Issue #54: Still Lovin’ That Amiga, Though
How “Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge” exposed everyone’s favorite platform’s midlife crisis.
It always pains me to show one of the Amiga’s very few shortcomings (gross mismanagement and bankruptcy aside), but a quick look at Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge quickly reveals some cracks in the innovative multimedia computer’s foundation. Missing music – and not just tracks – crude graphics, technical shortcomings… admitting that the PC VGA was better is the first step to acceptance, I guess?
Baring my soul aside, some are gearing up for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I am impervious about it, and of course, that’s why I got signed up to review it for Mojo – so you have that to look forward to.
Wow, this all sounds very negative, doesn’t it? All I can say is that we have a couple of good features lined up, so let’s leave it at that for now. Good things coming soon; positive thinking!
Until next time,
Remi
Full News Roundup
16 Nov: Tag of Joy speaks, aloud, about A Vampyre Story: A Bat’s Tale: Two weeks later, we're assured the game is still being made.
16 Nov: Start the weekend off right with vintage EMI press scans: Name me one thing you’d rather be reading.
13 Nov: Indy sinks to pancake salesman in cresting Great Circle campaign: And people claimed the fridge was beneath his dignity.
13 Nov: GOG Wants Those Old Games to Stay Good: Be nice to have an official EGA MI1 release, though…
12 Nov: Your favorite Lucasfilm production hits 4K disc at last: After years of campaigning, George Lucas has listened to the fans.
12 Nov: Larry the O interviewed by Danny the A: Another Tech Talk arrives to feast on half of your waking hours.
11 Nov: The Digital Antiquarian suffers through Grim Fandango: We wish for Jimmy’s speedy recovery.
Trivia of the Week
There are those things many of us take for granted, just to learn that it is not common knowledge – case in point: The Secret of Monkey Island’s two endings.
Soundtracks of the Week: The 😢 and 💖 Edition
We’re sworn Amiga fans here at Mojo – well, the elite of us are – but when you compare Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge to the VGA version, it’s hard to get too enthusiastic. Particularly the soundtrack is lacking – both in quantity and technical quality. Four channels of digital audio weren’t quite enough when stacked up against what our PC brethren were listening to – especially those who had plonked down an MT-32 module.
And Even More Amiga
What the video above does not convey is the pain of swapping eleven (11) floppy disks at regular intervals (unless you were a highfalutin hard disk owner, which few of us were). Often, this would involve jumping between three to four disks, with one single note running on a loop while you were doing so.
Also, 32 colors vs. 256 colors. Not optimal for handpainted backgrounds.
The one thing that did stick around was Woody’s trophy fish, last seen in the VGA demo. So, hey, at least we got that.
Either way… you can’t beat The Secret of Monkey Island on the Amiga. 🧐
Last Week’s Mojole Results
It’s the game that sweeps the nation! Can you beat Mojole, our fiendishly difficult daily puzzler? Only hardcore LucasArts aficionados need apply.
11 Nov: “###ford” – Lita Ford, that is.
12 Nov: “eddie##” – Eddie Riggs, I mentioned he was a badass, yes?
13 Nov: “halford” – Rob Halford, right there in Brutal!
14 Nov: “rob####” – Rob Halford, who is he, you may ask.
15 Nov: “judas##” – Rob Halford, is Judas Priest's lead singer.
16 Nov: “#priest” – Judas Priest, why not make it a freebie day today?
17 Nov: “kabbage” – Kabbage Boy -- what a band!
And for the competitive amongst you, the Mojole forum thread has gone strong for more than two years. The two juggernauts to beat: Sushi and Huz.
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The Mojo Network
The International House of Mojo: Web, Bluesky, and Mastodon.