Monkey Island?
All the way back in 1997, Ed Cleveland (aka Eddie Cat) spent many moons working on this comedy adventure. However, the late '90s were bitterly cold days with most of us having sold up and moved to the world of Mac/PC. It appears he got little feedback and thus decided to call it a day. I'm gutted!!
Well, that's my take on what I read. It's a shame because his talent and dedication were on the way to creating something rather special. Yep, it's disappointing but at least he released this final/beta version. This was very kind and still worth downloading and playing. Read on...
Donkey Island is a graphical adventure, different from what I expected. Think of something vaguely similar in style to Lure Of The Temptress or a Sierra On-Line game, but with a comical twist. We are Fred, a geek who loves playing games on his Atari ST. He's a smashing lad, and life is obviously TOS-taSTic!
His enthusiasm changed when he discovered Donkey Island, a game he’d been eagerly anticipating, had been cancelled. Devastated by the news, Fred powered down his little green desktop computer and set off exploring his hometown to uncover the reason behind its cancellation. (not an unknown feeling in the 90s!)
That's depressing, isn't it? Well, let's check out a screenshot to cheer us all up...
The cartoon design works really well, and some drawings are superb!
He looks familiar O_o
Fred is controlled using the cursor keys, which is simple and effective. The keypad is used to interact with your surroundings and characters, who are entertaining and interesting, to say the least. Sigh, it’s even sadder now that Donkey Island wasn’t finished. The style and humour put into it are truly beautiful. Although incomplete, there is a large town to explore with some cute surprises to discover.
In its current form, this is a broken adventure game, but one we can still fully play. Getting around Fred's town is a cinch, and we have all the abilities to investigate this horrifying gaming incident. Roam, explore, and never forget to chat with the locals. They're nothing like you expect and their humour is often superb!
Although unfinished, a full exploration of the town is possible. Some rooms are complete while others aren’t, but they’re still worth exploring. That includes the game's many characters, which are available for conversation. I’m glad this “beta” was released, but the potential for what could have been is quite staggering.
Here is one of the unfinished locations...
Sadly, some areas of the game will never be finished, but at least they're left in for us to play.
Aesthetics
Each location is depicted in a cartoon style similar to a comic book. Fred walks through in a rather crude but functional fashion. The artwork isn't exactly brilliant, but the amateurish quality works wonders. I love the way we communicate with others and our surroundings, which is quite unique in style.
The sound effects are good, but what I love is the technique used for speech - it reminds me of Charlie Brown's teacher. Come on, tell me you can't hear that, too? Well, I think it's superb :)
So here is another screenshot, and my daughter says he looks like me...
Exploration is always the key to success, and there are lots of (hidden) locations.
The CryptO'pinion?
Donkey Island had incredible potential and would have been a fascinating adventure. It still is, of course, albeit unfinished. I've enjoyed playing what is potentially a killer product that offers a different approach to doing things. All whilst being thoroughly entertaining with a wonderful sense of humour, strange locations and the silliest characters. Trust me, this is a hidden gem and something truly brilliant.
I wholeheartedly recommend you play this outstanding adventure game!!
