anyone else agree that CMI wasn't that great?

[kng863]

i just finished CMI and it wasn't nearly as great as MI 1 or 2. The thing that ruined it was the poor ending sequence and some of the farfetch puzzles.

 

CMI spent too much on graphics and story lines instead of more rational puzzles. I spent so much time just sitting there listening to long conversations and story! I hated that ship battling stuff because it's just filler activity (no thinking). And, because of the way the graphics and puzzles are designed, there aren't multiple solutions to solving a task (MI1 and 2 had some variability to how some tasks could be achieved). Some other things of CMI i did not enjoy were:

 

1. Guybrush's slow walking

2. why all of a sudden he hated porcelain (did not explain)

3. happy love ending with Elaine (no opening for future possibilities)

4. no classic characters such as Herman Toothrot and Men of Low Moral Fiber

5. lack of voodoo in the way Lechuck dies (MI1 and 2 had voodoo and CMI breaks tradition)

6. the simple way Guybrush defeats Lechuck (just keg/fuse and pepper? com'on give me a break! MI2 had you making a voodoo doll and interacting with Lechuck such as taking his underwear)

7. etc, which are too long to mention

 

Also,

 

For the credit sequence, I expected something mildly humorous like from MI 1 or 2 such as "shut off computer" or "do stuff constructive", but instead got this blunt (quits program) from CMI.

 

And,

The Men of Low Moral Fiber of MI1&2 should have been that Barber Shop Triplet of CMI.

 

 

- I feel a disturbance in the force.

...Mmmm donuts.

[Kjølen]

CMI was the best of the games! Yes there shuld have been a better ending but still.... I new this smiley would come in handy:

[elTee]

CMI was fantastic. I agree it isn't a patch on SOMI or MI2, but that doesn't mean anything. I loved it - it has the best graphics and sound in the whole series, and it kicks the hell out of EMI.

Your points:

 

1. Yeah, he was breaking records in the previous two. Only, in CMI you double-click and it cuts the walking altogether.

2. He never encountered porcelain in the previous two games. I think it leaves an interesting oppourtunity to explain it in a later game.

3. Obviously, yeah, 'cos if there was no oppourtunity for other games then we wouldn't have EMI. Hold on...

4. Sure, Herman was cool. But Murray is as classic as the Men of Low Moral fibre. But he's funnier.

5. The first one wasn't really voodoo. He used a can of grog from a vending machine. The second one was, but that doesn't make a tradition.

6. Ok, so it wasn't as hard. It wasn't the easiest puzzle in the world though, and in MI2 as soon as you saw that doll that looked like LeChuck it was sooo obvious what you needed to do.

7. You mean, you can't think of anything else?

 

Oh, wait:

 

8. Yeah, that's why I love MI2 so much. Those little quotes after the game had ended. Not the plot or graphics or even the music. Just the computer saying "Like wash your car. Or play some racquetball." for 20 minutes.

9. The men of low moral fibre (pirates), famed for thier lazyness, should open up a barber shop. Sure.

[Remi]

I quite liked CMI, although I thought EMI was a better game in most aspects (other than graphics, and to a degree music). Still, MI2 owns them all anyway.

[Hellbeard]

BINGO!

[Kjølen]

Originally posted by LucasTones

1. Yeah, he was breaking records in the previous two. Only, in CMI you double-click and it cuts the walking altogether.

 

You mean he stops walking or he automaticly appears where you click

[Hellbeard]

He goes there automaticly (that was a lifesavor!)

[Scummbuddy]

I remember my friend and I splitting the cost of Monkey Island 3 the day it came out. We played the demo before and couldn't wait. He payed a little bit more so he got to play first. When he was done the first disc, he let me have it and he went on with the next. I do admit, yea I don't believe it was really a Monkey Island game. (yea, I'm one of them) CMI does have the best art out of all and is great by itself. I can't speak for EMI since I only got to play it once and then my computer won't work with those graphics anymore. (I hate my computer.) But I do know I didn't like it (compared to the others)

 

I really do like Curse of Monkey Island, and I'm sure, once I'm used to Escape from MI, I'll grow to like it. I just wish I didn't have to grow to like any game without the original creators.

[manny_c444]

I think CMI was the best of the 4. It coul've benifited from a bit of Schafers puzzles and amazing story capability. But I don't miss the style of the first 2 at all.

 

CMI was funnier too.

[Jake]

I think CMI lacked the sarcasm, and ironically the heart of the first two games, but it was a really enjoyable game, and it was by any definition a "true Monkey Island game." True, the story is lame in parts (MARRIED?!), and the ending is weak (note it was supposed to be better but they ran out of money), and it is a little shorter than Monkey 2 (but not shorter than 1)... but it's still so so so good. I'm one of those suckers who only really appreciated CMI after I played EMI then went back and played CMI again. It's a great game.

[Oystein]

2. He never encountered porcelain in the previous two games. I think it leaves an interesting oppourtunity to explain it in a later game.

 

You actually get one porcelain reference in MI2. It's on Booty Island in Elaine's room at the mansion. I think Guybrush doesn't want to open Elaine's bedchest because he suspects it's porcelain or something like that.

 

As for my verdict of CMI: It was funny, but not as funny as SOMI and MI2. Graphics were great, except for some goofy looking characters (including our main man, Guybrush). Music was wonderful as ever and voice acting was very good. I have to agree though that the plot isn't very good and the ending is pretty lousy. It is a Monkey Island game, but it lacks the true MI feeling that Ron and the other guys created back then. I truly agree with Remi: MI2 is the best game in the series and no sequel can ever change that.

[Hellbeard]

Am I the Only person who likes MI1 more than MI2? I relise that you like the fact that it has a more Adventure game feel, but I found it didn't feel the same as when I first played secret of monkey island. MI1 and MI2 were both very different games in their own aspects, but I felt that MI1 was a true Monkey Island game.

[Hellbeard]

Am I the Only person who likes MI1 more than MI2? I relise that you like the fact that it has a more Adventure game feel, but I found it didn't feel the same as when I first played secret of monkey island. MI1 and MI2 were both very different games in their own aspects, but I felt that MI1 was a true Monkey Island game.

[Huz]

Originally posted by Oystein

 

You actually get one porcelain reference in MI2. It's on Booty Island in Elaine's room at the mansion. I think Guybrush doesn't want to open Elaine's bedchest because he suspects it's porcelain or something like that.

Don't remember that. He does, however, encounter a porcelain vase at the antique shop, and he's not adverse to making an offer for it. Luckily for him, it's one of the items not for sale.

[Huz]

Originally posted by Oystein

 

You actually get one porcelain reference in MI2. It's on Booty Island in Elaine's room at the mansion. I think Guybrush doesn't want to open Elaine's bedchest because he suspects it's porcelain or something like that.

Don't remember that. He does, however, encounter a porcelain vase at the antique shop, and he's not adverse to making an offer for it. Luckily for him, it's one of the items not for sale.

[BooJaka]

Wasn't the Porcelain supposed to be an in-joke about a comic or something? Where LeChuck turned Guybrush into a porcelain statue or something?

 

Come on! Someone back me up here!

[Gexx]

i really liked CMI. i liked the insult sword fighting alot(unlike that damn Monkey Kombat).

[Oystein]

Originally posted by Huz

Don't remember that. He does, however, encounter a porcelain vase at the antique shop, and he's not adverse to making an offer for it. Luckily for him, it's one of the items not for sale.

 

Don't you? I'm quite sure that there was a porcelain comment in Elaine's room. I will play MI2 again tonight and report back later.

[Remi]

I remember the chest ("It's not polite to stare at a woman's chest"), but I don't think he had any fear of porcelain in MI2. I also don't think the comic (which I've never seen) had anything to do with it.

[Hellbeard]

When you are in Elaine's mansion Guybrush does not want to steal her clothes chest because of the time he stole her idol.

[Swordmaster]

*LOL* What a priceless thread this would make if only I had saved all the cursing (pun not intended) and bashing of CMI when it was first released. Ironically enough, when EMI was released CMI suddenly turned from a lousy sequel-wannabe into a worthy Monkey Island title. O tempora, o mores!

[Ben Whatsisname]

1. The graphics were far superior, IMHO, to all three of the others. 3-D rendering is like a speedo or spandex - just because you *can* wear it doesn't mean that you *should*. I felt like EMI's graphics were slower due to this and with the polygons, it was like we had MI1-"blocky", MI2-"blocky", MI3-"smooth, crisp cartoon lines", MI4-"blocky objects on smooth, crisp backgrounds"

 

2. Sound. Yeah, EMI had sound too, but for some reason, CMI's has more "feel", IMHO.

 

3. Back to graphics for a second - in MI 1&2, you had to look for a clickable set of pixels most times, going off what the text told you it was supposed to be. (I.e. "yellow dots clustered together=flower", in CMI, objects looked like objects. In EMI, objects looked *pretty much* like objects except for when they appeared and disappeared randomly or drawn really close up.

 

4. Combat - I quite enjoyed being able to see the poses and motions of the swordfighting, as well as the ship-to-ship combat. In MI 1&2, guybrush held up the sword and shimmied back and forth, never moving with the fluidity of Guybrush in CMI. In EMI, I specualte that it is far easier to tween the guybrush model into the different monkey kombat poses and energy-throws than to render a swordfight effectivly without making the attack into a cutscene, which - come to think of it, is what happens in monkey kombat - once kombat begins, you fire off your commands to enter the "attack, defend, or draw cutscene" and then start issuing the next command for the next cutscene...etc.

 

Humor: you take a "cartoon-like" persona of a pirate, put him in a "cartoon-like" world of Monkey Island and *boom* humor. Due to the lack of technology and ability to use art like cmi's, the first two games did their best to look cartoon-like (remember the dancing skeletons?). CMI hit "cartoon" dead on the nose - my daughter sqeals with delight when she watches me play. EMI was able to do "cartoon" as well, but again, with the polys...it wasn't "Toy Story"-looking cartoon (like ft, with curves & such) Guybrush went from having bouncing golden hair in CMI to "hair helmet" in EMI. Sure - it moved in the cutscenes, but....

 

My daughter has yet to respond to EMI.

 

I'll end my list there, but there are so many other things like better puzzles, etc... Don't wanna have my post take up one whole forum page.

[Redbeard]

I didn't like CMI for look of the characters, and though i'd love hand painted backgrounds I think EMI is FAR more true to the Monkey Island series then CMI was! (Just thinking about the hole carnival, Dinky Island story makes my head spin.

[mxbx]

Edit: I have no idea why I posted the following, 'cause Ben already took the time to scribe the truths. Anyway, for reference, here's what I wrote:

 

 

I noticed something weird about CMI: it is AWESOME. True to Monkey Island? What the hell do I care? If it's AWESOME, I'm gonna play it. If it's not AWESOME, I'm still gonna play it. I like to play games, y'see. Sometimes I like an AWESOME one (like CMI.) Sometimes I like a SEMI-AWESOME one (EMI). Sometimes I like to bend over and play a GNARLY game (no examples, 'cause I lied. I hate GNARLY games.)

 

But usually I like an AWESOME game, and that's what Curse of Monkey Island is. AWESOME.

 

Check it out:

-It's got pirates. And they look like somebody took some time to draw them on paper. Truly AWESOME.

-It's got voices. AWESOME voices. Sometimes I talk in tandem with the voices, just to prove I can still speak.

-It's got boats and water. These things are totally necessary, but I think many game designers would have forgotten to include them. And get this crap: You can actually ride around in 'em ['em = a boat]!! AWESOME has a whole new way of stickin' it to ya, friends.

-It's got insult something-or-other... I forgot which one was in this game, but I do know this: It was PRETTY NEAT, I GUESS.

Final Score? Let's add 'er up! AWESOME+AWESOME+AWESOME+PRETTY NEAT, I GUESS= a false mathematic formula. Mr. T is currently pitying you with the belief that you're a fool.

[Hellbeard]

Very well put!