So, what is the secret of monkey island, you ask? You won’t find the answer in this game, or any other game for that matter. Ron has adamantly stated that the answer stays with him, at least, until he makes the next Monkey Island game himself. Even though we may never find out what the deal is behind the notorious island inhabited by mischievous monkeys, The Secret of Monkey Island ranks as one of our best games of all time not only because it proved that insult swordfighting was a viable alternative to combat, but the hilarious dialogue, charming atmosphere, catchy Caribbean-themed music, and wacky puzzles were part of a swashbuckling package that was hard to ignore.
What worked back in 1990 still holds up today, which we’ve seen first-hand in the recent remake, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition. With a fresh new coat of paint, voice acting, remastered soundtrack, and a questionable new hairdo, Guybrush Threepwood’s quest to become a mighty pirate is still as much fun as the first time we played it, more than 20 years ago. From the moment we step into the pirate-filled locale of Melee Island to the final moments of the game, we were completely swept away in this fictional world that was inspired by Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
The fact that the game is as enjoyable today as it was when it was first released, shows that there is still a place for point-and-click adventure gaming. Now that Ron and Tim are united again at Double Fine, fans have a lot to look forward to with The Cave and their Double Fine Adventure. While the genre may have been overshadowed over the years by the appeal of high-octane action games, there’s always room for something that’s more relaxing and focused on a fun and engaging atmosphere and narrative. We could go on and on, but you have to just play it, since The Secret of Monkey Island not only sits at the top of our coveted best point-and-click adventure games list, but ranks as one of our best games of all time.
"Why _____ is one of the best games ever made" is a weekly feature that goes through GamesRadar's list of the 100 best games of all timeand highlights different titles, explaining why they're on the list, what makes them so amazing, and why we love them so much.
