Do you consider Monkey Island games not made by Ron "non canon"?

It’s funny… my primary language is spanish and I played it in english and the monkey wrench thing occurred immediatly to me

I think remembering Ron saying he was involved at the beginning during design phase, brainstorming story ideas etc.
But there was no later/further involvement.

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Correct. He was termed “Visiting Professor of Monkeyology” for this reason.

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I personally think that only MI 1 & 2 are canonical. But, if Terrible Toybox decide to create a game without pixel-art, the art works ought to be drawn similar to the visual style of CoMI.
The visual style of The Whispered World seems to be inspired by CoMI, too, by the way.

Even if Ron had been involved in Tales, I wonder what he could have done with such short episodes. Even Ron needs a vast world to make it work.

There is an overall story arc though. Also the total length of the game (/season) is OK.
But I’m not a big fan of episodic releases too, just imagine what would have happened to TWP if it were episodic! :scream: :scream_cat:

I think the main reasons we (still) have episodic games now is that people have to pay rent and food etc.

I really like the opening scene of MI3.
And, in contrast to many others, I also really enjoyed the story of MI4. I gave the whole thing a new twist. Also, it had some nice puzzles.
The first time I played the Telltale series, I liked it. I had waited so long to re-enter the Guybrush universe. After the second playthrough, I felt it was a bit flat compared to the others.

My favorite is still MI2, even if it might not be as brilliantly balanced as MI1 and lacks insult sword fighting ;-).
The spitting contest, the monkey wrench puzzle, the books in the library (great job, Boris!), the ending. All that brings back priceless memories.

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The very same, here.

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Chapter 5 would have been a MAJOR letdown, that´s for sure!

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I’m gravedigging this old thread because yesterday I was shocked to discover (“thanks” to the good AdventureX quiz presented by Francisco Gonzalez) that in the non-canon Monkey Island world that a lot of people like, the real name of Guybrush is “Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood”. :neutral_face:

I think that it’s just a matter of taste. I don’t really like his second name either.
But, when it comes to criticism on the non-canonical sequels, there are other aspects which I find more annoying. For example the different visual styles or the controls of the 3D sequels.

EDIT: I have revisited my above comment from May 10 and I don’t think any more that MI 3a would have to look similar to CoMI, since it would be more important to make sure that the visual style corresponds to MI 1 & 2. Furthermore, other visual styles would work very well, too.

Didn’t you just remember or haven’t you played the later Monkey Island games?

If it’s the first: Do you remember there was also a Guybrush Q. Threepwood :slight_smile:

My original playing order and years I played them in:

  1. MI2 (1995/1996)
  2. CURSE (1998/1999)
  3. ESCAPE (2000)
  4. SECRET (2000/2001)
  5. TALES (2010)

As a child playing these games and not knowing better. I kinda just took each game as a separate thing, like an episode of “The Simpsons”, the characters are the same and the general feel is also the same, but the continuity is “thin” and the canon “unimportant”, the “Monkey Island” series was merely a means to send these characters on wacky continuing adventures.

On growing up and continuing on with the series. I witnessing the “Escape” opening cut-scene, where it has a brief retelling of all past games and LeChuck forms, that was my first real showing that, “oh these games actually do have a bit of canon to them.”

At about the point I played MI1, I was happy with the idea that all these games could be canon, and thought nothing of it.

On hearing about the remakes and “Tales” I decided to replay them again. This is where the cracks in the canon first showed to me. I was older, more aware of the differences in characterization and story telling.

The brilliant end of MI2 leading into the (smart) but extremely jarring beginning of Curse… I learned about the different developers, and Ron’s original plan of a trilogy.

I still loved them all, but I had a new thought process to the whole thing which on playing “Tales” was cemented in my mind.

I like to think that they all are still canon but what happens is we have 2 separate timelines which skew off at the ending of MI2.

Look at it like this:

Timeline 1 (The one we got):

Guybrush is cursed by LeChuck at the end of MI2, though through his usual resourcefulness and positive attitude he figures out an escape from LeChucks cursed pirate carnival. Twarting his enemy yet again, left stranded out in the middle of the ocean on a bumper car with few supplies. Though, this leads us to his many other adventures where the world is a brighter place. Elaine lets down her guard and becomes more reliant on Guybrush eventually the 2 marry. LeChuck becomes more of a joke villian, a rouge, nearly an old chum, destined to do the back and forth endlessly with Guybrush… and Guybrush is happier with his life thus he becomes more silly, soft and weaselly. Our lovable loser.

Timeline 2 (the one we may never get)

Guybrush is cursed by LeChuck at the end of MI2, he is kept there essentially “on Ice” with no chance to escape the nightmarish pirate carnival… will we ever find out what happens? will Guybrush ever escape this spell? It leads to a darker world. Elaine leaves Dinky Island after waiting for Guybrush to no avail, on assuming his death, she returns to Melee to maintain law and order, never having to rely on Guybrush thus never letting down her guard down, maintaining her self assured attitude. LeChuck keeps Guybrush in the nightmare and returns conquering the 7 seas and becoming the pirate ruler of the Caribbean, still trying to fruitlessly force himself on Elaine. Thus the cycle continues with no bright-eyed bushy-tailed wannabe pirate, to try save the day… what of the poor Mr. Brush?

well… the only answers lay deep in a dark blue 3a

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Boy, that’s a tough question. MI3 was what got me into this genre in the first place ~20 years ago and I do love Murray. In retrospect I mostly appreciate some of the graphics. While MI1 and MI2 have a much better story and design, to me MI3 is an integral if somewhat flawed part of the Monkey Island experience.

I definitely also enjoyed MI4, but years later in Tales I got stuck (or bored, rather) in a courtroom or some such. I’m surprised I even made it that far, because I just didn’t really enjoy it.

Which is IMHO always better. It makes you more happy in the long run.

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15 posts were merged into an existing topic: The “I can’t sleep” thread

Here, I did it for you:

And why haven’t you just created such a thread? :slight_smile:

(Maybe @Calypso can move the non-sleeping-posts to my new thread, starting with this post).

Of course they are canon.
The fact that Ron Gilbert had a plot for a 3rd game does not mean that nobody could write a sequel in his place.
It’s just a big pain in the ass that they are canon…

Hint: there’s a thing called “headcanon”, just follow yours and you’ll be happy, and don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re wrong :stuck_out_tongue:

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