In Defense of Escape From Monkey Island - A Retrospective 

I always liked the swirly clouds in Curse. One of the signature artistic elements right from the intro sequence.

"Monkey Gundam" I'll take things I never thought I'd hear for 500, please.

"Guybrush glued himself to a mechanical manatee and rode it for two hours." Everybody needs a way to pass the time.

I love you just throw out “kicked out of public school” like it’s a natural thing and needs no further explanation.

How appropriate. You fight like a dairy farmer. :-)

I just picked this up on PS2 a few weeks ago. This looks like it’s handled the move from 2D to 3D better than a lot of the adventure game classics, which are hard to look at now.

Oh my God look at those clouds!

You are my FAVORITE video game reviewer.

Having Murdoch as Mandril was completely in touch with the late 90's and Fox. I loved this game

I think LeChuck's reaction in the finale wasn't "regaining control". If you get three draws in a fight as Guybrush, he also let down the arms and then patted himself three times on the head, so I think that's the logic behind the final fight.

I'm so happy you did this. Escape is indeed an unerloved gem. Disappointed in myself missing your stream! Also, as a Brit, from my perspective Elaine had the different accent only in this game... 😅

Escape from Monkey Island was my introduction to Monkey Island and I absolutely loved it. Its just great and provided me many many hours of fun.

even with the simple 3d models, they're still really well animated! but i do remember renting the ps2 version and finding the controls to be absolutely infuriating. this makes me want to give it another try on pc!

Whoa, insult swordfighting got bad reviews? I thought it was awesome! Also, special prize for saying Gundam rather than mech or some other generic thing.

The abomination of nature was something I spammed so much, I even used it when Guybrush met his future self, thinking "it'll be funny watching past Guybrush use it!" It broke the game. Future Guybrush just stared at the idiocy, judging himself and preventing me from leaving the scene. It was a just punishment.

HOLD UP I think you completely misread how LeChuck was defeated in Monkey Kombat! First of all, terrific video! EFMI holds a special place in my heart as a 90s kid. In Monkey Kombat, whenever anyone gets a draw (monkey or guybrush), they let their arms loose and then pat their own head three times. LeChuck never regained control nor did he get tired, he was just doing the movement indicating a draw. Ozzie was casualty of circumstance. As LeChuck destroyed the voodoo staff by smashing it, it evidently released a burst of voodoo energy causing him to explode. As for LeChuck becoming governor, I think that was on Ozzie's orders. Ozzie clearly had LeChuck under his grasp and wanted political control of the Tri-Island area without actually having to step up himself. Who else to use as a puppet for this cause than the most vile pirate ever to have lived? And lastly, I know this is super unpopular, but I always kind of enjoyed solving the puzzle of Monkey Kombat...

Befouling Ozzie Mandrill's platypus is one of my favourite moments. Oh and collecting all the prosthetic things and putting them together. I need to play it again...

"How appropriate, you fight like a cow" is the one thing I will never forget from MI 1's insult swordfighting. "You fight like a dairy maid!"

Monkey Kombat and the riddle with the parrots and the rocks are the reasons I never played the game again after when I first bought it back in 2000. But especially Monkey Kombat. What were they drinking? I was lucky I found a decent guide in a magazine because I didn't even had an internet connection back then but even that didn't really helped with Monkey Kombat.

I don't know why but for some reason stiff 3D models worked better in Grim Fandango (get it? Stiff models?).

14:20 i don't know about the last one but i got an answer for the others; in monkey kombat, when you trigger a draw three times, it causes the opponent to pat himself in the head. Lechuck was still under Ozzie's control but was forced to perform the head patting, inadvertently killing Ozzie in the process and destroying the Ultimate insult, which triggered the explosion in question.

*Guybrush rides manatee for 2 hours* "You know, I always wondered what Elaine saw in Guybrush, and now it's very clear"

I _loved_ this game. I mean there was a point when I was having dreams with dialogue trees while I was playing it.

This looks like a fun game, and I agree that the visuals look decent. The cartoon-like direction they went with was definitely the right thing to do.

I hated the swamp puzzle and the monkey kombat game. I never finished it, and I've played this series since i was a kid.

Here is my GOG affiliate link if anyone would like to purchase the game: www.gog.com/game/escape_from_monkey_island?pp=26dd819795134dbf3570d48c8a40ed06cae18180

I love your personality in your reviews. Just hearing you say “WTF is this?” Or “OMG I love those clouds!” You always make me smile XD

Thanks for reminding me about the good things about this game. The bad things (particularly the Herman Toothrot retcon, monkey combat, and the monkey robot thing) always stuck with me and made me forget I actually did enjoy a lot of things in the game. I might have to give it another look.

You know, you had me concerned here that I was missing something brilliant about this game. I'm glad to see someone giving this game a charitable view and still call the game out for its actual flaws instead of just looking at the change in graphics.

I loved the first part, most of the puzzles (the "paradox" puzzle is not great but very inventive), but my principal problem it's too much "modern stuff" in a pirate game and too much parody. It's not really exotic. And the Monkey Kombat was the worst, Lucasarts at that time was like a chicken with no head (just look at the canceled Full Throttle and Sam & Max game) and it shows.

I love this game, yeah even with ugh monkey kombat thing. I´ll say Ozzy fits quite well with the story since there´s a theme on the game that pirates are being displaced and replaced with cheap kid friendly stuff so he helps paint the entire setting and show things have changed from the previous games. Also considering the pirates of the caribean series and especially the third movie this seems weirld prophetic =P

I'm very impressed with this analysis! Escape was my introduction to the series, and aside from the puzzles and controls, continues to be my favorite. My friends and I still quote lines from the game, and I maintain the the music is better than any other Monkey Island.

Ah.. The nostalgia... This is among my first videogames ever! Me and my sister would play this whenever we had the chance! Considering we were like 6 and didn't even speak english back then, I think us making it to lucre Island was impressive. The original CD we had (which was pirated, yay 3rd world countries!) crashed right before the end and once we got a proper copy of the game years later, the computer we used didn't allow us to change disks mid-game at the end for some reason. Thank you MAC for not running any games and ruining my childhood! As a result, I never made it to the final showdown. Glad to hear I didn't miss out on much. I owe a lot of things to this game: my grasp on English, art style, heck even personality. I catch myself making comments about various things around me in a similar fashion to Guybrush did, sometimes audibly. Although he is probably an awful one, I always considered him to be a sort of role-model: A bit of a naive doofus but a good person at heart. Unlike most other hero characters, he always played by the rules and never challenged anything directly. Is a guy not letting us do something? We are not going to attack him. We'll out smart him! Something like that... I think the controls were so awkward due to the game being released on consoles as well, thus removing the mouse. There is an option in the menus to move Guybrush based on the screen, which mostly works better save from some instances where the transition between screens mess up. I always thought the sword fighting was one of the most iconic and clever part of the series. When I first played the Secret of Monkey Island and made it to the sword master Carla, I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked to match the collected insults with different lines. I must agree with you however. Based on your advice a few years back I 'acquired' a copy of the third game and really enjoyed it! Unfortunately for me, it crashes right after the puzzle where we need to turn back into an adult in the fair... Hopefully I'll get to beat it someday.

THANK YOU! I've always loved this game, so its nice to see some positivity about it! It did help some that I played the PS2 version and that version actually has a built in chart for Monkey Kombat so you dont have to draw your own (which it doesnt tell you there is one either, so finding it was a nice surprise), but even with a rough final act, I still enjoy playing this game today.

As an Australian I can relate to the concept of a property developer as a villain, this game was ahead of its time 😂

I knew I loved your channel lol. This was my first monkey island game, on PS2. The art style was great especially for the time. Some of the puzzles were tough but I never forgot this game.

YES. Thank you PUR! You're the best for making this video! Finally EMI can get the dirt wiped away and be shown for the genuinely spectacular game it is. So much love for you, dude. Wonderful job.

I remember enjoying Escape back when I first played through it, but that ending retroactively soured my entire experience. I still like the art style though... Maybe I could give it another chance at some point; just play the first three quarters and then stop and imagine my own ending.

I actually kind of preferred Elaine's voice in this. I always imagined her as more of a Marion Ravenwood type of character in the first two games, so the British accent in Curse didn't feel quite right to me.

I *adored* the insult sword fighting! The third one is the one I remember from my childhood and those insults as well as "we're loaded with booty!" are branded into my brain.

This was the first game in the Monkey Island series that I played and as such I didn't have any impressions prior to playing and enjoyed it immensely. I didn't get the jokes when I first bought it but as an adult I find it so funny. Also, quick point, Elaine does have an accent. It's just an American accent rather than a British one. My favourite part of the game was Ozzy Mandrill but, even as an Australian myself, I couldn't always understand what his insults meant. The game took me years to complete though because it never occurred to me to steal from a blind man.

Regarding the ending battle, I don't think LeChuck actually regains his will when you force him to a draw three times, but you forces the move that make him slap his head and thereby killing Ozzie... or that is at least what I saw it like when I played it. Sadly enough I spent hours at the end of the game as a child trying to be fast enough to get the moves in to drain his life faster than I lost mine, but since both regained health all the time I simply looked it up at the end. The game could at least have given me a hint.

Cheers to you for making this vid, always really enjoyed Escape, and was somewhat baffled by the hate it received.

Guybrush is such a loveable goof cosplaying as a pirate. It's just so great.

I have a strange relationship with this game. I wanted desperately to love it as a child, but I kept experiencing this glitch that would crash the game at the same spot in the time marsh on Lucre Island. It must have been a common bug, but online resources were limited then and I could not figure out how to fix it until years later. I eventually beat it, but it's the only MI game of the original 4 that I never played through twice.

I like how at the end you alluded to the human experience of Novelty. It ties into our evolution because if we just sat and obsessed and enjoyed and did the same “New Thing” over and over and over we’d never survive or evolve we’d just stagnate and end. That being said I love all these games, yes I hated the tank controls of this one, yes they weren’t necessary, but I forced myself to learn them so I could get through this game. Worth it, but definitely a weird experience ...and it irreparably crashed a laptop of mine trying to boot it up in like 2008 😂😝

This was the first Monkey Island game I ever played. I bought it when I was maybe 12 and absolutely loved it. It led me to play the rest of the games (except Curse, which isn't available anywhere) and I still replay it sometimes. I think it holds up.

Glad to see you defending this, I loved this game when it came out, I remember it looked so BRAND NEW because of the graphics, it looked so new...its a shame the monkey kombat sunk this game because without it I think people would look back at it with the same nostalgia as Curse...the pool levels and the swamp were awesome, it truly was just the monkey kombat that took this from an A- to a C...it looked so incredible in 2000!!

I love it how you use the fantastic music of Curse in the background :D I think the third one is the best as well. Everthing just works perfectly there. Will be curious about the new game coming out.

Hey I got kicked out of public school and placed into an alternative school around that time as well. I totally understand needing to escape video games. I can completely relate.

I was a teen when I got this one too. The writing and humor in this is so funny, I never understood the hate. I think people over focused on the art and Monkey Kombat. But as a kid writing down all the monkey insults in a notebook was actually fun for me. And the pay-off that the end of the game is a kaiju sized steampunk monkey is just so absurd and funny and fits the Monkey Island vibe. Even then, I got the impression that it wasn't "the true" secret to monkey island, just a red herring.

I really like this game, too. I loved the "School for Pirate Rehabilitation". In order to proceed in the game, you have to give the meanest, swashbuckling buccaneer answers possible (to get that hat). I died laughing when being in that school. 😂 😂 😂 And even the big, slow pirate is gonna be scared of you... 😁 😂 😁 - Well, after all:"I'm Guybrush Threepwood, a mighty pirate!"

Monkey Island 4 is what got my into the Monkey Island series and point and click adventure games. Before that I mostly played platformers and simulation games (Sim Tower, Theme Park etc)

That damn abomination red herring thing. I remember spending hours trying to figure out where to use it.

I played this on the PlayStation and it did give me a lot of Monkey Island joy, despite whatever shortcomings. Love your reviews anyway.

I love this game, it introduced me to the series and it's still the funniest game I've ever played, with the best voice acting in any game ever. It goes downhill in the third act, especially Monkey Kombat which is awful, but the game as a whole is very strong and replayable. My favorite, though, is Curse.

You missed the Murrayball mini-game! It's like pinball with Murray.

I’m so glad this game is getting the recognition that it deserves. I’ve always enjoyed it and sure, it’s not my favourite (my dp kinda gives that away) but it’s a worthy entry in the franchise. I daresay it has the most ballsy plot, daring to go in a new direction by introducing a new villain alongside LeChuck. It’s also scarily relevant considering the political turmoil America is in atm but...I’m not gonna get into that any further lest I get chased off the internet forever. I love your work Roses, keep it up :)

This was the very first (and only) Monkey Island game I've ever played. I remember playing it at youth group. At least, I think that's what it was. It was a place students (usually middle school) would go after school until our parents or guardians could pick us up. Anyway, it was there that I played this game for the first time. I don't really recall what drew me to the game, but I really enjoyed playing it. Getting far, though. Only far enough where I had to prove I didn't rob the bank.

I am so nostalgic for this game, but i completely forgot about Monkey Combat, thanks for reminding me.

What do you think of Telltale's Tales of Monkey Island?

Jeff is love

Thanks so much for reviewing this! I have so many points that mirror yours when this game is brought up in discussions of the MI series, 😀 keep up with the great work! Have yourself a beautiful day!

Maybe it’s because I got into Monkey Island via Curse, but I never had a problem with Insult Sword Fighting. Loved it, in fact. I guess I can understand the “grinding for experience” in order to acquire insults and retorts, but the jokes were so funny to me.

Maybe "Ripper" as next Review? Christopher Walkens Acting was Hilarious

@PushingUpRoses I know this is late, but just two points. LeChuck does not actually regain control of himself at the end. Faltering his arms and then smashing his head repeatedly is simply the moves that are performed when a draw is made for a third time. The monkeys themselves do this is when you draw with them three times. It would've been a somewhat clever puzzle had it not been almost impossible to see this throughout the game. LeChuck was running for governor because of the rumored gubernatorial powers that were needed to activate the ultimate insult. LeChuck and Ozzie thought that by properly winning the election, rather than seizing control of the island through force, would grant him the powers necessary. They did not realize that they merely needed the gubernatorial seal until Elaine accidentally revealed it. Why the gubernatorial seal of Melee Island is connected to the ultimate insult is never explored, so it does little to make this plot aspect more sensible.

Hah, before you brought up Gabriel Knight, I had it in mind to mention it as an example of the transition to 3D not being entirely bad! XD; (I... actually don't mind GK3's graphics, myself. They're far from perfect, but I've seen 3D graphics that were much more horrible to my eye, I believe.) But overall, while the trend of jumping from 2D to 3D was somewhat vilified for a time, I think that a few games made the transition fairly well. You've brought up Monkey Island--I'm not a huge fan, but you do make a good case for it, I think. I might add Gabriel Knight (yes, really :P) and Quest for Glory as two others that produced 3D iterations that I actually rather liked. As to the video, once again it was very interesting and entertaining, and a compelling defense of the game, I think. ^_^

I played through the Monkey Island games in order of release growing up, and when I played through Escape for the first time, I really remember having a mixed feeling of joy of playing through another Monkey Island game and some disappointments of the 3D style and overall design and direction. It was such a step back from the animated cartoony style of Curse that I immediately replayed Curse after Escape just to scratch that itch. In defense of the 3D style too, I have to agree it does at least take advantage of it within the technical limitations at the time with its cartoony style, and the ever present swirly clouds that I loved both in Curse and the more recent Tales are present. Also I never knew about the abomination/Jeff! That's actually such a neat little distraction and I'm ashamed to have missed it, since that really looks like a genuine Monkey Island thing to have. And wow Insult Sword Fighting was my favorite thing ever in the series! I was actually saddened in Escape that you can't beat the Aussie's insults no matter what. I remember in my teens I always wished there was some sort of multiplayer naval + insult sword fighting game based on Curse's take on it. Other than the final act and Monkey Kombat, I do agree I also had a lot of fond memories of the first half of the game and more, and despite some flanderizations of characters, it is still a nice adventure game and a worthy Monkey Island entry, with great voice acting and fun scenarios. After playing through Tales as well, I think I've had more appreciation with Escape as an entry of the series, and the entire series makes up for a good replay annually.

I may be nitpicking, but Elaine doesn't have "NO accent at all," it's called a north American accent. Minor gripe aside, good video

I was late to the party with monkey island back in the day. So, on the recommendation of the owner of a little game shop, i bought it and i LOVED it!! I was like 12 at the time and it was before online walkthough's were the norm so i got stuck...a lot, but pushed through and eventually beat it. From this i developed a deep love for the old point and click adventure games and still play them all today! Great Vid PUR!

I played this game SO MUCH as a kid. I know everyone hated monkey combat but that wasn't so bad after me and my brother made a cheatsheet. What we hated was that bloody slot machine password puzzle.

The swamp puzzle, Monkey Kombat, the tank like controls and the outrageous "mech" ending were what really killed it for me. Monkey Island 3 and 1 were my favourite games and I remember playing it so much that I can complete them without a walkthrough.

Another win for the books, PUR! The gentrification of the Tri-Island area is pretty amusing. The Starbucks knockoff, Sushi Scumm Bar, etc. I remember wanting a novelty mug for my very own, despite how miserable all the pirates were.

I'm a big fan of Monkey Island and I've never actually given this one a chance. I should give it a go.

Also Murray is best character ever!

I absolutely couldn't get past the exasperating tank controls back then. I too love the clouds though. But the 3D? I guess I just couldn't figure out why every darn game had to switch to 3D, as if it was somehow a requirement to work on modern PC's at the time. It was as if 2D had become obsolete even though it was the clear winner when it came to detail and charm. But 3D was the talk of the town. Slap 3D on anything and it would sell. Looking back, I see a lot of subpar animation, dead faces and lackluster texturing stemming from low graphics card memory. Escape might have been decent in this regard, but I couldn't help but feel like it was a downgrade to the earlier games in the series. 3D just hadn't matured at this point. At least not for adventure games.

I'm with you that Escape is for the most part a really good game, and yeah, I know we're trying to avoid comparisons, but when I think of it compared to other games that made the leap to 3D (King's Quest, Gabriel Knight, Simon the Sorcerer...) I think this game suddenly looks pretty darn awesome, and you did a great job covering it :)

I love this game, more than not. Totally agreeing on the monkey thing, though.

About the ending: LuChuck doesn't get tired of the draws nor does he regain control. Giant Statue LeChuck uses the same animations as the other monkeys during the game, and when you draw 3 times, they slap the top of their head. I actually thought it was a clever puzzle, because there was no "real" way to win and you had to think outside the box. It doesn't excuse monkey combat as a whole, but I still like it.

YES! I knew im not only one who likes this game! I just finished it and I AM happy i found your video

How dare you! I love insult sword fighting, especially on the sea. *pulls out sword* En garde! Touché!

This was one of the first PC games I played as a child and I didn't know there were other Monkey Island games until a few years ago. And I LOVED this game! Also I prefer this version of Governer Marley.

Monkey Island 4 was still the only one I've tried, but can say I had a blast, and I've finished it. One of those life-defining games I've played as a kid.

This game introduced me and my brother to Monkey Island. Good, hilarious times. The hand puppets are still my favourite bit. XD Also, fun fact: The "Monkey Gundam" was actually meant to be *the* secret of Monkey Island in the first game. It was a scrapped ending where Guybrush activates the monkey head robot and LeChuck's pirate ship then turns into another giant robot.

your voice is soothing honestly these videos are so relaxing

This was my first Monkey Island game I tried to really learn on my own. I struggled and used walkthroughs multiple times to actually progress the game, but I learned a lot about playing games in general (controls, cartoon logic, trial-and-error, & recognizing hints). Then, I got to Monkey Combat and I nearly walked away from how hard it was. I decided to give it a real attempt however and began writing down what other monkeys said to change stance, which phrases also worked backwards to reverse stance, and within a day I had memorized how to win monkey combat every single time. I remember I fought the hardest monkeys repeatedly just because I was amazed I could always win. I finished the game eventually and never touched it again. Still, that memory is specific to surprising myself with my own growth as a gamer.

No, LeChuck squashes Ozzy because patting your head like that is the instinctive response to being copied three times in a row. In monkey kombat you're told to learn by copying other moves, and the monkeys do the same thing which is why you'd know to do it later to LeChuck. I remember the moment I realized this during the final fight.

I think the fact that this came after Curse of Monkey Island, which had such a perfect cartoon aesthetic kind of made it look a lot worse in comparison. Curse is pretty much a playable cartoon and a lot of that is lost in Escape. However, this video has made me appreciate the game and it's style a lot more.

i've never played this game, im probably too young to have played it, but i like your sense of humor and editing style so i watched it anyway. this is the case for most of your videos

Monkey Island 4 was my introduction to the series, so I have a soft spot for it. Gotta say, as a kid, Monkey Kombat was a blast, but as an adult, it did feel tedious. I liked the twists&turns of the storyline, it was very "take adventure as you find it" kinda narrative, which can be enjoyable. Lucre Isle was easily the best part btw. Also, Insult Sword Fights were always a big plus for me about the MI games

I actually really liked this game. But Monkey Kombat aside, what really frustrated me was the "revelation" that Herman Toothrot was secretly Captain Marley all along, which is a plot hole the size of a giant monkey head. It's not the _only_ plot hole that makes it look as if the developers didn't bother to play the previous games before making this one, but it's the harshest one. Now, I haven't played in a while, but doesn't the game come with two different control schemes? I was used to Resident Evil, so the tank controls didn't bother me, but I was sure the controls could be changed to be relative to the screen rather than the character.

One thing i actually loved about Windows was compatibility mode, which allowed you to run old programs

I had a fun time playing this game! I remember making fun of Marco DePollo at the swim competition, talking to the blind guy Dave in Lucre Island, and the music. Those strings really good to me the special throwing the Rocks off the cliff to get the milk jug (or something like that where you throw them to get Herman's memory back it's been awhile since I played it). Yup that and the Luther Island Town Music I've heard it a lot as I spend a lot of time on that part. :) Oh and I was AMAZED at the clouds too just like you!

I LOOOOOOVE this game. The humor is spot on and characters all came together just right.

How have I only just found this channel and your fantastic videos? Excellent work. Please do more reviews!

My mom died of cancer when I was 14, and I was kicked out of public school when I was 13. I remember fights over cigarettes in alternative school, while listening to the Beatles or marilyn Manson on my Walkman, lol.

This game has a special place in my heart since It was the first adventure game I have ever played. I found it in a bargain bin at walmart. The monkey combat was so annoying.

The worst puzzle goes to Herman's amnesia. If you throw the coconut twice you basically have to do Monkey Combat again.

I seem to be one of the few fans of the series that really enjoyed EFMI4. From start till end. Yeah, I had to write down monkey kombat moves, that part was repetitive, but it wasn't that bad. The last fight was epic for me. I fully support your defense of the game. Ack Chee Oop.

Couldn't agree more with everything you say. I played all the MI games about when each came out and my impressions of the fourth were just those. One thing I liked that you didn't mention though is how this game takes you back to locations from the first game and even has a lot of characters from that game returning. To me that was super exciting because while we're used to recurring characters, it's fun to see characters return from the pixelated first episode straight to the 3d fourth game. On a different topic, what about Hollywood Monsters? Do you know the game? It's a point and click in the style of Lucasarts games that was only released in Spain and Italy, but in those countries it's regarded as one of the greatest classics. A patch adding english subs is available online so you should totally try it. I asked this before but I really really want you to play this game.