Monkey Island - Do I need to play in sequence?

[lord of the mark]

Ok, so im bin diving at EB, cause I want to pick stuff up while they still have used PC games. I see Escape from Monkey Island for $4 (US), and I recall folks here saying positive things about MI, so I buy it.

But the guy at the store said its the fourth in the series. I didnt care, since im buying for future use, but I thought ID ask, since i have little experience with adventure games (just Collosal Cave, another text adventure, and Myst) Do I need to play the MI games in sequence? Are they free standing, or do they tell a linked story.

If you could answer without spoiling the main plot, Id appreciate it.

[Hueij]

Oy, no adventure player and starting with MI 4? Chances are you will like it because it is a pretty good game. You don't have to play the earlier monkey games to play this one.

For us die-hard adventurers it was a big disappointment. Something like old time Civ players were disappointed with Civ3 although on its own it was a pretty decent game.

With a little luck you get hooked on adventures. It's the only kind of games I play (besides Civ).

[Case]

You don't need to have played the earlier games to enjoy MI 4, but doing so wouldn't hurt. However, all you're really missing out on if you can't find copies of M 1-3 (and a computer capable of running MI 1 and MI 2!) is a bunch of in-jokes

Originally posted by Hueij
For us die-hard adventurers it was a big disappointment. Something like old time Civ players were disappointed with Civ3 although on its own it was a pretty decent game.

I thought that it was a bit better than MI 3. That said, MI 2 was definetly the best of the series.

[Hueij]

Case, you play adventures too?

[Case]

I used to. However I haven't touched one in years, largely due to the lack of good games (I was really looking forward to Sam and Max 2).

[DrSpike]

LotM: You can just play 4 - it is the most recent game in the series and pretty good. You can probably pick up 3 cheap too, which might help you with some of the in-jokes in 4 (and there are a few).

Of course you could try to play 1 and 2 as well. However, these games are very old and will need DOS or a DOS emulator to run (I know you have an old machine, win98 would work). These are undeniable classics; it's up to you whether it is worth playing them now.

Be warned 1 and 2 are from the old school of games - 2 will take you forever and a day to finish if you don't use a walkthrough. 1 is shorter but better, and still long compared to today's wham bam efforts. Even Escape shouldn't take you longer than 20-25 hours or so.

[duke o' york]

DrSpike, you post like a cow!

[Skanky Burns]

You wave that keyboard around like a feather-duster.

[RGBVideo]

If you start from IV, no you don't. Playing II before I is a bit pointless, though.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by duke o' york
DrSpike, you post like a cow!

[Traianvs]

Originally posted by duke o' york
DrSpike, you post like a cow!

He's shaking, he's shaking!

[child of Thor]

Theres no specific link between the monkey Island games(apart from the odd humerous reference) other than they are fine(once the best regaurded) of Graphic adventure games.
Still the purist in you will want to find atleast the first three and play them in order as thats just the way to do it
LucasArts were doing a classic bundle - its the one i've got

http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/monkey-island-trilogy

And well worth tracking down

[lord of the mark]

Finally got around to installing this game, played the first few minutes, up to the first scene at the governors mansion. Kinda cute, definitely a change of pace from what I usually play.

Only complaint so far - to get it to run had to change screen settings to ones that dont work very well for normal PC use. Until we get the new desktop set up, this is a minor annoyance.

[DrSpike]

I don't remember posting in this thread but am glad to see I knew what I was talking about.

[Skanky Burns]

How times change.