Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal Review

Developer Telltale Games have shown a knack for bringing back beloved franchises, such as Sam & Max, and doing so in a genre that was also thought extinct, the point and click adventure. Because of this, they’ve earned a great deal of respect from the gaming community, and certainly from Wii gamers who appreciate their ports to both WiiWare and retail discs.

In their latest fan favorite reincarnation, Tales of Monkey Island, Telltale games doesn’t tinker too much with their winning point and click formula. The first episode, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is a perfect reintroduction to the world Monkey Island, with all its eccentricities and its charismatic, yet bumbling main character, Guybrush Threepwood. For those who have never played a Tales of Monkey Island, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal also provides a good introduction to the universe and the main characters.
In Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, players are thrust into the middle of an ongoing feud between Guybrush and his nemesis, the evil pirate LeChuck. Soon, you find yourself washed up in the tiny, sleepy Flotsam Island. Here you will spend your time talking with quirky characters and working to solve the mysteries of the Flotsam Island winds in an effort to sail out of there on the titular Screaming Narwhal ship.

While the overall scope of the episode is pretty small, the developers have crammed a lot of detail into this tiny island, lovingly crafting a world with scenes and characters that you are likely to remember long after you have completed the episode. The graphics, consisting of simple cell shaded 3D models, will lend themselves well to the Wii. The island and its inhabitants have a charm all their own, and the music and visuals create an environment that you will want to thoroughly explore.

And you will need every last bit of that exploration to solve the sometimes devilish puzzles contained in this episode. I had to work through a frustrating progression of trial and error until I finally got one of the puzzles figured out. The game provides a hint system, which I turned all the way up, but even then you’re not explicitly told what to do, which is a good thing. If you can, I would recommend playing while a friend watches alongside in case you miss anything.

The control schemes vary, but the best setup for me is using an analog stick along with the pointer to select items and bring up your inventory. In that inventory, you keep a collection of items that you find throughout Flotsam Island, and you will want to explore every nook and cranny and collect every single item, no matter how insignificant it seems, to solve puzzles. You can combine items easily in the inventory scheme, but otherwise, the controls and interface are fairly straightforward.

Almost as soon as you’ve settled in and gotten in the groove of solving puzzles, the episode ends. The game’s length, which will seem especially short if you’re not used to episodic gaming, may be a concern to some. At the time of this review, the pricing hadn’t been announced for the WiiWare version, but Launch of the Screaming Narwhal will last about 2-4 hours total, so keep that in mind. Of course, your mileage may vary depending on how much you get stuck, and you will likely want to revisit the game, or help a friend through the adventure after you are done.

Still, this game is a perfect revival for fans of the series. There’s a good story arc, good humor, and it sets up the next episode really well. If you know what to expect from episodic gaming (in terms of content) and you are a fan of the series, this is a no brainer. Other gamers might want to consider the WiiWare price once it is announced and then decide if they want to invest in the series. Whether on PC or WiiWare, Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal is a hilarious and memorable adventure that deserves to be played. Along with the StrongBad games, also from Telltale, there isn’t much that compares to Launch of the Screaming Narwhal on Nintendo’s WiiWare digital download service. It’s unique brand of humor and lovingly crafted world and characters are a great combination, and episode one sets the series sailing off in the right direction.