Maniac Mansion Deluxe (PC, 2004)
Graphics-7 Sound-7.5 Control-6 Challenge-7 Story-6.5
Level Design-5.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-6 Originality-7
Overall Score-6
+
Switch between three characters on the fly
Choose which two of the three characters to tag along with Dave (there are six different ones with different abilites, weaknesses and events)
Hotkeys for main actions and character switching
Remade graphics and sound (uneven visual quality - some parts look 16-bit or better (some paintings) and others 8-bit; midi-like music)
Story events happen seemingly without player input and you have to respond quickly to some of them
Some good humour
Save feature (save anywhere outside of a cutscene, 20+ nameable slots)
Dialogue can be sped up
Skippable cutscenes
Some gameplay improvements (unlit rooms aren't completely dark, paint remover can be used more than once?, jarred radioactive water and normal water no longer looks the same, more forgiving film development procedure, sometimes fewer steps when interacting with something)
Losing a character puts his/her inventory items at a grave outside the mansion
Some good puzzles (the music and sound recordings, luring enemy characters out of their rooms, switching between characters for the time limited puzzles (pool draining, wire fixing), the telescope (though it would've made more sense for the room to be in a different spot?)
Some alternate solutions (killing the meteor, luring enemy characters)
Decent art direction
Multiple endings (they're all very short though), day of the tentacle-like interface (items have images in the lowbar)
+/-
Unlimited inventories
NPCs don't follow you through doors (a bug lets you get away from Edna this way in your first encounter with her provided that you're prepared for it) and the game doesn't keep track of them while they're moving through the house (for example an NPC can be in the same room as your character, exit, but when you follow him/her, the NPC isn't there in the next room - this can make it hard to time some things like grabbing items from weird ed/the son's room while he's out)
Fourth wall breaking dialogue/expressions at times
No readable map
Weird Ed/the son doesn't react differently if you ring the doorbell multiple times (even with the same char)
Product placement (Pepsi)
Features references to other lucasarts games (loom, zack mckracken)
While you can avoid nurse Edna in her own room it seems almost random if you'll manage to go past her or not (and her movement is too fast to kite her anyway)
Several invisible time limits (pointless time limit on the arcade game's high score screen)
The envelope puzzle - apparently the water-filled jar creates steam in the microwave oven that opens the envelope without ruining it (a bit far fetched and no clues are given
Looks like the glass jar is shut in-game (characters say they can't open it if you try to) and there's no steam shown after using the oven)
The player can't play any of the arcade machines
-
Trial & error (don't open the envelope right away if you want to get wendy's/razor's/syds ending (dead end - there should've been some warning or a way to fix it), two locked cabinets that can't be opened, there are batteries in the hi-tech radio despite you not being able to use it, the gate to the garage area is locked from the other side if you go there while carrying the meteor and haven't made the car fly away yet (and since you can't switch characters you'll be stuck if you didn't bring the car key), characters sometimes saying they're not interested when trying to use a key on a lock, michael saying "I don't think so" when trying to use the equipment in the film development room (he's supposed to be a photographer so he should give some clues here), every character says they're not interested when trying to play the arcade machines but you do need to use them (use a quarter) later on to get a code, impressing green tentacle with syd's piano skills only works after a certain point?, activating the car before getting the meteor makes it impossible to beat the game?, invisible timer when draining the pool (about 60 seconds?) until the house blows up due the reactor meltdown, "I don't wanna" (no in-game explanation or hint on what to use each character for), avoiding enemy characters that will throw you in the dungeon, getting the undeveloped film, etc.), dungeon weirdness (can't escape from the dungeon with one character while another is being locked up, where does purple tentacle go after putting one of your characters in there?), can't fight or escape from nurse Edna or the son/weird ed after they reach you (need to find the loose brick in the dungeon by pixel hunting or you're stuck if all three characters are locked up)
Can't hold down LMB to keep walking
Can't run or skip a walking animation
Limited options (can't just empty a bottle filled with water anywhere for example, can't use the couch or any other methods than the cassette to get to the key in the chandelier)
No wall or other object at the end of some areas (so you have to go all the way to the edge of the screen to check if you can keep going)
Can't review dialogue or observations (message log)
Often there's no message when using an item on something doesn't work
Can't repair and/or go up the "out of order" staircase on the first floor
Can't use the chainsaw and there's no meaningful use for some of the other items (most of the food, the old batteries)
Some pixel hunting (loose panel on the first floor, loose brick in the dungeon (alternate way of escaping using two characters), door puzzle on the same floor - need to examine both gargoyle statues to notice that the right one is loose (there's a minor clue if you talk to another character in that room but it doesn't really help), the light switch in the reactor room/basement - can be found with the flashlight but you'll probably get the character carrying it locked up in the dungeon at the beginning (and the dungeon is located right past this room))
Opening the water valve and leaving the basement triggers the "no power" alarm which can then be turned off in the reactor room
Examine/walk bug in the reactor room
Logical inconsistencies (can't empty a water-filled sponge on the man-eating plant or in the bathroom sink (can empty it in the film development room), Edna stays on the phone as long as the calling character doesn't hang up (you can even try talking to her), Weird Ed can forget that you've helped him and try to throw you in the dungeon again (using the plans or the hamster gives a positive reaction (and you get his help as Michael in the finale) but then he still throws you in the dungeon), shouldn't purple tentacle check the pool or the pipes when it's been drained?, purple tentacle comes from above the stairs when checking the reactor room (should be coming from the left since that's where he was), can't lift the heavy candles in the dining hall (other heavy things can be interacted with after working out but these can't (not that you need to), can't suck up the radioactive goo in the reactor room with the sponge even though you can suck up the developer fluid below the house as well as the pool water, weird Ed doesn't react differently during the finale if you go up to his room while carrying the meteor (still wants his package or he'll throw you in the dungeon))
No reaction from Dave/whoever when you save them from the dungeon
You automatically get the quarter after sticking the stamp onto the envelope (it was apparently in the envelope but the game doesn't show this to you)
Some tedious waiting and backtracking (maybe they could've let you throw items to other characters via the windows or something)
Sometimes tedious controls (lacking/inconsistent context sensitivity, having to manually open the paint remover bucket before combining it with the brush, etc.)
Unfitting music for the final part with the meteor and you can't get any clues on how to get rid of it from Dr. Fred
Bugs (can accidentally start controlling Dr. Fred during the finale (making it impossible to finish the game)
Can't switch characters while in the final rooms (move out of there)
Sometimes your character gets teleported backwards a bit in one of the rooms if you spam LMB in a certain spot)
Razor and Syd have the same abilities and Jeff doesn't have a unique ending
Notes:
-Original released in 1987
-Readme/manual: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LucasFan%20Games/MMD/manual.htm
Level Design-5.5 Frustration-8.5 Fun-6 Originality-7
Overall Score-6
+
Switch between three characters on the fly
Choose which two of the three characters to tag along with Dave (there are six different ones with different abilites, weaknesses and events)
Hotkeys for main actions and character switching
Remade graphics and sound (uneven visual quality - some parts look 16-bit or better (some paintings) and others 8-bit; midi-like music)
Story events happen seemingly without player input and you have to respond quickly to some of them
Some good humour
Save feature (save anywhere outside of a cutscene, 20+ nameable slots)
Dialogue can be sped up
Skippable cutscenes
Some gameplay improvements (unlit rooms aren't completely dark, paint remover can be used more than once?, jarred radioactive water and normal water no longer looks the same, more forgiving film development procedure, sometimes fewer steps when interacting with something)
Losing a character puts his/her inventory items at a grave outside the mansion
Some good puzzles (the music and sound recordings, luring enemy characters out of their rooms, switching between characters for the time limited puzzles (pool draining, wire fixing), the telescope (though it would've made more sense for the room to be in a different spot?)
Some alternate solutions (killing the meteor, luring enemy characters)
Decent art direction
Multiple endings (they're all very short though), day of the tentacle-like interface (items have images in the lowbar)
+/-
Unlimited inventories
NPCs don't follow you through doors (a bug lets you get away from Edna this way in your first encounter with her provided that you're prepared for it) and the game doesn't keep track of them while they're moving through the house (for example an NPC can be in the same room as your character, exit, but when you follow him/her, the NPC isn't there in the next room - this can make it hard to time some things like grabbing items from weird ed/the son's room while he's out)
Fourth wall breaking dialogue/expressions at times
No readable map
Weird Ed/the son doesn't react differently if you ring the doorbell multiple times (even with the same char)
Product placement (Pepsi)
Features references to other lucasarts games (loom, zack mckracken)
While you can avoid nurse Edna in her own room it seems almost random if you'll manage to go past her or not (and her movement is too fast to kite her anyway)
Several invisible time limits (pointless time limit on the arcade game's high score screen)
The envelope puzzle - apparently the water-filled jar creates steam in the microwave oven that opens the envelope without ruining it (a bit far fetched and no clues are given
Looks like the glass jar is shut in-game (characters say they can't open it if you try to) and there's no steam shown after using the oven)
The player can't play any of the arcade machines
-
Trial & error (don't open the envelope right away if you want to get wendy's/razor's/syds ending (dead end - there should've been some warning or a way to fix it), two locked cabinets that can't be opened, there are batteries in the hi-tech radio despite you not being able to use it, the gate to the garage area is locked from the other side if you go there while carrying the meteor and haven't made the car fly away yet (and since you can't switch characters you'll be stuck if you didn't bring the car key), characters sometimes saying they're not interested when trying to use a key on a lock, michael saying "I don't think so" when trying to use the equipment in the film development room (he's supposed to be a photographer so he should give some clues here), every character says they're not interested when trying to play the arcade machines but you do need to use them (use a quarter) later on to get a code, impressing green tentacle with syd's piano skills only works after a certain point?, activating the car before getting the meteor makes it impossible to beat the game?, invisible timer when draining the pool (about 60 seconds?) until the house blows up due the reactor meltdown, "I don't wanna" (no in-game explanation or hint on what to use each character for), avoiding enemy characters that will throw you in the dungeon, getting the undeveloped film, etc.), dungeon weirdness (can't escape from the dungeon with one character while another is being locked up, where does purple tentacle go after putting one of your characters in there?), can't fight or escape from nurse Edna or the son/weird ed after they reach you (need to find the loose brick in the dungeon by pixel hunting or you're stuck if all three characters are locked up)
Can't hold down LMB to keep walking
Can't run or skip a walking animation
Limited options (can't just empty a bottle filled with water anywhere for example, can't use the couch or any other methods than the cassette to get to the key in the chandelier)
No wall or other object at the end of some areas (so you have to go all the way to the edge of the screen to check if you can keep going)
Can't review dialogue or observations (message log)
Often there's no message when using an item on something doesn't work
Can't repair and/or go up the "out of order" staircase on the first floor
Can't use the chainsaw and there's no meaningful use for some of the other items (most of the food, the old batteries)
Some pixel hunting (loose panel on the first floor, loose brick in the dungeon (alternate way of escaping using two characters), door puzzle on the same floor - need to examine both gargoyle statues to notice that the right one is loose (there's a minor clue if you talk to another character in that room but it doesn't really help), the light switch in the reactor room/basement - can be found with the flashlight but you'll probably get the character carrying it locked up in the dungeon at the beginning (and the dungeon is located right past this room))
Opening the water valve and leaving the basement triggers the "no power" alarm which can then be turned off in the reactor room
Examine/walk bug in the reactor room
Logical inconsistencies (can't empty a water-filled sponge on the man-eating plant or in the bathroom sink (can empty it in the film development room), Edna stays on the phone as long as the calling character doesn't hang up (you can even try talking to her), Weird Ed can forget that you've helped him and try to throw you in the dungeon again (using the plans or the hamster gives a positive reaction (and you get his help as Michael in the finale) but then he still throws you in the dungeon), shouldn't purple tentacle check the pool or the pipes when it's been drained?, purple tentacle comes from above the stairs when checking the reactor room (should be coming from the left since that's where he was), can't lift the heavy candles in the dining hall (other heavy things can be interacted with after working out but these can't (not that you need to), can't suck up the radioactive goo in the reactor room with the sponge even though you can suck up the developer fluid below the house as well as the pool water, weird Ed doesn't react differently during the finale if you go up to his room while carrying the meteor (still wants his package or he'll throw you in the dungeon))
No reaction from Dave/whoever when you save them from the dungeon
You automatically get the quarter after sticking the stamp onto the envelope (it was apparently in the envelope but the game doesn't show this to you)
Some tedious waiting and backtracking (maybe they could've let you throw items to other characters via the windows or something)
Sometimes tedious controls (lacking/inconsistent context sensitivity, having to manually open the paint remover bucket before combining it with the brush, etc.)
Unfitting music for the final part with the meteor and you can't get any clues on how to get rid of it from Dr. Fred
Bugs (can accidentally start controlling Dr. Fred during the finale (making it impossible to finish the game)
Can't switch characters while in the final rooms (move out of there)
Sometimes your character gets teleported backwards a bit in one of the rooms if you spam LMB in a certain spot)
Razor and Syd have the same abilities and Jeff doesn't have a unique ending
Notes:
-Original released in 1987
-Readme/manual: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LucasFan%20Games/MMD/manual.htm