The classic island adventure game lives on

I remember Escape From Monkey Island as one of my favorite games on the Commodore Amiga because it combined great graphics, island adventure and an engaging plot in one excellent role playing game.

Those attributes have been carried over into the Mac version and Escape From Monkey Island won’t disappoint anyone who was a fan of the original. Unfortunately, the developers have discontinued publishing the game but thanks to Softonic you can still enjoy it here. If you’re unfamiliar with the plot, then the basic premise is that you play the role of pirate Guybrush Threepwood who returns home with his wife, who’s the governor of Monkey Island, to find that she’s been declared dead. Your ultimate task is to restore your wife to office while uncovering a plot to turn the Caribbean into a tourist trap by the baddies, LeChuck and Ozzie Mandrill.

It’s an appropriately unique plot for what is a rather special game. It takes the format of a point-and-click adventure where dialog takes place with different characters which ultimately help guide you to solve the mystery. The game is entirely keyboard based as you have to guide Guy around using the arrow keys and using keys such as “L” and “E” to examine objects. It’s the treasure hunting aspect of the game that’s the most exciting part because you never know what you’re going to find hidden under a tree, a rock or in a hut.

Probably the most unique aspect of the game are the duels which take the form of insulting verbal exchanges between you and your opponent. The thing is, you need to know what responses will defeat your opponent and this can only be learned by picking up hints, tips and clues throughout the game. In the end, it can become a bit annoying but part of the challenge is to discover what the winning insults are.

There are many aspects of Escape From Monkey Island that make it a classic adventure game – if you’ve never tried it, then I’m sure you’ll be amused.