In 1990, Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer of LucasArts released The Secret of Monkey Island, a title that changed the adventure game genre forever. With inspirations ranging from Tim Powers' book On Stranger Tides, Errol Flynn movies and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, the game was a heady mixture of all things piratical.
While it may not have been a blockbuster hit, The Secret of Monkey Island made its mark on the world of gaming and redefined what it means to be a point-and-click adventure game. Moving away from the unnecessary user-unfriendly cruelty of the popular Sierra games of the day, the Monkey Island games ushered in a period of humor, fair (but challenging) puzzles and lovable characters. Sure enough, there were sequels on the horizon.
The basic gist of the Monkey Island games is simple. Players control of Guybrush Threepwood, a goofy but likable protagonist whose character arc can be summed up in one of the first lines he utters in The Secret of Monkey Island: "I want to be a pirate." He shows considerable personality and growth even in his debut and remains one of the most iconic video game characters of all time thanks to his witty dialogue, unlikely accomplishments and Dominic Armato's great voice acting performance from the third game onwards.
Guybrush is also supported by a strong cast of characters in each game. Most notably, Governor Elaine Marley, his love interest, is a strong, independent character in her own right. Other important and allies include a mysterious woman known only as the Voodoo Lady and Stan, the sleazy but hilarious salesman. Pitted against the dread pirate LeChuck, who appears in various undead forms, the Monkey Island games have a pleasing consistency in writing that made it the successful franchise remembered today. The games' plots are simple, shying away from needless complication and serving as great vehicles for gameplay.
Monkey Island's legacy is unmistakable, and its influence can be felt within all forms of media -- especially within adventure games. Even gamers who have never seen Guybrush Threepwood before will have heard his iconic line: "How appropriate, you fight like a cow!" The games are explicitly referenced in Uncharted 4, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and in most every humorous point-and-click adventure game released since the early 2000s. The games are undeniably an important part of gaming history.
Unfortunately, the Monkey Island franchise has been stagnant for 11 years now. The latest release in the series was 2009's Tales of Monkey Island, which was developed by Telltale Games in collaboration with LucasArts. After that, there have only been Special Edition remakes of the first two entries.
As for why the franchise has gone dormant, the fourth entry in the series, Escape from Monkey Island was criticized for its finicky tank controls and lackluster puzzles. While not a bad game in any respects, it was certainly a low point after the resounding success that was The Curse of Monkey Island. The follow-up to this was Tales of Monkey Island, which rubbed fans the wrong way with its darker turn in narrative, episodic release and jarring new art style. Since then, Guybrush and company appear to have been shelved.
Monkey Island now belongs to Disney after its acquisition of LucasArts in 2012. For many years, it seemed that there would be no chance of any new Monkey Island content, leaving fans to express their displeasure at the situation. Some even went as far to start a petition asking Disney to sell the rights back to creator Ron Gilbert -- a petition that currently has over 28,000 signatures.
Ron Gilbert himself is in favor of the idea. In 2016, he tweeted Disney asking to purchase the rights to Monkey Island and another Lucasfilm Games property, Maniac Mansion. Gilbert is still making adventure games, releasing the well-received retro-style point-and-click adventure Thimbleweed Park. This only made fans want a new Monkey Island even more, as Thimbleweed scratched an itch, but didn't satisfy the desire for Guybrush's return.
There is some reason for fans to have a bit of renewed hope. This January, Disney announced it was reviving the Lucasfilm Games brand for future forays into the world of property licensing. With this in mind, it's possible that old LucasArts games like Monkey Island could be receiving much-needed comebacks. After all, one of the first new games to be announced is a new Indiana Jones adventure. Regardless of whether a hypothetical revival would be made by Ron Gilbert or if there would be new hands at the helm, it's plain to see that there's a market for more Monkey Island. With its towering legacy, this franchise truly deserves to rise from its own ashes.
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