwiki