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The (Dialogue) Secrets of Monkey Island (4)


Udvarnoky

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Okay, so I notice that nearly every time the topic about the differences between the PC and PS2 versions of Escape from Monkey Island appears, the belief that the PS2 version has extra dialogue comes up. Now, having had limited access to the PS2 version in the past (though I have completed this version the game), I only sort of remember a few instances of this. One that I distinctly remember for some reason is the ability to ask Freddie the stick maker why Pegnose Pete is framing you, to which Freddie simply replies, "I have no idea." A pretty slight addition to say the least, but the memory makes me interested to know if anyone has researched this further. I've heard that the voice actor who played I. Cheese in particular had some missing lines in the PC version, and I'm curious to know if anyone could inform me of what these lines are. I may be inspired to explore every dialogue option of the game for both versions some day (probably after I finish those hint book memoirs :¬: ) to see if I can find anything. But enough talk of my sad embarkment. What do you know about these supposed missing lines?

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Originally posted by ThunderPeel2001

I'd LOVE to see a complete list of the differences. What with the PS2 having "more frames of animation" (?) and extras I feel I got stiffed with my PC version :(

 

It's not more frames of animation, but re-rendered character animation with nine times (!?) as many polygons as the PC version. In fact, I find the PS2 version a great deal choppier than the PC version.

 

The deal with the PS2 version:

 

-Joystick control

-Controller vibration

-HORRIBLE load times

-Much better quality voice files and movie files

-Possibly less and more dialogue

-Two-player Murrayball

-Monkey invaders mini-game

-Concept art

-Monkey Kombat chart

-Much less iMUSE (I'm tempted to say none at all, but then the iMUSE logo is on the box)

-Loading music (why couldn't they have just kept the music from your current area looping?)

-Some background art altered to accomodate TV

-Text altered to accomodate TV

-Arrow above Guybrush on map screens

 

Back when I only had the PC version and saw the PS2 specs I was convinced it was the superior version. But then when I actually played through the thing, I realized how wrong I was. The load times are terrible, and I'm not just talking about loading new areas or movie files. Because he PS2 has to read everything from the disc, there's a distinctive pause between every line of dialogue. As a result, many moments of comedic timing are destroyed, even affecting music cues. Without iMUSE, you lose that subtle track transition, as well as some great effects (the most obvious being the major-to-minor change when nearing Knuttin' Atoll on the Jambalaya Island map). Also, because the PS2 can only read one line at a time, some great instances where two lines are played at the same time are gone (ex: The funny lines on the ship when you're on a voyage, or when two people say: "Get him!" and "There he is" simultaneously after you break out of the Lucre Island bank vault). Also, and I'm sure this is just a pet peeve of mine, there's no brightness option in the menu. Yes, I know I can control brightness on my TV, just like I can control it on my monitor, but the ingame effect is much more appealing, and I daresay EMI is somehow a better game with the brightness down, as opposed to the default ultra-blinding bright level that the PS2 version is stuck on. The improved animations have yet to impress me (mostly considering I never notice them) and I find EMI much more visually appealing on PC especially if you tinker with that anti-aliasing. On a not rich person's TV, it's just too fuzzy and indistinct.

 

And frankly, the controls of the PS2 version may be theoretically better with a joystick, but the loading is so atrocious it's like it doesn't even matter. Besides, I've never really had a problem with the PC controls, and I find it easier to keyboard-steer Guybrush with no loading between areas than what the PS2 version offers. The only real aspect of the PS2 version that I find significantly superior is the much higher quality of the sound/movie files. That'd be the ideal version for ripping stuff, especially with those awesome MPEG 2-encoded movies. And get the concept art from Mojo or the SCUMM Bar. :-)

 

Bottom line: I think the perfect EMI experience is the PC version on a decent computer and with maximum installation (which will yield virtually NO loading), turning the brightness down to as dark as possible while still being able to see anything, and tinker with your video card to decrease the anti-aliasing. Oh, and if you have two CD-ROM drives you don't have to swap in the middle of the game or for saves.

 

 

So about those extra lines...

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It's not more frames of animation, but re-rendered character animation with nine times (!?) as many polygons as the PC version.

 

That's what I was thinking of, the nine times the polygons bit. I remember play testing EMI on the PS2 and the load times were absolutely horrible, it's much more fun on the PC, but it's a shame they got this "extra stuff" (like concept art and the like) included too.

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Originally posted by Udvarnoky

The load times are terrible, and I'm not just talking about loading new areas or movie files. Because he PS2 has to read everything from the disc, there's a distinctive pause between every line of dialogue. As a result, many moments of comedic timing are destroyed, even affecting music cues. Without iMUSE, you lose that subtle track transition, as well as some great effects (the most obvious being the major-to-minor change when nearing Knuttin' Atoll on the Jambalaya Island map).

Hah, that's hilarious. Curse managed to load just about everything from CD - without requiring a fast CD-ROM drive either - with no such problems. In fact, I was streaming the whole game over the network not so long ago. ¬¬ Sounds like the PS2 port was just shoddy.

 

At least they did improve the speech quality - that was one thing that was quite grating about the PC version. As for the rest, I've never seen it in action so I couldn't comment! All I can say is, if there are any extra lines in the PS2 version, why were they cut on the PC? Space? I doubt it - I suspect they were just crap!

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Originally posted by Huz

Hah, that's hilarious. Curse managed to load just about everything from CD - without requiring a fast CD-ROM drive either - with no such problems. In fact, I was streaming the whole game over the network not so long ago. ¬¬ Sounds like the PS2 port was just shoddy.

 

At least they did improve the speech quality - that was one thing that was quite grating about the PC version. As for the rest, I've never seen it in action so I couldn't comment! All I can say is, if there are any extra lines in the PS2 version, why were they cut on the PC? Space? I doubt it - I suspect they were just crap!

 

CMI on the PC could load stuff into memory (and virtual memory) though. That's not easily done with the PS2's limited memory.

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Originally posted by RemiO

CMI on the PC could load stuff into memory (and virtual memory) though. That's not easily done with the PS2's limited memory.

COMI only required 16MB of RAM though. I must admit, I didn't realise the PS2 only has 32MB memory before I looked it up just now, but still, I don't think it's any excuse. Stop defending LucasArts, man! ;)
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Originally posted by Huz

COMI only required 16MB of RAM though. I must admit, I didn't realise the PS2 only has 32MB memory before I looked it up just now, but still, I don't think it's any excuse. Stop defending LucasArts, man! ;)

 

16MB plus virtual memory and HD. ;-*

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