Leaderboard

I’ve noticed sometimes in conversation that there’s confusion, which I share in, about how many distinct versions of Maniac Mansion there are, partially because of the way they’ve come to be labeled. Specifically, you’ll often see the computer versions bisected into “v1” and “v2”. When people use those terms, they tend to be talking about the two main graphic representations of the game, also commonly referred to as “original” and “enhanced” (and sometimes, “low-resolution” vs. “high-resolution”). Despite the implication, there are in fact more than two versions of the game, even if you limit the scope to computer releases. I thought I’d try to lay them all out. The impetus for digging into this was really for me to get a handle on the release history of Maniac Mansion myself, but why not destroy other people’s time by sharing what I’ve learned? A bit of housekeeping: The packaging images are taken from The LucasArts Museum, where you can find photos of virtually every printing, inside and out. Screenshots come from MobyGames. Grab a can of Pepsi and some wax fruit and let’s begin… Release #1 The original release of Maniac Mansion was published for the Commodore 64 and Apple II in the fall of 1987. Nailing down exact release dates for older games can be tricky, but it seems it was a simultaneous release for both platforms in October. Here’s the front/back of the C64 box: And below are some screenshots from the C64 version. The Apple II presentation is a bit jankier, but they fundamentally have same graphics. Amusing trivia about the packaging: The spiel on the back of the box caused a bit of a ruckus due to its use of the word “lust” in that list of nouns on the right. Apparently, a parent shopping at Toys R Us noticed it, dropped dramatically upon their fainting chair, and complained to management about the obscenity that had been unleashed unto children. The retailer banned the product from their shelves, and thus marketing cleaned up their act for all subsequent releases. Release #2 A couple of months later, in early 1988, the game was ported to IBM PCs (and since MS-DOS was the operating system, this is interchangeably referred to as a DOS port) as well as re-released on the Commodore 64. Here’s the front/back packaging of this release: Note that the back is redesigned. In terms of graphics, this release is nearly identical to the first release, and thus falls under the umbrella of the “v1” designation. Notably, the logo has been re-imagined into its more familiar “meteor tails” design, as you can see on the box along with a new tagline. The logo change is reflected in-game, on the character selection screen and opening sequence: There are other, more subtle visual differences compared to the original C64 version, but logo aside, screenshots from this release are virtually identical to the first release. On the audio side, the game is a bit quieter than the 1987 version, which had constant crickets in exteriors as well as a sound effect for the characters walking. Maybe these ever-present sounds were deemed annoying? Who knows. Also, when I look at a playthrough of the original C64 version, I find that the characters walk at a decent clip and the cursor movements are silky-smooth, whereas this DOS version was always painfully slow in that regard. I think ScummVM “fixes” the walk speed, but if you play this version authentically (either on an actual DOS machine or via emulator like DREAMM or DOSBox) you’ll experience the choppiness I’m talking about. Finally, the IBM version of this release introduced the “Nuke’em Alarms” copy protection, which C64 and Apple II versions never had. Instead, the door ahead of you upon reaching the second floor landing is just a regular door. Release #3 Finally, in 1989, the game was released yet again, this time with enhanced graphics (which is what people tend to mean when they talk about “v2”). In addition to being a re-release for IBM and Apple II, the game was further ported to Amiga and Atari ST with this version. Here is the front/back of the packaging, which features the familiar marble border typical of Lucasfilm Games titles from this period. Notice the studio came up with yet a third tagline, and gave Ron and Gary movie-director-style named credits that the studio came to take pride in. Note also that the rear packaging also has an all-new design, featuring an amazing oil painting of the Edison Family portrait by Steve Purcell. (I’ll also point out, since it’s sometimes misattributed, that Purcell is not responsible for the cover art for Maniac Mansion – that credit goes to Ken Macklin.) Here are a few screenshots from this version, which is probably the most familiar one in the PC realm: Note when comparing the graphics that this isn’t an EGA vs. VGA situation like with Indy 3, Loom and Monkey 1. The “enhanced” version of Maniac Mansion is characterized by higher resolution compared to the original, which allowed things to be rendered in a bit more detail. Noteworthy about this version is that the Edisons are depicted as having green skin. The Nintendo port carried on that idea, while Day of the Tentacle opted to revert the family to flesh color. As the credits on these old games aren’t great, I am not sure who drew the enhanced graphics – perhaps it was Gary Winnick himself? Later in 1989, this exact same version of the game was reprinted in a budget release for IBM – same box, but with less paraphernalia inside (no dormitory bulletin board poster!), a single 3.5” diskette (IBM customers got both a 3.5” and a 5.25” in the preceding package) and cheaper printing choices for the manual(s) and diskette label. There were a couple of other games that received this kind of budget reprinting that year, including Indy 3. You can compare the contents of the full-bodied version here with the cheapo version here. The "enhanced" version of the game is also what was found in the Classic Adventures pack (a compilation of the first five SCUMM games) in 1992. However, the version included as an Easter Egg in Day of the Tentacle (1993) was the “original graphics” DOS version (1988). In Day of the Tentacle Remastered, they decided to make the game-within-a-game the “enhanced” version instead. Today, When you buy Maniac Mansion standalone from Steam or GOG, it’ll launch by default as the “enhanced graphics” version (which by now has come to specifically mean the 1989 DOS port), but if you back out of the game to the ScummVM launcher, you’ll find that you have the data files for the “original graphics” version (which by now has come to specifically mean the 1988 DOS port) as well. Unfortunately, as with all the SCUMM games offered on digital storefronts that come bundled with ScummVM, you don’t get the native interpreter. The Console Ports The first console release was for the Famicom (the Japanese equivalent of the NES) in 1988. Its development outsourced to Jaleco (which also published it), it’s a version of the game notorious for its general weirdness. Perhaps that weirdness is why, when LucasArts decided to make an NES version in 1990, they opted to start over with their own 8-bit attempt rather than simply translating this release. While Jaleco remained the publisher of this port, it was developed by Realtime Associates in collaboration with LucasArts itself, and thus was a much better adaptation, censorship courtesy of a flexing Nintendo of America aside. Trivia: Dave Grossman, Tim Schafer, and Jennifer Sward all served as “object taggers” on this port during their SCUMMlette days – it may be the first credited role for all three of them. On the mythbusting front: You might have heard that Nintendo discovered the infamous hamster-nuking feature after the fact and forced its removal, thus making the pre-crackdown cartridges rare. This is only partially true. Nintendo did in fact discover the feature only after the game shipped in America, did in fact pitch a fit, and did in fact order that all subsequent printings remove it. However, the game didn’t sell well enough in the U.S. to justify a second printing (though the initial printing was a large one, I think of a quarter of a million units), so the removal only got applied to the international releases. Therefore, all U.S. copies have the feature, and all non-U.S. copies do not. The hamster-nuking cartridges are not rare, merely regional. Maniac Mansion Deluxe This is the fan-made VGA makeover that was released in 2004. It also removes some dead-ends that plagued the original game and adds a lot of observational dialog. (As the original game had a “Read” verb instead of “Look at”, there was unfortunately barely any incidental dialog.) I point this version out because the 256-color treatment is so tastefully done (and looking very Thimbleweek Park-esque indeed) that it’s sometimes mistaken for official. But the “enhanced graphics” release from 1989 is the last version of Maniac Mansion officially produced. At least, until they let Ron loose on a special edition…

Honestly, once we get the release date, I might just go dark until the actual release. I was sold the moment it was announced and I kinda wish I experienced some of the reveals in the game itself with full context.

Needless to say, everyone here will be buying four copies as a starting point.

After the massive media leak -- Legend, SCUMM Bar, and Mojo are pretty much the trinity of news in general -- I wouldn't be surprised if Devolver was forced to reveal the date very soon. ("Wouldn't be surprised" may or may not mean "would be surprised.")

I'm going to repeat what I've been fixated on this year: haggling against Stan is so much more amazing than I ever knew while growing up. If you're getting the Sea Monkey for 5000 with no extras, then you're letting Stan win. Get those Porthole Defoggers at least; you pay for them anyway! Speedrun All Swag: Walk away twice, offer 2000, offer 5000 twice Speedrun Don't Walk Away: Reject 5 extras (technically only the 4 after defoggers matter), offer 2000, offer 5000. Best Value: 3000, porthole defoggers, another extra of your choice (get the elevator; it sounds expensive!) Ultimate Talkie Edition: Get to hear Stan say his "two thousand LOUSY pieces of eight" line

Pox of LeChuck confirmed.

Thanks for clearing up the price, I nearly had a heart attack thinking the game would be 65 US dollars, which translates to much more in Aussie bucks. 24.99 is much more reasonable, especially given the scope this game appears to have. Hard to say if what this person dug up is true, but it's at least in the realm of possibility. Once again...I'm just waiting for release like

Very nice post! This article also makes some very interesting comparisons. For the non-English releases which had an official V2 port, that version was used instead for the original DOTT easter-egg. (As usual, the modern remaster didn't bother to include any translation for the original Maniac Mansion, as fas as I can say, and GOG doesn't want to sell any original translation of Maniac Mansion either…). Also, I seem to remember that a joke on the character selection screen was a bit lost when the game was upgraded. The description for each character would come in two parts, and for some characters, the second part of the sentence was making fun of them ("Michael - award-wining photographer… / …for the college newspaper.") The V2 releases would just display this at once, but part of the joke was in the original pause between the two lines.

I haven’t posted this on Twitter (or my website) as I couldn’t validate this information, but a Brazilian guy on Twitter is claiming that RtMI will be priced R$ 64.95 in Brazil. This is the same price as Cult of the Lamb which would put the game at $24.99 (USD) assuming DD prices follows the same conversion to other markets. He is claiming he got the price from the Nintendo API (on the website there is no price). He also mentions that they have managed to get the price ahead of time in the past for other games as well. Again, this is just speculation as I could not be bothered to check the Nintendo APIs available myself (eg. https://github.com/favna/nintendo-switch-eshop). If anyone gives it a go, let us know. You can check his reply when I enquired about the price below (you can use the Twitter translate if you don’t understand Portuguese):

Are you sure you don’t mean Full Throttle’s verb coin?

I remember EMI was rated T in the US for alcohol, tobacco use and "suggestive themes," which as far as I can tell consisted entirely of Guybrush's "It's the door to our bedroom...ohhh yeahhhh" response.

PEGI hasn't actually rated the game yet, so...

Grog and the pirate life. I knew it'd get Guybrush in trouble one day! 😄

Spoilers - It's frigging awesome 😉 Also, i will also be going dark when we get a release date. I honestly wish i didn't see some of the reveals in the monkey madness.

Does somebody know of similar artwork restoration initiatives but for non LucasArts games like Prince of Persia, Sierra classics, Doom, Duke Nukem, etc. ?

Nintendo: "Placeholder price". The End. 🔚 Yeah, it's probably the final price, but Devolver didn't yet settle on a release date. As soon as they have one, we'll know. This might not be your run off the mill "Spit it out like you'll win your spit in gold" release date decision. Devolver might be, more than for any game before, weighing their options. Not just when they'll release, but also what and where. I think that right now, day in, day out, they're discussing more release platforms, more voiceover languages, a physical release, and merchandising, that all should best case scenario come out on the same day. And that makes setting that release date incredibly difficult. I get that! I may have to go dark upon release date announcement anyway until the GOG version is confirmed and in their catalog. If it comes to that, I may have a going away present ready for you guys (Yes, @Toymafia88, you've seen part of that already).

Stan's dialogue in that scene (and in the game in general) is just perfection.

It seems to be confirmed as I am already getting the price when searching for the game. Although the price is not yet shown on the game page.

A good question might be ... how far in advance of launch does this usually appear?

👕 I beat #Mojole #142 and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. 5/6 💛🖤💚🖤🖤 🖤💚💚🖤🖤 🖤💚💚💛🖤 💚💚💚🖤🖤 💚💚💚💚💚 https://funzone.mixnmojo.com/Mojole/

👕 I beat #Mojole #142 and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. 4/6 🖤🖤💚💛🖤 🖤💚💚🖤🖤 💛💚💚🖤🖤 💚💚💚💚💚 https://funzone.mixnmojo.com/Mojole/

I find myself fixating on Jeff's portraits in the character select screens. Release #1: "I do not want to be here." Release #2: (resigned smile) Release #3: "Okay. I'm ready now."

99% sure I made that really bad dancing monkey gif. Where he slides down then back up because I think I did a bad job of placing his start position.

Investigating the floppy VGA/CD releases a bit more, it looks like the original VGA releases were the only ones (besides the excellent Ultimate Talkie Edition) fixing the Jolly Roger continuity error in Part 2! You know, that part: The first time you see the Sea Monkey, it should be there, but once you're err… done cooking or quitting your crew, it shouldn't be visible anymore, since you must have picked it at this point (unless I'm messing something obvious…). This continuity error fix appears to have been lost when they ported the game to SCUMM v5, though (i.e. the releases with the new verbs and inventory). The Special Edition didn't fix this either. So, I'm working on bringing this original fix back to all the other releases within ScummVM (here's the code if you're curious), but this means that I must play Part 2 in all the different 6 game releases I have here! And yeah, you can tell ScummVM not to enable these enhancements if you prefer the original behavior, don't worry. EDIT: Ha! And it looks like only some versions of the VGA floppy release had that fix… My French VGA floppy version still has the buggy script.