Seems the first part of my basic training has come to an end, and, well, I must admit that, despite the silliness, pointlessness and downright ridiculousness of the whole thing, the army provided me with a ton of opportunities for a good laugh. Simply watching all those screaming people trying to make confusion more confusing can be bloody hilarious, you see. Anyway. My legs are still sore and the back isn't at its best, but at least I acquired all the combat abilities required for a decent surrender: saluting, parading, toilet cleaning, quick-shaving, bed making and cooking large quantities of horrid food. Oh well, at least I still got a few more days before I return to the bloody camp for another two weeks or so...
On the happy side of things and ignoring the disheartening results of yesterday's euro-elections, it seems I've returned to a gaming world where Monkey Island has returned from it's undeserved grave and is ready to bring classic quality adventures to the progressive masses. In an unexpected move Lucasarts (which apparently got itself a new president) is releasing the jaw-dropping The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition for Xbox 360 and Windows. It's a faithful remake of the original SCUMM game with high-res hand-painted graphics, an orchestral soundtrack, full voice over, a hint system, new interface and the chance to instantly switch from the Special Edition to the classic one. Oh, and it seems that a few nice little easter eggs and touches have also been added.What's more, everyone's favourite heroes of the episodic variety, Telltale Games, have started accepting pre-orders for their spanking new Tales of Monkey Island series, that will span 5 hopefully glorious episodes. Impressively, the team behind the games series consists of Monkey Island veterans and even Ron Gilbert himself has offered his advice and ideas. As for the pre-order offer itself, it's more than generous. Have a look. I already did and happily spent my 34$, mind.
Early previews of both games can be found here, here and here.