sam.and.max:the.saga.continues.

Since I was small enough to sit comfortably between my Dad's lap and the desk where our Mac Classic was at bay I have been a die hard LucasArts adventure game fangirl.  It's not the multitude of Star Wars playable side plots that  sucked me in, but rather the unique array of colorful stories and characters found in games such as those in the Monkey Island series, Day of the Tentacle, and Grim Fandango, and even the gritty Full Throttle .  Sam & Max Hit the Road could quite possibly be one of my first fond encounters with cynicism and twisted humor as a child, and its much anticipated episodic sequel picked up by Telltale Games can now be downloaded for play.

Last night I played the first episode of the 3D-rendered Sam and Max game, 'Culture Shock', at first with some hesitation.  The last time I played a LucasArts sequel that went from sprites to 3D rendered environments, the result was less than pleasurable (see Monkey Island IV).  Telltale Games however manages to maintain a cartoony, stylistically unique environment that appropriately meets the Sam and Max agenda, following the traditional point and click method of adventure games.  Niether Sam nor Max's appearence are butchered in the third dimension, and the facial animation in the other game's characters comes across as lively and comedic.  Some of the side characters in the first episode were somewhat obnoixious, but Max's mad antics basically makes up for everyone else's setbacks. Playing through the episode, there seemed to be a lot more social commentary that I can remember from the original game, but the dialogue between the two leading mammals remains biting and humorous, with occassional winks to inside jokes from past games, which I appreciate immensely.

So I'd suggest you try it if you are a fan of Sam and Max from the past.  It's been a while since I've played an adventure game at all (I've had to go lurking in abandonware sites to satisfy my adventures cravings through Legend of Kyrandia, Kings Quest, and a little Willy Beamish for good taste), and I look forward to playing through the entire set of episodes.