The Secret of Monkey Island (1990 Video Game) User Reviews

You fight like a cow

[petra_ste · 9/10 · 1 August 2007]

The Secret of Monkey Island may not be my favorite Lucasarts adventure - that would be Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - but it's an amazing game, a true milestone in the history of the medium.

Is there a funniest protagonist than Guybrush Threepwood, the comically inept, naive pirate? Such an iconic character, and a spiritual grandfather to Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Sparrow. LeChuck is a memorable villain as well.

As was Lucasarts' tradition, puzzles are intriguing, storyline gripping, dialogues sparkling with humor and intelligence. Best of all are the sword duels where Guybrush trades colorful insults with his opponents, and succeeds or fails depending on the wittiness of his retorts - one of the funniest gameplay ideas I've ever seen.

The sequel was a stunning achievement as well, hilarious and featuring even more challenging puzzles.

Best graphic adventure game... EVER.

[insomniac_rod · 10/10 · 15 July 2006]

Join Guybrush Threepwood in a wonderful tale of fantasy, adventure, and mystery; the tale of "The Secret of Monkey Island".

The humor in this game is simply awesome. It's a particular sense of humor that makes Guybrush one of the most symphatetic heroes ever. The story is always interesting and you can't say that it isn't entertaining. I really enjoy this game. I play it every year as a tradition and I don't regret spending my time on it.

The ending always makes me feel nostalgic also. This is one of the games that will always stay with you. It makes you feel things that only a few games can.

Now, this is probably one of the best games ever produced. It should rank in the top 10 of all time along with "Mario 64" , "Zelda", "Sonic", "Mortal Kombat", etc.

Like Being IN a Movie! well...at least a really cool computer game.

[ChetB · 15 January 2003]

The Secret of Monkey Island is one of the greatest PC games of all time for several reasons:

(1) The Secret of Monkey Island requires REAL involvement in every aspect of the game. Through interacting with many elements of the landscape, story, and the very characters, the player is thoroughly pulled in to the action.

(2) The Secret of Monkey Island is full of comic genius! Thorough and thoughtful writing have provided jokes around every turn.

(3) Problem solving and puzzle solving skills are a must. Prowess at sword fighting is not based on the player's "eye-hand coordination" but rather on her ability to use insults picked up from fighting with other pirates.

(4) It uses cinematic techniques (I.E. great score (dated, but great), inter-cutting scenes, and real character involvement) to provide a wonderful gaming experience.

I won't be exaggerating to say that this game helped make my childhood complete. I'd love to see the original Lucasarts team responsible for this humorous and intelligent game produce a live-action film.

Maybe someday?

Magnificent

[Dockelektro · 10/10 · 30 July 2002]

This is one of the reasons I miss the pc games made on the beginning of the decade. There was an atmosphere that only those never too clear graphics and that pc speaker music could offer. And this game shows that atmosphere perfectly. It was passionating to play it, and even addictive, it provided hours of good fun and many thinking, even despair. At the end, it's completely satisfying, in the tradition of lucasarts' magnificent graphical adventures (like the spectacular Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis).

Classic. Well stood against the currents of time.

[Squirelly Joe · 10/10 · 10 April 2002]

A game rarely comes along that spawns many a fan and "successful" sequels. Monkey Island is at the top rank (When it comes to Computer games, that is). What you might think of as a rough, violent pirate game, totally turns away from it from the moment you enter the bar. (You'll see if you play). Laugh a minute and unpredictable, Monkey Island gets 11/10.

There's nothing' like the hot winds of hell blowin' in yer face

[Progressive-Element · 10/10 · 23 May 2013]

The Secret of Monkey Island was part of a series of point'n'click adventure games released by LucasArts - at the time called LucasFilm Games. These used an engine known as SCUMM - Script Utility for Maniac Mansion, named after the first game of it's kind. SCUMM is even referenced in the game - the SCUMM Bar.

It was also by far one of the best of it's kind, becoming a much-loved favourite on many of the systems it was released on. So well-loved it has become, it has even seen a fairly recent 'special edition' re-release, with the graphics updated, and the characters given voice actors.

It is in essence, a tongue-in-cheek pirate adventure, inspired by the Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean - indeed there are a good many similarities to the films based on those rides. You must literally point the way for handsome but rather dim would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood, because without your help, he'd be lost - at one point when you point'n'click the command 'Use Oars with Rowboat', our swift hero suddenly has a bright idea involving the oars and rowboat and proceeds to tell us the obvious...

The game is split into four parts, essentially four acts of the story. The first part, The Three Trials, introduces our hero, and sees him undergo three tasks in order to become a pirate. As you help Guybrush become a scalawag, we learn more about the surrounding Melee Island, of a ghost pirate called LeChuck, and we learn of legends involving the mythical Monkey Island. One trial involves Guybrush robbing the Governor of an idol - and it's here he meets the beautiful Governor Elaine Marley, falling head over heels in love with her - they both declare their love in a hilariously over-the-top moment complete with deliberately sickeningly cutesy romantic exchanges. When the tasks are completed however, LeChuck kidnaps Elaine - he had died trying to look for Monkey Island in an attempt to woo her.

Part 2, The Journey, sees Guybrush, having acquired a ship that had the benefit of having been to Monkey Island and back, trying to concoct a voodoo spell that will take his ship to the fabled island - his crew meanwhile prefer to sit on deck sunbathing.

Part 3, Under Monkey Island, sees Guybrush finally arrive on the sacred island. When he wins the trust of cannibals - who are trying to wean themselves off red meat - he learns of LeChuck's hellish lair hidden beneath Monkey Island. He is forced to leave the rescue of Elaine later, as he must first get his hands on a magic root the ghosts have stolen from the cannibals - the cannibals can create a ghost-killing potion from the root. Naturally, when he returns to the lair with the potion, LeChuck has gone, sailing back to Melee Island in order to marry Elaine.

Then it's time for - Last Part, Guybrush Kicks Butt. Guybrush returns to Melee, fighting his way past some ghosts to stop the wedding, leading to a terrific showdown with LeChuck, in which the ghostly villain gives Guybrush a pasting, knocking him all over the island before our hero finally gets the upper hand thanks to one of many hilarious anachronisms that upon first seeing it did not seem to have any purpose...

My personal all-time favourite game.

Oldie but goodie

[mines1985 · 10/10 · 8 August 2002]

Spoilers! Don't read unless you've played the game!

This game is a bit old - it first appeared in 1990. But that doesn't stop it from being great!

This game was made by LucasArts (at the time they were known as LucasFilm.) This company is well-known for making great adventure games that are funny and easy to play. The Secret of Monkey Island is definitely no exception. It's made in three or four different parts, something I wasn't accustomed to until I played this series. It's virtually impossible to die and the games give a fresh new look on the whole adventure platform. The game is packed with great jokes and challenging puzzles. It's not the type of adventure game where you have to swordfight monsters every 2 seconds (although you do go through "swordfighting training" to learn some really funny insults) or listen while someone blabs on about how they're avenging the death of their great-grandfather's second cousin's sister's nephew's half-uncle once-removed, wasting your time with stories that don't have anything to do with the game.

In the Secret of Monkey Island, you are Guybrush Threepwood, an aspiring young man who wishes to become a pirate. You talk to some pirates in a bar and find out that there's three challenges you have to go through to actually become a pirate like them. Seems simple enough, but be warned...this isn't your average adventure game! You might find yourself with the strangest tools to do the job.

One feature I really liked was the challenges the game presents. You really have to think outside the box to solve these puzzles, and it makes the game really funny. I mean, in what other adventure game can you actually utilize a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle? The stuff you pick up is totally weird and generally isn't used for what you'd expect.

The game was also full of great characters with all kinds of different personalities. These weren't over-stereotyped, blase cookie-cutter characters that all acted and looked alike. There's everyone from Carla, the island's cynical sword master, to Stan, the high-pressure ship salesman that will do anything for a sale. Even the Men of Low Moral Fiber (pirates) are unique. It makes for a great gaming experience.

In short, this is a great classic that should be played by everyone - especially someone looking for a fresh new perspective into the world of adventure games. I wish there was more games like the Monkey Island series. Hopefully they'll come out with a fifth one sometime in the near future. As it is, I'll be enjoying these Monkey Island games for a long time to come!

The beginning of a great saga

[elnenebebedelpete · 10/10 · 29 July 2002]

Talking bout this great game bring tears to my eyes. This game and its continuations are so cool, that it freeze to the bones. Great Jokes. Great playibility. Fun. fun. fun. fun... Please, i know its an old game, but play it.

Hilarious As Well As Fun

[WitchFrmNextDoor · 10/10 · 23 August 2002]

These games are AWESOME. If you have any way of obtaining a copy, I suggest you do. Not only are they fun and challenging (not too hard, though), but they also are filled with jokes! Guybrush Threepwood is my favorite computer character... and, if you're more into "modern tech.", then look up Escape From Monkey Island, the fourth in the series.

One of the rare games for the sega cd I enjoyed.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 18 February 2009]

Yes, I played this game on the sega cd video game console, however I do believe it was originally a computer game. This game was a bit different than the games I was used to playing as in this game you progressed through your quest with really no fear of dying. You just solved the puzzles and moved on in your quest. A nice change of pace to be sure in the days of lives and limited continues and many deaths by way of the mysterious pit. This game has you as a wannabe pirate named Guybrush Threepwood. The name is a bit funny is it not? Well the entire game is a rather funny ordeal as our pirate must navigate many obstacles on his quest to become a pirate and rescue the governor's daughter from the pirate ghost LeChuck. Basically all there is to it, you are constantly faced with puzzles to help you proceed such as getting yourself launched from a cannon, having to buy a boat from a dubious salesman, getting past the dreaded piranha poodles, getting caught again and again by natives on an island only to escape buy the same way as the natives keep putting on more high tech doors on your prison, and touching the most violent beast ever just to have a man join your crew of dangerous pirates. So for a fun and rather funny game this one was very good. For the most part the puzzles are not to hard to figure out, only the one involving the head and maze gave me trouble and it was a breeze once I figured out what to do.

Beats pirates of the Caribbean

[jekd-26590 · 10/10 · 20 March 2019]

Such a fun game. A superior pirates fantasy storyline with great voice acting and memorable characters

Enjoyable

[Lam_on_the_lam · 20 July 2003]

I first got this game when I was around 7 or 8 and it was slightly difficult to complete at that age but when I was a bit older and tried it I got through it fairly well. The story isn't difficult to follow a young pirate-wannabe named Guybrush Threepwood comes to Melée Island to try and become a pirate. He is set three trials to complete and while trying to complete them he meets Elaine Marley the Governor and future love of his life but he isn't the only one who loves her. The ghost pirate LeChuck plans to kidnap Elaine and make her his wife and of course it ends up being down to Guybrush to stop him.

There are so many lines that make you want to laugh out loud, Guybrush is a great character altogether and it's a game that'll have you addicted fast. When you've started playing you'll be in a rush to get through it and see more of it. I recommend it especially for people who love this type of game.

Lam_on_the_lam a.k.a Minnie Goodsoup

Best Game ever played... yet.

[jarne-van-vooren · 8/10 · 30 August 2009]

When I was a kid, I played games like Freddi Fish, Payama Sam and all the other games but never a game of LucasArts. I have never heard of their range of point-and-click games, at least not till I was 16. I did some research into it and found some interesting titles. When I've heard Telltale Games would release "Tales of Monkey Island", I was excited. Shortly after, I've discovered that a special edition of this game was coming out and I was thrilled. I've bought the game on Steam and played it several times.

The new graphics look great, although Guybrush's head looks a bit creepy. It makes you a bit unconfortable if he stares at you. The voice acting is top notch and the jokes still work. You get the original version of the game with it, which is a nice bonus for the fans, although it is a bit too quiet for me. There also is a hint system, which can be helpful for people not used to this kind of puzzle solving. One negative point is the controlers. In the original, you had a box with commands in the left bottom corner and your belongings in the right bottom corner. In the new version, you have to press a button to make them appear and disappear, which can be quite annoying, especially for one puzzle. I always go the original part of the game, just because it is easier.

Final verdict: a good game, even after years. The new graphics and voice acting makes it playable for a new generation to enjoy.

Always a nostalgic experience...

[TheHande · 8/10 · 16 December 2006]

The Secret of Monkey Island is game that has always been close to my heart. The game is a undoubted classic.

Graphically the game is not quite on par with its sequel but animation wise its on the top of its game, with the graphics enhancing the comedic feel. Also, the different graphic-style makes it stand out from its sequels. The classic soundtrack by Michael Land is easily one of the best in gaming history. Even with the limited MIDI technology of the day the game compensates with powerful drum-beats to create a steady world of sound for the game.

Humour has always been the main thing with Monkey Island and the classic laughs of the first game still work well. The game creates a nice illusion of a big adventure before its rather over-the-top ending.

The Secret of Monkey Island is both a classic and well-developed game altogether. It's main weaknesses are its slight datedness and length.

My First Adventure Game (tm)

[Merik · 10/10 · 15 March 2002]

I am well and truly amazed at this game, still. It's been twelve years almost, and I've played this game from time to time since before adolescence. Most other games I used to play then seem weak and childish (well, duh) when looked at now. I can only enjoy this game more as I come to fully understand the regular jokes and learn the in-jokes. This was the beginning of Monkey Island. The beginning of insult swordfighting, of Guybrush and LeChuck. And while it wouldn't be fair to say they've gone downhill since (I love CMI, especially), this has to be the best of the Monkey Island games.

Brilliant, intelligent, funny!

[jaspervanzyl · 23 March 2001]

This classic game from LucasArts is a masterpiece at first glance. The puzzles aren't extremely difficult, nor very easy, so it provides good entertainment for young and old. I was six when I first played this game, and it took me years to finish.

You play Guybrush Threepwood, a genius in disguise. This becomes the basic outline on which all else in the game is based. Director Ron Gilbert has done smashing job on creating this classic gaming series, something all others could aspire to.

The game is filled with brilliant punchlines, extremely funny characters, and a simple, yet twisted plot.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand up for the fantastic talents and creations of LucasArts!

Threepwood's greatest adventure!

[Will-164 · 5 October 2000]

This game is an absolute classic. Guybrush Threepwood must go down in history as the most likeable computer sprite of all time and LeChuck is his perfect nemesis. The Secret of Monkey Island and LeChuck's revenge or similar in formula but both extremely unique and imaginative. The more modern follow-on was great too but not in the same league as the early '90s originals. This game is cheap to buy and will run on any PC (it worked even on an Amiga for goodness sake!) so there is no excuse why any PC owner shouldn't own the game. The solutions to puzzles aren't simple, but especially in the original game they are logical and realistic in the context of the game. That is what makes the game stand out for me as better than modern equivalents. A true classic, buy it!

A Classic!!

[cheeseboy80 · 10 August 2000]

This is my all-time favorite computer game. It's one of the best point-and-click adventure games I have ever played. The plot and puzzles are impressive. You must buy this game, It's great and the best Monkey Island game ever. The sequels are great too, but they're not as good as this one. This is a masterpiece.

I give this game 10 out of 10

Arguably the best computer game ever

[cls-6 · 21 December 2001]

The first Monkey Island game is a landmark in computer game history. It pretty much begins the adventure genre (actually Maniac Mansion came before, but it is very limited and primitive when compared to the subtleties of MI). At its time, games were simple jump-hit-and-walk side-scrollers and flight or sports simulators, no more than an afternoon worth of fun for kids. Then came MI and introduced complex plots, not unlike movie´s (so much, in fact, that you are reading this on IMDb), complete with meaningful dialogues which affect the plot´s direction (instead of mere interludes between action scenes). In MI, as well as in the adventure genre it helped create, interaction with computer-controlled characters went beyond physical confrontation, including dialogue, negotiation (even bargaining prices!), seduction and intrigue. And, perhaps its most remarakable feature, the humour. Satyre, irony or just plain good nonsense, in the tradition of Monthy Python. Indeed, the experience of playing MI (and all subsequent Lucasarts adventure games) is very much like watching a movie, except that you direct the action of the protagonist(s), changing events and outcomes in the plot.

Way before videogames got into the present 3D trend, spawning tiresome clones of the likes of 'Doom', 'Tekken' and 'Tomb Raider', companies like Lucasarts and Sierra made games with subtlety, malice and humour, best suited for intelligent, mature players instead of competitive children with aching fingers. Today these adventures might seem tecnically rough in comparison with all these vectorial 3d shooters that require endlessly more memory and more processing power. But in terms of creativity, of mature entertainment (and I don´t mean porn), modern games seem to be dull, technologically-enhanced versions of the same old Nintendo and Genesis action games of the past.

Belonging to the same line of adventure classics of the Monkey Island series are Sierra´s 'Leisure Suit Larry' series, 'Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis', 'Sam & Max', 'Full Throttle' and 'Grim Fandango' (Lucasarts´ foray into 3d, although keeping the adventure genre´s highlights). But I don´t think any of these, great as they are, have half the importance of the Monkey Island games. Technology is ever-evolving, nonstop, but these adventure games offer a kind of entertainment mere technology cannot.

On a final note about 'The Secret of Monkey Island', look for a CD version of this game, updated with more songs (carribean rhythms like reggae and calypso) and a visual inventory - see 'Alternate Versions' in this entry.

Fun fun fun

[bumble472 · 26 January 2003]

This one is definitly is not my favorite out of the four (I think 3 is my favorite, if that's the one that's not all 3D and you have to go to that hotel) and I didn't really understand what to do, but these Monkey Island games are SO FUN! Even if you have to use the cheat book a lot. But they're fun for the whole family - seriously. But, little kids might have to play it with someone else so they know what to do. All 4 of the games are about Guybrush Threepwood and his adventures around the islands of the Caribbean (pronounced Car-i-bee-in) as a not very accepted pirate. They're hilarious and much fun.

The best point & click ever

[erwinkwakkel · 7 August 2004]

***********minimum spoiler**********

The secret of monkey island is the best classic point and click adventure ever. With three sequels, this one is the best.

You play Guybrush Threepwood, and you want to be a mighty pirate. When you start the game you are a real no one. You have no history, family , friends or nothing. You just stand at the top of the mountain with a stupid guy in front of you at the look out.

The characters are very good. Guybrush is a stupid, dumb wannabee but at the same time a hero. The evil Le chuck is a great terror on the sees. And Elaine is the perfect love of guybrush. I only hate the voodoo mistress although she is important. (Characters **** out of *****)

The story is great, you just want to keep playing until you are at the end of the story. (Story ***** out of *****)

The gameplay is easy. Just point and click and walk through the game. But it's not that easy. Good puzzles are all over the place. Well done. (Gameplay ***** out of *****)

The score for Monkey Island ***** out of ***** Rank: Classic

Classical RPG

[Quackle · 20 February 2003]

[CONTAINS SPOILERS]

In this, the first story in the Monkey Island Series, you are (as always) Guybrush Threepwood, and you want to be a pirate!

You start off on Melee island and you see some pirate officials about wanting to become a pirate. You have some tasks. To get a crew/ship, to get treasure and to beat the swordmaster.

After this, you become "good friends" with the beautiful governor of Melee island, Elaine Marley. .. I'll leave the rest for you to find out, play it!

Classical RPG, being the first game to use the "click 2 go technology". MUST BUY, HOWEVER OLD IT IS! 8/10