Only time will tell the sales figures on this one, but gamers shouldn't pass it up. You owe it to yourself to buy this game. You may not have to exercise your trigger finger much (It doesn't support the mouse), but you'll definitely laugh yourself to death playing.

Escape from Monkey Island is the fourth in a quietly-held series based on the mishaps of one Guybrush Threepwood (Mighty Pirate). If you're unfamiliar with the series, Guybrush is your average yuppie that suddenly wakes up one day and says "I want to be a mighty pirate!" and with that note, embarks on a series of journeys to prove his foulness, ruthlessness, and general pirateyness. In the first series, Guybrush battled the evil ghost pirate LeChuck to save the fate of Melee Island(TM) and to win the heart of the governor, Elaine Marley. In the second game, cleverly titled The Secret of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, Guybrush is waylaid by LeChuck in his demonic amusement park, Big Whoop. After being set adrift, Guybrush finds his way to Plunder Island(TM) in Curse of Monkey Island, where he accidentally casts a voodoo curse on Elaine and must find a way to return her to normal, while again saving the Tri-Island area from the general meanness of LeChuck.

That had to hurt...

Anyone who's a fan of the series will be happy to know that the game's general humor is preserved. One of the best parts of the game is getting to see a whole host of familiar characters from the previous games, such as Carla the Swordmaster, Otis the Pickpocket, Meathook, Herman Toothrot, and the voodoo lady (Who has yet to give a name to herself). In fact, this game is chock full of nostalgic bits from the previous games, such as the occasional rubber-chicken-with-a-pulley-in-it.

Without revealing much about the plot, Guybrush and Elaine have just returned to Melee Island(TM) from their honeymoon, only to find it being ravaged and turned into a ghost town. A mysterious individual by the name of Ozzie Mandrill is attempting to remake the face of the Tri-Island area by removing its piratey image and turning it into a tourist trap. Furthermore, Elaine returns to find herself declared dead and her mansion under a demolition order! Being dead isn't too bad, though, and Guybrush knows it (He's been there). However, with the drastic population shift in the islands, and the "death" of the governor, Elaine finds herself having to challenge Mr. Charles L. Charles for her own governor's seat.

Murray, everyone's favorite all-powerful talking demonic skull returns...

This leads Guybrush on a trumped-up quest to try to regain control of the islands and thwart the schemes of the two newcomers, starting with trying to negotiate with the catapult lackey to leave Elaine's mansion without destroying it. The lackey is very dedicated of course, and doesn't want to violate the terms of his contract. How would you solve this puzzle without killing anyone? Easy - Get some food for the man, since he says he has fairly liberal contract terms for his snack breaks, and while he's distracted, play with the catapult. Of course, getting food isn't that easy...nor is disabling the catapult. Most of Guybrush's tasks will break down into smaller tasks...some with well-defined steps, others that are about as foggy as the mists inside Mr. Threepwood's skull. I thanked the maker that LucasArts inserted a full (yet terse) walkthrough of the game into my box, as I was able to play for about ONLY five or six hours without encountering any real mental blocks.

Then one hit me.