12th February 2003, 4:47 AM
Maniac Mansion Review
By Ryan Usher
A well known ancient PC game got its port to the NES ten years ago. Maniac Mansion, developed by LucasArts using the SCUMM Engine, is one of those old point and click games that were so popular in the early 90s. The game has a certain charm to it, and there are a number of different ways to play through the game, utilizing different characters and their unique talents.
The Characters
DAVE is Sandy's boyfriend, and the only character you're forced to bring. He has no special talents. His favorite song is The Boys are Still Back by Fat Patty.
RAZOR is a punk rocker and leader of the band Razor and the Scummettes. Her talent is Music, and that talent may come in handy later on for a particular aspiring musician you will meet inside. Her favorite song is No No Never Never Well Maybe Sure Ok by The Void.
BERNARD is the archetypal geek, glasses and pocket protector at the ready. He is actually one of the most useful characters, he is handy with tools and knows how to fix anything. He likes Comp-U-Nerd by The Rocket Scientists.
WENDY is prim and proper, and is an aspiring novelist. She is the only character who knows how to type. She jams with The Sonatina in G Opus.
SYD is also an aspiring musician. Decked in black and yellow, with shades, he looks to be a spy type. His skills are the same as Razor's, and it doesn't really matter which you pick. Syd enjoys Psychedelic Brie by Metalflake.
JEFF is a surfer dOOd. He is handy with tools, and can fix telephones. Bernard does that and more, so Jeff really isn't that useful. His theme is Surf Face by Goofy Feet.
MICHAEL is a photography student and can develop any rolls of film you may happen to find. He listens to Flashbulb Funk by Princess.
Graphics
For the NES this is about as detailed as they get. In my opinion Maniac Mansion has the best graphics of any NES game. There are tons of color variations and each room seems to have a different style. The little details are everywhere. Excellent job.
10.0
Sound
Most of the character themes are pretty good, but they can get a bit repetitive after awhile. You do have the option of turning their CD Players off but then you have nothing but silence to listen to.
8.5
Gameplay
Standard point and click fare. This game is more brainpower than it is reflex only in a few select situations is fast fingerplay required. The game does play slightly differently depending on the characters you choose and you can win with any combination. There are also multiple endings depending on how you do certain things. It's good for 4 or 5 plays to see everything.
Total (not an average) : 7.5
By Ryan Usher
A well known ancient PC game got its port to the NES ten years ago. Maniac Mansion, developed by LucasArts using the SCUMM Engine, is one of those old point and click games that were so popular in the early 90s. The game has a certain charm to it, and there are a number of different ways to play through the game, utilizing different characters and their unique talents.
The Characters
DAVE is Sandy's boyfriend, and the only character you're forced to bring. He has no special talents. His favorite song is The Boys are Still Back by Fat Patty.
RAZOR is a punk rocker and leader of the band Razor and the Scummettes. Her talent is Music, and that talent may come in handy later on for a particular aspiring musician you will meet inside. Her favorite song is No No Never Never Well Maybe Sure Ok by The Void.
BERNARD is the archetypal geek, glasses and pocket protector at the ready. He is actually one of the most useful characters, he is handy with tools and knows how to fix anything. He likes Comp-U-Nerd by The Rocket Scientists.
WENDY is prim and proper, and is an aspiring novelist. She is the only character who knows how to type. She jams with The Sonatina in G Opus.
SYD is also an aspiring musician. Decked in black and yellow, with shades, he looks to be a spy type. His skills are the same as Razor's, and it doesn't really matter which you pick. Syd enjoys Psychedelic Brie by Metalflake.
JEFF is a surfer dOOd. He is handy with tools, and can fix telephones. Bernard does that and more, so Jeff really isn't that useful. His theme is Surf Face by Goofy Feet.
MICHAEL is a photography student and can develop any rolls of film you may happen to find. He listens to Flashbulb Funk by Princess.
Graphics
For the NES this is about as detailed as they get. In my opinion Maniac Mansion has the best graphics of any NES game. There are tons of color variations and each room seems to have a different style. The little details are everywhere. Excellent job.
10.0
Sound
Most of the character themes are pretty good, but they can get a bit repetitive after awhile. You do have the option of turning their CD Players off but then you have nothing but silence to listen to.
8.5
Gameplay
Standard point and click fare. This game is more brainpower than it is reflex only in a few select situations is fast fingerplay required. The game does play slightly differently depending on the characters you choose and you can win with any combination. There are also multiple endings depending on how you do certain things. It's good for 4 or 5 plays to see everything.
Total (not an average) : 7.5