Monkey Island 2 Remake

[daltysmilth]

I just went to Lucasarts' MI2 website, and what a treat for the eyes and ears. A sample of the Woodtick theme played with real instruments, and the screenshots from the game looked fantastic. In fact, some of the backgrounds looked like they didn't redo them at all, but just re-scanned the original artwork Steve did for the original version. I wonder if that is indeed what they did for some of them.

[Snugglecakes]

I just went to Lucasarts' MI2 website, and what a treat for the eyes and ears. A sample of the Woodtick theme played with real instruments, and the screenshots from the game looked fantastic. In fact, some of the backgrounds looked like they didn't redo them at all, but just re-scanned the original artwork Steve did for the original version. I wonder if that is indeed what they did for some of them.

 

Yeah the backgrounds are great, and even Guybrush looks ok this time. Don't get me started on the box art though.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Actually, first he lost his monocle, and then while looking frantically for it he fell overboard and (presumably) drowned.

 

Even for MI2 this seems cruel. No wonder they took it out.

 

Haha! Sorry, but it made me laugh. (Maybe I'm just cruel.) Where can I read more about this, ATM??? (I can't find a link to your site anywhere )

 

I just went to Lucasarts' MI2 website, and what a treat for the eyes and ears. A sample of the Woodtick theme played with real instruments, and the screenshots from the game looked fantastic. In fact, some of the backgrounds looked like they didn't redo them at all, but just re-scanned the original artwork Steve did for the original version. I wonder if that is indeed what they did for some of them.

 

No. Although the backgrounds are much better... they're not Purcell/Chan backgrounds. I don't even need to look that up to tell you.

[SyntheticGerbil]

Yeah I really doubt they got off their asses to search through old artwork and scanned them all.

[Snugglecakes]

(I can't find a link to your site anywhere )

 

http://home.comcast.net/~ervind/

 

Spent more time on that page than I did studying for exams.

ATMachine I hope you have a backup of that thing

[Threepwood4life]

Well, it seems like Lucasarts are planning to give us some more info on the game, soon. Check they're Twiiter page

and scroll down. They say something about more monkey info coming soon, and that they cant wait to see our reactions. Wonder what that means. Trailer? A stage demo? The game getting release early?

 

I've actually mentioned this on a previous post but I did ask Craig Derrick on his Twitter page how far the game was into development and was it near to completion and he replied with the following;

 

Still some work to do, but we're close. Really stoked you like what we've shown so far!

 

I'm guessing its some finishing touches they're doing and with LucasArts saying news coming shortly I guess it could be a possible release date announcement and trailer unveiling. I'm guessing between a May/June release

[Thrik]

Has anyone actually mentioned the LeChuck stance anywhere btw, like on their Facebook or Twitter? I know everyone always assumes these things will be caught, but if history has taught me anything it's that they never are.

 

Sometimes artists get too caught up by their own vision and don't see relatively obvious issues that should be sorted out — especially in small/individual teams.

 

It's bizarre because the walk is perfect. Makes me think surely it's just an issue with whoever put the site together... but probably not.

[daltysmilth]

Yeah I really doubt they got off their asses to search through old artwork and scanned them all.

 

I didn't say all of the backgrounds looked like the originals. Just some of them. And why would it be more effort to scan in something that originally exists than to create a new painting from scratch?

[clintondsmith]

http://home.comcast.net/~ervind/

 

Wow, awesome site! I've never seen this before. Thanks Mr. Cakes.

[Thrik]

I'd imagine they didn't use the original scans because in many cases the scanned art probably differed quite a bit from the final image. We've seen evidence of this even in the few scans that've been released — especially the Wally one — so it wouldn't surprise me if the rest were the same.

 

More likely they just did it like with the first Special Edition: based it on the in-game art.

[elTee]

The Wally one was concept, wasn't it? I may be mistaken, but I thought all the final art came from scanned images. Although they probably did have to retouch them after scanning in at least some cases - which is what LEC would have to do regardless now, to get them to 1080p.

[ATMachine]

Unfortunately for those who want LucasArts to make use of it, the original scanned-in background art of MI2 is quite definitely different from the final game's backgrounds in numerous places.

 

For instance, take the map of Phatt Island. The original art (as seen in Rogue Leaders) has a bridge connecting Phatt Island to the smaller island where Rum Rogers' house is. Obviously such a thing would eliminate the need for a rather nasty puzzle in the final game!

 

And the art of Wally's house WAS what was used in the final game--it was just retouched after being scanned in, like most of the other backgrounds.

 

There are also plenty of other examples of differences in the scanned art from the eventual game backgrounds, which are evident from demos and early magazine screenshots.

 

As an example, Mad Marty's Laundromat lacked the equipment for the rat-trap, instead having a washbasin in its place. Plus the original background art of that scene was unusually wide, so that when it was first put into the game, the ledge where the Men of Low Moral Fiber sit wasn't visible.

 

The Scabb Island graveyard had a bunch of aboveground crypts where Marco Lagrande's tombstone should be. And Captain Dread's ship was missing from Ville de la Booty, where instead there was a galleon anchored.

 

I could go on and on. These are just some of the instances of changed art that would materially affect gameplay. I would say, in fact, that almost every single one of the backgrounds went through some changes, large or small, between the original hand-drawn art and the final game version.

 

LucasArts would be faced with the Herculean task of redrawing and "correcting" nearly the entirety of the original background art, in all the places it was redrawn before, if they wanted to scan it in and use it for MI2:SE. I'd go so far as to say expecting them to do this would be unreasonable. The method they have adopted is much, much easier.

[OzzieMonkey]

I'm just thinking, is Lucasarts going to be at PAX East? If so, it would be a great time to unveil some gameplay footage, and perhaps a release date.

[SyntheticGerbil]

I didn't say all of the backgrounds looked like the originals. Just some of them. And why would it be more effort to scan in something that originally exists than to create a new painting from scratch?

 

Because it requires getting out of a chair.

 

That's the best I've got. Seriously. (Because I actually agree with you, as you'll see in the following.)

 

I could go on and on. These are just some of the instances of changed art that would materially affect gameplay. I would say, in fact, that almost every single one of the backgrounds went through some changes, large or small, between the original hand-drawn art and the final game version.

 

LucasArts would be faced with the Herculean task of redrawing and "correcting" nearly the entirety of the original background art, in all the places it was redrawn before, if they wanted to scan it in and use it for MI2:SE. I'd go so far as to say expecting them to do this would be unreasonable. The method they have adopted is much, much easier.

 

I'm not sure why you'd think that's a Herculean task or that somehow not using scans is "much easier." No one is debating scans don't need touch ups, since they all do in the digital art world, whether it's Monkey Island or your own personal artwork for show. I touch up everything I scan at my job whether my art is a pencil sketch or full color paints. It doesn't have to take very long at all if you are good at it. And from everything I've seen of the backgrounds so far, they are in very nice condition and have a lot of details already filled in.

 

As for all the background changes, that could easily be done by cutting and pasting portions of the finished backgrounds in the game over it and then just repainting those parts to fit in with the style of the scan.

 

But you also don't know for sure if every single background went through a change or not since none of us have seen every background as originally drawn. Either way they are still drawing whether they are touching something up or starting from scratch. The former would preserve the original image much easier, so I don't want to hear, "Well Steve Purcell said they were always meant to be used as a template and not final work," because I'm well aware of that. They can still be reused as templates granted the pages or artboard have been well taken care of.

 

You're talking in extreme hyperbole here. "Herculean" is ridiculous to suggest on something that could very well take the same amount of time either way. Personally, I think using original art scanned in at hi-res would be much easier to use as a template to fill in the details and get my digital brushes right than trying to fully realize low resolution art. Again, I don't think the amount of time I personally would spend doing something like this personally would make much difference.

 

And besides, it's a merit to the SE team for actually redrawing the backgrounds much better this time. I was more worried they were going to screw this up over everything.

 

The Wally one was concept, wasn't it? I may be mistaken, but I thought all the final art came from scanned images. Although they probably did have to retouch them after scanning in at least some cases - which is what LEC would have to do regardless now, to get them to 1080p.

 

This is true, the Wally one was concept. We haven't seen the real background Wally's boat house was created from.

[Aububuh]

Something that concerns me is with the music. In SMI all the original music sounded like it could be played by a reasonably sized band, which is pretty much what the SE guys did, but MI2 has different instruments for almost every song, and an entire orchestra for quite a bit of it, and I'm wondering if the special edition is going to do all of that.

Take the underground tunnels, for example. There's a big string section, flutes, horns, a lot of percussion, I don't know if they'll be able to afford all of that. I really hope they can, because it will sound amazing if they do, but I'm just skeptical.

[Monkey Mania]

If not, they can do it with samples. Quality has increased dramatically in the past two years.

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

[Aububuh]

If not, they can do it with samples. Quality has increased dramatically in the past two years.

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

Wow. That was samples? I didn't know they were that good. Still though, I'd prefer live, but that would work. Wow.

[Monkey Mania]

So, uhh, what's with Chuckie's nose at the end? Is it a hole? Kinda looks like it.

[OzzieMonkey]

So, uhh, what's with Chuckie's nose at the end? Is it a hole? Kinda looks like it.

 

To what are you referring?

[Monkey Mania]

http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/MonkeyIsland2/Update%2038/42-mi_38_39.gif

[Aububuh]

http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/MonkeyIsland2/Update%2038/42-mi_38_39.gif

 

I always thought it was to make him look more skeletal.

[Varrok]

http://www.disneylandpostcards.com/images/Mickey-Mouse.png

[Monkey Mania]

LOL. LeChuck's actually mickey mouse?

[Aububuh]

LOL. LeChuck's actually mickey mouse?

 

http://www.spurgeonworld.com/willsblog/archives/runaway_brain_mickey.jpg

 

Put a beard on him, then yes.

[elTee]

FWIW, in Rogue Leaders it says that the Phatt Island image is concept art as well. It could be a mistake on their part, though, because it looks mostly identical to the game version.