madmardi

Yea, I also grew up on the VGA Floppy version and didn't try any other version until years later. I played the VGA CD once, but similar to your experience it just felt too different (it didn't sound like the game I knew, and I always preferred the original verb interface). I've been meaning to play through the EGA version but still haven't found the time...

Was it supposed to be a hint that you could find the flowers in the forest?

Approximately how many hours until the MIM video will be posted?

🥰😍🤩 Tell me more!

Far as I remember the stump joke was in the floppy VGA version. And what's this headwrap you speak of?

Oh... didn't realize that. Both great characters though!

Quick question: The voice for the judge reminds me a lot of Griswold Goodsoup, especially when he says "presiding" in the line "Judge plank presiding". Any chance it would be the same voice actor (Kay Kuter)?

I think about this a lot actually, especially after the backlash against Ron and his team recently. Regardless of how a game turns out I feel a lot of respect for the amount of time that goes into making these works of art, and I don't think anyone could spend 2 years working on something and not be proud what they made. I guess I just wish Sean & Mike & team could get a bit more of the MI love that's out there, as I feel like there's crowds of people that love each of the other games and will jump to their defence if anyone says something against them, yet there's only a few of us that speak up for Escape. Anyways, I unashamedly love EMI but writing out a more detailed post of my reasons will have to wait to another time (when I have more time!).

Wow, that's got to be the second-nicest thing I've ever read on an internet forum directed at my whining about how people don't like EMI enough! 🥰 Definitely can relate to all of what you wrote. Honestly, I don't expect to change people's opinions, but if I can get even one person to replay the game and have a slightly more positive experience with it then I'll take that as a win.

Sorry if that came across wrong, and no, I'm not saying people don't have their reasons, but frankly I'm just tired of it. Look back at this thread alone and you will see that it's just a matter of time before EMI gets thrown another punch here or there. And this is Mixnmojo, which as I have said before, is where people are much nicer and articulate their reasons much clearer with plenty of evidence to back up their points. But from my point of view I'm a fan of all the games, so it really sucks constantly having to hear the criticism. To the point where I'm constantly considering whether its worth even engaging anymore or whether I should just go back to being a lurker.

Okay, and I think that's really what it is - those details matter to you much more, and changing them seems unnecessary/a break in continuity. Whereas I think the details in how the characters look and act is more important. Changing trees or layout etc. definitely is a style choice to me. That being said, I'm definitely okay with change. In characters, in art style, in backgrounds, in anything... as long as it's still an enjoyable game. I think what got me started on this in the first place is the hypocrisy (in my mind) of how people really don't like the stylistic changes that were made with Escape, but many other changes done in the other games seem to magically be ignored. I know this is oversimplifying it (as Escape really does push the boundaries), but it seems that change is acceptable... unless there's the word "escape" in the title.

Yes there is a difference between changing art style and content, but I have to disagree with most of what you're saying here. You say that "Guybrush is always a man with a pony tail. He doesn't fundamentally change." Sure, he's still Guybrush, but IMHO in each game he DOES change significantly. Each game the writers contribute to who he is as a character and mould in our minds his history, his personality, his look, his way of interacting with other characters, his voice, etc., etc. It is simple enough to say that "oh, but it's still Guybrush", but I think this is a view easier to take 30 years later. Remember how much of that persona really has been built, game by game, over the course of the series. Go back to 1997 and I'm sure that there were many fans who felt that the writers had made some significant changes in who he is as a character, and I'm not just talking about looks. Even right at the beginning of MI2 I felt there was a huge change in the Guybrush I knew. We see him with all this wealth of booty, not knowing where it came from, a beard and a jacket, and bragging about his exploits. Sure, all of that can be considered natural character development with age, but he had changed a lot from what I remembered from the previous game. In Tales we are thrown right into a battle with LeChuck, without really knowing the history of what happened since Escape. My point with this is that every time you write more backstory to a character you are fundamentally developing/changing them, and maybe you aren't changing their gender, but I would argue it's just as significant. Heck, if you change the voice actor for a character, in my mind that's as significant (if not more than) as changing their ethnicity. I may be in the minority here, but for me all of these changes I speak of are wayyyyy more significant than changing a species of tree*. I see it as a novel, where the narrator speaks of a forest somewhere deep in the Caribbean, but the focus is never on elaborate descriptions of the plants and foliage**, but rather the characters and the story. Otherwise, if the background/art was that important to the story, then there would have been much more consistency starting with MI2. *And this is coming from someone who really likes trees, and has spent significant time studying them and conducting Forest Resource Inventory in national parks! **I'm not saying the vibe/feel to an island isn't important, and that trees don't contribute to that, but I don't think Melee Island must have the same architectural design and foliage in order for it to still be Melee Island.

Sure... but it's also not unexpected. If we can change up characters so drastically, I still see no issues changing any of the items from your list. Frankly, I think Guybrush in Curse is unrecognizable from Guybrush in MI2, but seeing as Curse was 25 years ago I've almost forgotten how shocked I was when I first saw him in that game. Not that I'm saying I dislike any of the character redesigns, just that I don't see why changing any of the items in your list is a big deal if we're okay with other artistic changes. Anyways, I feel like now we're splitting hairs and we'll probably not agree on this, so I'l try to get back on track with ReMI 😅

Actually, that's what I always thought. Even though the monkey head entrance is towards the East, I always assumed LeChuck's ship was beneath the volcano.

I hope you're right!

Well, IMHO I have to disagree with this point. Changing a character model is pretty significant in my mind. Not that I'm against it at all, but when each game redesigns Guybrush, sure he's the same character, but each iteration adds to who that character really is. For example, I think that changing Guybrush's height (as in Curse) makes a huge difference, and not only do the new writers help form and flesh out who Guybrush is and the story he tells, but his image contributes to that as well. As does his voice, etc. We aren't just talking about a change in wardrobe, but a completely new look. With each game we've learned more about, redeveloped, and transformed who Guybrush really is, and I don't think that's ever been static. Each character model still holds the essences of the person we know as Guybrush, but it has also helped his personality grow. So from my point of view, changing Guybrush's height is way more drastic of a change than changing the forest (the background to the story) from pine to palms. Sure, it makes it feel different, but MI has never taken itself that seriously, or been that detail oriented with continuity (even between the first two games), so whether one artist wants to paint the background of Melee with pines, palms, or bamboo, I don't think its that relevant or as out of place of a change compared to other differences in the games that get much less attention.

Besides, if they can change Guybrush's character model so drastically between games, what's so different from changing between pines and palms?

Depends on where in the Caribbean you are... Melee with the pine forests reminds me more of The Bahamas.. but then again, the Bahamas is flat, not mountainous.

Well, I disagree, as it felt right as Melee to me. I'm not really sure what I think of mimicking the layout exactly, and I'm not saying I'm against it for Return, but if they had done something like that for Escape (but in 3D) I don't know if it would have gone over as well at the time. I think part of that has to do with it now being 30 years later, and this game really is dripping with nostalgia, even if it is pushing to be a new MI game at the same time.

Okay, back to EMI bashing I see... IMHO they made a clear choice to artistically change the look of Melee (and Monkey) Island, rather than trying to recreate it exactly as in MI1 but in 3D. Although part of me wishes that it had been a bit more accurately done, I also understand their reasons for not getting all caught up in making it super accurate. They most likely would have had to deal with criticism even if they had done it well, and stylizing it was a smart choice.

Yea, it’s nice to see that he’s excited and still wants to share

Thank you so much 😊

I would be surprised if he wanted to share what his next project was in advance. Seems like keeping RTMI secret until it was almost complete was the right choice

@elTee When does the sun set? And does it actually change colours, or is it all of a sudden night at some point?

Not really an unpopular opinion... but I thought this would be the most appropriate thread where I could admit that I have actually never played the EGA version of SOMI. I grew up on the VGA (not CD) version and for me that's the one that will always be the most nostalgic I guess. I even have troubles playing the CD version, as seeing the MI2 style interface seems... wrong? (not sure if thats the right word). Anyways, I guess the unpopular part would be that at one point in my childhood I did find out about the EGA version, loaded it up once, and thought it looked terrible. I then went back and replayed the VGA version again. That being said, I read an old Mojo article today that talked about the differences in the portraits between the two versions, and I was I was really surprised, as I had no idea there were so many changes. Seeing as the EGA is the original version I felt like I should really go back and play it. So I just started it up in ScummVM and have to say that I have a newfound appreciation for it. It looks a lot better than I remember, and I think I really need to give it a shot.