Lucasarts Adventure Games, Ranked (Kotaku)

mattiewheels said:
I think Loom is the most ahead-of-its-time idea of the bunch, to realize that graphic adventure design stalled and never successfully experimented like this one is a bummer.

Full Throttle was ahead of it's time in a way, too, since it presents this streamlined blast of cinematic bliss in a way that took everyone else many many years to get right. I'd say it was a better example of this than Grim, even, since that one has an archaic dependence on old school puzzles that just sabatoges a flow that FT possesses.
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I agree with all of that completely.
 
One of my biggest wishes for video game remakes would be a remaster of Indy IV, along the lines of Monkey Island 1-2, with the voice of Harrison Ford. This will never happen, but it would be so wonderful!

Surprisingly solid ranking, can't say I disagree much. Would have put Monkey Island 1 higher up, but that's about it.
 
Surprised Grimm isn't higher. I wonder if it's because they played the remastered version and saw how antiquated some of the puzzle design is? Its puzzles aren't any worse then say, Full throttle, but if they were fresher in your memory it might make sense for it to score lower. Just speculating,
 
Great list. The only change I would make would be to move Grim Fandango to the top of the list. I absolutely adored Fate of Atlantis, but I still consider Grim Fandango to be my favourite game of all time.
 
Labyrinth:
Never played.
Escape From Monkey Island:
Great game that doesn't quite live up to the first 3.
Zak McKracken:
Never played.
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade:
Never finished. Seemed like a decent game. Combat put me off.
Loom:
Pretty good. Wish it was longer though.
The Curse of Monkey Island:
Great game, I think I prefer this one over the original.
Maniac Mansion:
Never played.
The Dig:
Pretty good. Puzzles aren't great, but it's a beautiful game.
Grim Fandango:
Top tier adventure game. It's got a great setting, great characters, great music.
The Secret Of Monkey Island:
Great game, too bad about the Special Edition.
Sam & Max Hit The Road:
It's a great game, but the last couple of episodes of Telltale's Season 2 were better.
Full Throttle:
Never played, looking forward to the Remastered edition.
Day Of The Tentacle:
One of the best. Looking forward to replaying the remaster.
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
One of the best adventure games as well as the best Monkey Island game. I love the complexity of the game's structure as well as the beautiful world and great humor.
Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
Never finished this one for some reason, but I could easily see it becoming one of my favorites from what I played.

Overall pretty good list. Grim Fandango is probably my favorite. Biggest omission for me would probably be The Longest Journey. Sure it's got questionable puzzles and some terrible 3D animation, but the story, writing, and worlds make the game one of my favorites. I also really liked April Ryan as the protagonist, and most of the voice work and music was very well done.
 
Yarbskoo said:
Biggest omission for me would probably be The Longest Journey. Sure it's got questionable puzzles and some terrible 3D animation, but the story, writing, and worlds make the game one of my favorites. I also really liked April Ryan as the protagonist, and most of the voice work and music was very well done.
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The Longest Journey wasn't a Lucasarts Adventure game, so it wasn't eligible for this list. It was by a Norwegian company called Funcom.
 
endlessflood said:
The Longest Journey wasn't a Lucasarts Adventure game, so it wasn't eligible for this list. It was by a Norwegian company called Funcom.
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Oops, forgot halfway through my post that this was a LucasArts list and not just graphic adventures. So much of my favorite pointing and clicking was done by LucasArts, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
 
Kotaku said:
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
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I vehemently disagree!
Here's mine (beat them all besides Escape because I couldn't do it, I endured half of the game and gave up because it was too hard for my young self to see how low my fav franchise at the time had fallen -_- Also Loom which I've left 2/3rd of the game maaaaaany years ago, but I def need/want to pick it up again -own it physical too):


15. Escape From Monkey Island
14. Labyrinth
13. Loom
12. The Dig
11. Maniac Mansion
10. Zak McKracken
9. Sam & Max Hit The Road
8. Grim Fandango
7. Day of the Tentacle
6. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
5. Full Throttle
4. The Curse of Monkey Island
3. The Secret Of Monkey Island
2. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
1. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
 
I was always a Sierra fanboy, they had so many great games (Gabriel Knight trilogy hngggg) but LucasArts were always the media darlings. :(

But I also love their games, The first 3 Monkey Island, Fate of Atlantis and Grim Fandango being my favourite of them. The first part of The Dig is great, but its ruined by the boring late puzzles. Loom had an interesting ideia but it was never fully realized.
 
i've always wanted to play LOOM, but all the different versions are so confusing and they all have something that the others don't. i don't know which one to try :(
 
Admittedly, I haven't played most of these since they were new, but none of Kotaku's list resembles my memories of these games. But I also recognize that my memory of these games is likely nothing at all like them in actual fact. I played all (but Labyrinth) when they were brand new releases.

My (nostalgia-colored) version:

15. Labyrinth
14. Escape From Monkey Island
13. Zak McKracken
12. The Curse of Monkey Island
11. Loom
10. Maniac Mansion
9. Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
8. Sam & Max Hit The Road
7. The Dig
6. Full Throttle
5. The Secret Of Monkey Island
4. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
3. Day Of The Tentacle
2. Grim Fandango
1. Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
 
Acquiescence said:
But Curse of Monkey Island is the best Monkey Island. :/
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It really isn't. Far from.

It's of course more accesible then the older ones, and it is a good game. But far from the brilliance of the first two. Worse character design, worse story and much less imaginative and varied puzzles.

Really good, but worse.

mattiewheels said:
I think Loom is the most ahead-of-its-time idea of the bunch, to realize that graphic adventure design stalled and never successfully experimented like this one is a bummer.
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It is, but it's also probably the one that would have suffered the most from being released today. With it's streamlined puzzles and short length, a lot of people would probably have called it a "dumbed down casual adventure that's nothing like the old classics".

I like Loom though. They got the spot pretty right in this list.

Catvoca said:
Surprised Grimm isn't higher. I wonder if it's because they played the remastered version and saw how antiquated some of the puzzle design is? Its puzzles aren't any worse then say, Full throttle, but if they were fresher in your memory it might make sense for it to score lower. Just speculating,
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The remaster has definitely had an effect on how people look at Grim Fandango. People don't want to get stuck att puzzles anymore, and expect constant progress. If they get stuck, then there's something wrong with the game, so games like Grim that's relatively difficult does get a different reception.
 
Zak should definitely be ranked higher. Dunno how the PC version was, but I beat it on the OG C64 version.

But the whole list is like arguing over types of chocolate. Even the weakest games in the bunch are worth playing.
 
Curse of Monkey Island is always under appreciated at the expense of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.

Either way, that list is all over the map in terms of quality or importance. I don't get it at all.
 
ULTROS! said:
Well for those who haven't played Maniac Mansion, it's going to be included in the remastered version of Day of the Tentacle: http://www.shacknews.com/article/91...be-playable-in-day-of-the-tentacle-remastered
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Better off playing Maniac Mansion Deluxe.

It's a free (fan made remaster), Besides an improvement on graphics, they added the Day of the Tentacle inventory system. Previously the original game had just text based inventory items like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade game.

pc-48927-11353788292.png
 
I haven't played some of those, but even it belongs on the list, it feels like an insult to have Escape from Monkey Island on that list, but Day of the Tentacle is above Maniac Mansion, just like it should. I love the two Indy games and also the first three Monkey Island games, which reminds me I need to check the Telltale ones sometime.

Justinh said:
Man, I remember really wishing Han Solo Adventures would end up being a finished, real thing. I stopped paying attention quite a while ago I think...
DALQJxP.jpg
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Man that's such bleedingly looking LucasArts point and click game it isn't funny. Too bad it never came to be, like Fate of the Atlantis sequel, else we could be playing it right now using ScummVM.
 
Is there any rough idea when FT remastered is coming out? After seeing what they're doing for DOTT, I'm doubly excited.
 
I should play more of these. Sam & Max Hit the Road is one of my all time favorite games, and I play through it at least once every few years.
 
Regarding narrative, I agree too that Loom is the most original on the list. Too bad the CD version had reduced dialog and content. I played the EGA version.

Maniac Mansion and Zak are better and funnier than Monkey Island, it is just that in the 80s PCs were not that popular or cheap. Also you could die on those games, while SOMI was the first game where you were immortal, so it became less frustrating

Curse of Monkey Island would deserve also a top 3 spot, if it wasnt for the rushed final chapter. I felt things derailed there quite a bit. So a top 5 would be more representative

Escape from Monkey Island is undoubtely the worst Lucasarts adventure game I played. Telltales Tales from Monkey Island is much better, which really says enough about the quality of the game.
 
Pretty good list. My personal favorites:

1. Day of the Tentacle
2. Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
3. The Curse of Monkey Island
4. Zak McKracken
5. The Secret of Monkey Island & Monkey Island 2
 
Loom needs to be higher!
That is such a brilliant game!
At the time of release it was mind-blowing!
And Sam and Max is better than Full Throttle in my opinion!
 
Hollywood Duo said:
Did you forget about this?
bone_puzzle_5938.png
Click to expand...

GIT GUD.


My list would be:

11. Maniac Mansion
10. EoMI
9. MI 2
8. SoMI
7. Grim Fandango
6. Full Throttle
5. CoMI
4. The Dig
3. Sam & Max
1. Tie between DoTT and TFoA.

I'm bothered by the fact they ranked The Dig so low, because it's hard, when some of the higher rated games have obtuse puzzles that rely on the player to try every item combination to solve them.

I'd also say that the Curse of Monkey Island is the best game of the 4, even if Ron Gilbert was not involved.

I also loved Full Throttle and Grim Fandango, but the first one is just too easy, while the second one has terrible controls.

pinkurocket said:
I have a soft spot for The Dig. The story gets silly, but the atmosphere and music makes it stand out. It'd be at least a top 5 for me.
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My man!
 
I would rank Curse much higher. Oh how I wish more games where made by Lucasarts with that kind of art style. What they did for Escape was an abomination.
 
Top 3 is correct, of course. Fate of Atlantis was what the fourth Indy movie should have been, everything about it was spot-on, and it's one of the few adventure games you can actually play multiple times. MI2 was just beautiful from start to finish, and DOTT really clever in many regards. I'd probably put SMI and Sam & Max ahead of Full Throttle but that's just me.
 
I really should get round to playing Fate of Atlantis. I love those Lucasarts adventure games and for whatever reason it's one that I've never played.
 
And bear in mind you should literally play FATE 3 times, as about 70% of the game content changes somewhat depends on a decision you make 20 mins in. Even some of the puzzles before that point have multiple solutions too.

I love the voice acting too. Crazy how the early lucasarts talkies had such great VA when they were pretty much pioneering the concept, while many games still struggle with that today.
 
I don't know about the rating. Personally I would put the first 5 in this order:

  1. Secret Of Monkey Island
  2. Curse Of Monkey Island
  3. Monkey Island 2
  4. Indiana Jones & The Fate Of Atlantis
  5. Day of The Tentacle

Can't decide about the rest of the games though! I love The Dig too...
 
I might've played half of those but only Maniac and Hit the Road did I devote any time to. Maniac was the first Lucasarts adventure I played (Gerbil in the Microwave!) and Sam & Max is the only one I've finished. Currently played Grim on the Vita but damn if modern game design hasn't made this game seem harder than it should be.

Have always wanted to play The Dig but just never got around to it. Also looking forward to Full Throttle Remastered later in the year.
 
Great list,completed almost all of these.Man,Lucasarts were sooo damn good.My personal faves was The Dig and Full Throttle, so please FT is getting a remake
 
My personal list (assuming MM didn't have the dead ends) would be:


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

Do it!
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I actually got it on Steam a while back, so I really have no excuse other than I just haven't found time for it yet. But the idea that I've not played the arguably best Lucasarts adventure game is really exciting. I played a bunch of them when I was younger (like the Monkey Island games, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max) but feel I would appreciate them even more if I had played them for the first time when I was older. Getting that with Fate of Atlantis is great.
 
Tizoc said:
Did the original game not feature music?
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Not during the main game, no. Only specific cut scenes had music.

Except the NES version, which had some outstanding chiptunes. They changed depending on which kid you were. They could also be turned off to ape the c64 original, as each kid had a cd player in their inventory. Using "Turn on" or "Turn off" commands on the cd players would turn on/off the NES specific music, so you could still play it like the c64 version if you wanted to (some people feel the chiptunes took away from the feeling of tension in the game).
 
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