Developed by: Telltale Games

Genre: Adventure

Release Date: US: July 8, 2009

ESRB Content Descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes

DM – 7.5/10: Back in the day, LucasArts's Monkey Island games were distinctly known for their charm, wit, and graphics. When the genre began to slow down and its popularity decreased, so did the production of Monkey Island games, with the latest entry in the series being released back in 2000. However, with Telltale's recent revival of the point-and-click adventure games, LucasArts has decided that perhaps it's time to bring back Monkey Island, and give Telltale the reigns to create a five-episode Monkey Island adventure series. So, will playing Episode One be like finding buried treasure, or should Telltale walk the plank? Read on to find out.  

Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal starts off with Elaine Marley, wife of Guybrush Threepwood, being held captive on LeChuck’s ship. With a bit of zombie-voodoo magic, the evil undead pirate LeChuck is trying to extract secrets from a monkey before Guybrush’s ship pulls alongside for an attempted rescue. Possessing a sword that can destroy LeChuck once and for all, Guybrush tries to destroy the undead pirate by combining the sword with a special spell – one that the “Mighty Pirate” messes up. This mix-up causes LeChuck to become human, and his evil energy to spread like a pox across the Caribbean, causing normal pirates to turn into weird zombie pirates.

Before anything else can go wrong, the ship they're struggling on blows up in a spectacular fashion (one that would make Michael Bay proud), and Guybrush is left floating on some driftwood, while the winds carry him ashore to Flotsam Island. This first episode, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, focuses on Guybrush getting off Flotsam Island to rescue Elaine.

There are a few different control options available, for you to use at your disposal. You can move Guybrush around using WASD-controls, clicking on objects and people of interest as you explore Flotsam Island...or you can use the mouse-drag style used in Telltale's Wallace and Gromit games. By holding down the left-mouse button and dragging the mouse in the direction you want to go, you can control Guybrush's movements like you would with an analog stick. After playing around with both control schemes, I found the WASD-controls to be quite a bit more comfortable than the mouse-dragging; while the mouse-dragging idea is novel, it can be a bit clunky and obtrusive.

If there is one thing that's clear about Launch of the Screaming Narwhal it’s that, like other Telltale games, failure is NOT an option. Most, if not all the puzzles in the episode, are straightforward and easy enough for the logical (or illogical) thinker to solve. However, there were one or two moments in the game when I was unsure how to solve a puzzle or what to do next. So, I went into the menu and bumped up the Hint System Frequency a bit, and Guybrush started to occasionally drop hints to help me solve whatever problem I was facing. Bottom line: They want you to solve every puzzle easily, and will gladly help guide you in the right direction to make sure that you're never frustrated with the game.

Launch of the Screaming Narwhal screams Telltale humory-goodness. Each character on Flotsam Island is entirely different: From a gruff glass-blowing pirate that specializes in making glass unicorns to a...flamboyant doctor that’s sure to offend the entire country of France, no two characters are alike [though their voices may be similar to other Telltale characters (in more than one character, I got flashbacks of Harvey Moleman from Sam & Max)]. And, no matter what character you talk to, there are multiple dialog options for you to pick from, that can either reward you with ways to solve puzzles mixed in with some silly humor, or just plain silly humor. And by silly humor, I mean there are some real groaners and horrible puns in here. While some jokes and puns fall flat, most of them leave you with a goofy grin, despite your eye rolls and sighs.

Perhaps the most obvious problem with Launch of the Screaming Narwhal is the missed opportunities in the game. There are multiple times throughout the game where you're given a handful of funny dialog options, but cannot say them, because Guybrush will be intentionally interrupted by the other character. At MANY points, you'll hear about Morgan LeFlay, pirate hunter extraordinaire, but never encounter him/her until the next episode. Plus, what's supposed to be a finale to this episode turns out to be one out-of-place puzzle sequence and a cliffhanger. It clearly sets up the game for the next episode, but leaves the player feeling like they didn't “finish” Narwhal.

The biggest missed opportunity has to be within Club 41, Flotsam Island's pirate bar. At one point in the game, you must enter Club 41 and start a bar fight. This would seem like the PERFECT time to bring back Insult Swordfights, (a fan favorite). In previous Monkey Island games, Insult Swordfights were duels where you would have to fight opponents by coming up with a suitable comeback to their insults. Unfortunately, starting a bar fight in Club 41 requires nothing from the player, except for walking in.

Launch of the Screaming Narwhal is a good entry point into the Monkey Island series for newcomers and provides more than enough entertainment and puzzles to entice point-and-click fans to walk the plank and take the plunge. The art-style and graphics fit the game perfectly, with the bright island of Flotsam adding yet another layer of charm to the game. Telltale sets up the rest of the five-episode season to be great, at the price of what feels like an unfinished series premiere.

Score: 7.5/10

Pros: Characters, puzzles, humor

Cons: I understand it's only a 5-7 hour game, but uh...is that it?

I can already hear you groan: “So can I call you D'Oro the Explorer?”