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[entremet]

Kicking off in 1986, Lucasarts presided over an era (running until around the year 2000) in which they were the adventure game Kings, releasing a string of titles that remain all-time classics even decades later.

http://thebests.kotaku.com/lucasarts-adventure-games-ranked-1754185338

The rest of the writeup is at the link.

15. Labyrinth
14. Escape From Monkey Island
13. Zak McKracken
12. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
11. Loom
10. The Curse of Monkey Island
9. Maniac Mansion
8. The Dig
7. Grim Fandango
6. The Secret Of Monkey Island
5. Sam & Max Hit The Road
4. Full Throttle
3. Day Of The Tentacle
2. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
1. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis

Curse is probably my favorite of these, but I still haven't played a good portion of these here, though. Most notably, Full Throttle, which I missed back in the day.

 

[Dangansona]

I wonder if it would be weird to play Sam and Max Hit the Road when I'm so used to the Tell Tale version of those characters.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

I'd put Full Throttle at number one, but not a bad list.

 

[Jakoo]

Indy and the Fate of Atlantis at top where it should be.

 

[Kyari]

Curse of Monkey Island gets a bad rap for being a non-Gilbert game, but I legitimately love it the most of all of them.

I am not a fan of the Dig though. I feel like a lot of the fun of adventure games is the people you meet and the conversations you have, and a game that so heavily involves isolation and has such a limited cast of characters just never really clicked with me.

Indy and the Fate of Atlantis at top where it should be.

Also this

 

[Vyse The Legend]

Maniac Mansion is way too far down in the list, but I chalk that up to the game never being updated and not easily playable on modern platforms/systems.

It's easily far superior to Day of the Tentacle, thanks to the sheer replay value with the different kids (and the kids being able to die).

 

[antitrop]

Can't wait for Full Throttle Remastered. Haven't played that one, before. =/

 

[LiK]

Curse should be higher.

 

[poncle]

But OF COURSE The Fate Of Atlantis is at the top, what a masterpiece.

 

[Sulik2]

Curse should be number one and the dig should be a few sports higher. Full Throttle is over rated. Indy is top 5 not #1 overall.

1) Curse of Monkey Island
2) Sam N Max
3) Day of the Tentacle
4) Secret of Monkey Island
5) Fate of Atlantis

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I would switch SOMI and full throttle, but an astonishingly accurate list. Can't access the page at the mo, who compiled it?

Also if there was a "best of" version of maniac mansion (basically an uncensored version of the nes version with mouse controls), MM would be a lot higher, but the pc version has the curse of "what is" and no optional chiptunes, while the nes version lacks mouse control and is censored.

Indy and the Fate of Atlantis at top where it should be.

ding ding ding

 

[dickroach]

Indy and the Fate of Atlantis at top where it should be.

agreed.

then I'd move Grim up to #2 and the list is pretty solid after that.

 

[Acquiescence]

But Curse of Monkey Island is the best Monkey Island. :/

 

[infinityBCRT]

My list

14. Loom
13. Escape From Monkey Island
12. The Dig
11. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
10. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
9. Zak McKracken
8. Maniac Mansion
7. Full Throttle
6. The Secret Of Monkey Island
5. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
4. Sam & Max Hit The Road
3. The Curse of Monkey Island
2. Day Of The Tentacle
1. Grim Fandango

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Yeah I'd say Curse deserves a better spot but the top 10 can go any way really.

 

[entremet]

But Curse of Monkey Island is the best Monkey Island. :/

Curse has always been divisive, though.

 

[Brerlappin]

Zak McKracken needs to be far higher

 

[Sheppard]

Top three looking ok with me.

I miss this era.

 

[Transistor]

Indy and the Fate of Atlantis at top where it should be.

Yep. Their best point and click, hands down

 

[randomengine]

Sam and Max is better than Full Throttle. Full Throttle is overrated.

 

[NYCrooner]

Maniac Mansion is way too far down in the list, but I chalk that up to the game never being updated and not easily playable on modern platforms/systems.

First thing I looked for. Maniac Mansion seriously needs a remake so it could be better appreciated.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

My list

14. Loom
13. Escape From Monkey Island
12. The Dig
11. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
10. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
9. Zak McKracken
8. Maniac Mansio
7. Full Throttle
6. The Secret Of Monkey Island
5. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revengen
4. Sam & Max Hit The Road
3. The Curse of Monkey Island
2. Day Of The Tentacle
1. Grim Fandango

GRIM is well written, but I feel uncomfortable having a P&C with bad puzzles ranked so highly imo

First thing I looked for. Maniac Mansion seriously needs a remake so it could be better appreciated.

Yup. Need to take the best points of the dos v2 & nes versions.

 

[Raven117]

I liked Loom...

 

[lunchtoast]

Played Grim on ps4 last week. Was nice to play it after all these years. Commentary was a nice surprise. Still need to go back and get the rest of the trophies.

Looking forward to the DOTT remaster.

 

[Skellig Gra]

I liked Loom...

Me too, did you play the voice acted version or just the original?

 

[jblank83]

Grim Fandango is way too low.

Granted, the top half of the list is full of great games.

 

[maquiladora]

They got #1 right.

 

[Roubjon]

That list gets a thumbs up from me. Indy should always be number 1.

 

[Tizoc]

Isn't there some kind of Fan remake of sorts for Maniac Mansion?

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I liked Loom...

It's not really a to be that low in a list of this calibre. I haven't played labyrinth, but of the others only escape is a bad game, with last crusade being mediocre. Everything else ranges from good to GOAT contender

Isn't there some kind of Fan remake of sorts for Maniac Mansion?

Maniac Mansion Deluxe.

 

[kimifan141]

Indiana jones and the fate of Atlantis at 1 is right i loved grim fandango , monkey island series but Indiana jones and the fate of Atlantis with its depth , story and the humor, branching choices got me onboard to adventure games.

I was so hooked on the game back then that i had no internet to look up Atlantis but raided the local library for books on Atlantis.

 

[Ensirius]

Curse of Money Island is my favorite of them all. Screw the haters.

 

[Warxard]

Fate of Atlantis is the best.

 

[MattKeil]

The Dig is far too low.

 

[Skellig Gra]

The Dig is far too low.

That's because it was super hard, I doubt anyone at Kotaku actually beat it.

 

[Genuflections]

I find it strange that Kotaku is fine with making ranked lists but not ok with assigning number scores for reviews.

 

[Plinko]

They made one based on the movie "Labyrinth?"

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I find it strange that Kotaku is fine with making ranked lists but not ok with assigning number scores for reviews.

They're pretty different things. One assigns a game a score which suggests that any game that gets below it is worse and any that get above it is better.

The other specifically lists games and their relation to each other

They made one based on the movie "Labyrinth?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth:_The_Computer_Game

 

[Tizoc]

That's because it was super hard, I doubt anyone at Kotaku actually beat it.

I had this game for like 10 years and I beat it then :V

Maniac Mansion Deluxe.

How different is it from OG Maniac Mansion?

 

[petethepanda]

That '90-'95 period is when I started playing games (Secret of Monkey Island being the first game I can even remember playing) and all of the Lucas point 'n clicks largely defined my childhood. I can't even imagine how many times I've played those games. Fate is probably the only one I can't get through entirely on memory, I should revisit it sometime.

Can't wait for people to experience Full Throttle for the first time. Such a good game. Still the game I'd most want to see get a film adaptation.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

I had this game for like 10 years and I beat it then :V



How different is it from OG Maniac Mansion?

Improved graphics, 9 verb system, music taken from DOTT.

It's more user friendly then any of the official versions. I still prefer the nes version over it personally though

 

[RealityCheque]

I'd swap 2 & 3 but indy is where he belongs.

 

[jack....]

Grim Fandango is way too low

 

[aaaaaa]

I agree with the bottom four, and even their order.

I'd place Curse higher and Full Throttle a lot lower.

 

[Strax]

Those are some really good games.
Hard list to do.

 

[PuppetSlave]

I do agree with the top three.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I wouldn't put Full throttle over Grim Fandango. Good story, but it is short and has that motorcycle fighting section.

That's because it was super hard, I doubt anyone at Kotaku actually beat it.

The Dig is on steam, so it may be among the most beaten games on that list. And it wasn't that hard, I don't remember anything more abstract there than some obtuse puzzles on Grim Fandango.

 

[inm8num2]

The top ~10 are almost interchangeable. Compelling arguments can be made for all those games, but the top three are rock solid. DoTT, MI2, and FoA are god tier. Grim, Curse, and SoMI are probably the next tier, followed by The Dig, Sam & Max, and Full Throttle.

I'll take this opportunity to lament yet again that we never got a Star Wars point-and-click from LucasArts.

 

[Rad-]

Grim Fandango should be in top 3.

 

[Sinatar]

The Dig is way too high. Great looking game with some fantastic production values but the puzzles and story are pretty fucking awful.