Issue #82: Escape at Twenty-Five
“Escape from Monkey Island” turns old. As do we. So don’t judge.
Hey, did you know Escape from Monkey Island (EMI) just turned twenty-five? For some – me – it brings quiet contemplation on why we’re sitting here writing about the same topics, year after year, decade after decade. But here we are. And write we do. None of which changes that the game was released in Europe twenty-five years ago this week.
So, EMI. It’s still a game many “hardcore fans” consider the red-headed stepchild of the family. I’d wager, though, that equally many find that opinion to be exaggerated and unfair. Here at Mojo Towers, EMI has always been a bit of a dark horse favorite. Maybe not a favorite in the sense that it’s our “favorite game ever,” but one that we thoroughly found quite enjoyable. Look no further than our Secret History article, where Jason gave it a more-than-solid 4 out of 5 skulls1. We even released a podcast episode aptly called “In Defense of Escape from Monkey Island.” Mojo is a staunch-ish supporter, as proven by our anniversary celebration.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why people still have some misgivings. Going from this to this…
… was admittedly jarring.
There was, at the time, a lot of finger-pointing and hearsay about EMI’s development issues, some more accurate than others. Hearsay is bad, so of course, we’ll contribute to it right here. The number that was floating around the rumor mill was that the game’s budget clocked in at $750,000 – a pittance even back then.2 That EMI wasn't a graphical masterpiece sort of makes sense when you consider that.
The soundtrack fared better in the populist court of law. Famously, Michael Land and Peter McConnell left LucasArts during early production, leaving Clint Bajakian in charge of the music. Not long after, he, too, exited, though he remained the principal composer with contributions from Land and McConnell. Additionally, Anna Karney and Michael Lande(!) were brought in to finish out the soundtrack. In an interview with iMuse Island, Clint described the division thusly:
“As I was lead composer, I composed music across all areas, but in general the break down is as follows. Michael Land handled most of Mêlée Island, Peter McConnell the ‘back side’ of Lucre Island, myself the ‘front side, or town’ of Lucre, Michael Lande, Jambalaya Island (of course, Peter did Stan!) and Anna Karney, Monkey Island. I wrote all the cutscene music except Toothrot’s ‘Ozzie story’ which Anna composed.”
The soundtrack is, in this handsome man’s opinion, quite good.
It’s also worth mentioning that EMI was well received at the time of release, at least by the mainstream media. Metacritic clocks the PC version at a “General Favorable” 86 out of a 100. Spaff threw down a 5/5 rating in his demo review, while the PS2 version pulled in a healthy 3/5 from Mojo. Granted, it also had this cover…
… which gives me nightmares to this day. It can’t all be a win. 🤷
As a whole, though, Escape from Monkey Island is a game I stand behind. It may not be perfect, but it’s fun. Great music. Even some of the graphics ain’t half bad, relatively speaking. Give it another playthrough if you haven’t in a while – it might surprise you.
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To wit…
El Poll Diablo
Last week, we asked how you felt about Death by Scrolling after playing it. Apparently, very few of you picked up Ron’s latest, as only five (5) people voted. Three loved it and two thought it was pretty good.
Moving on to the next poll: This is a safe place and you’re amongst friends. It’s time to unburden yourself and tell us how you really feel about EMI.
Only the best! Mojo has a web store for all your apparel and decoration needs. For example:
T-shirts! Don the original LucasArts logo, Manny Calavera’s face, or the OG Adventurer logo. Warning: Popularity will smack you in your face when you wear these masterpieces.
Magnets! Stickers! Does your fridge look too plain? Your laptop lid too empty? Dress them up with vintage maps of Phatt, Scabb, and Booty.
More to come! (Possibly.)
This Week in Mojo History
25 years ago this week, Escape from Monkey Island released in Europe.
Full News Roundup
14 Nov: Better Late Than Never: Our “Sea of Thieves: The Legend of Monkey Island” Über Review: I mean, odds are you played it already, but whatever.
13 Nov: Keeper Found: Double Fine drops another doc.
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.
12 Nov: “mix####” – -n-mojo. You know.
13 Nov: “flac###” – Many of you want the soundtracks in this format.
14 Nov: “park###” – Thimbleweed Park. Great game!
15 Nov: “sea####” – Trim the sails and roam the sea! Milking that cow.
16 Nov: “x######” – There are multiple Xs in ReMI!
17 Nov: “slaw###” – More slaw!
18 Nov: “vooju##” – Jason once claimed Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island was as good as Broken Age.
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.
Become a Mojoer! (sponsored content)
Hey, kids, do you want to become one of us? Why not join our Patreon? One single dollar will make you a Friend of Mojo. And for the privileged few, there’s the $5 Diamond Club tier, which will earn you a special mention in The Adventurer. Join now! Our interns are hard at work finishing up the special mention section!
The International House of Mojo: Web, Bluesky, YouTube, and Mastodon.
The Monkey Island SCUMM Bar: Web, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
The Grim Fandango Network: Web, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
This was from when we still gave scores, which we have since stopped doing.
Other numbers have since been thrown out, but at the time, that was the one most often cited.