Another thread about the Secret of Monkey Island, but this one's special...
...I want to say, that we can say quite for sure that MI1-MI2 is a child's imagination. Yes, yes, we all know and remember about under construction signs, same tunnels beneath Dinky Island and Phatt Island (through which we go to get to Rum Rogers' cottage), and so and so and so and so... but, I found out one thing I didn't notice anywhere on the net (though I do not imply that ABSOLUTELY no one has posted it yet, and I'm sorry if somebody did)... let's just put it this way: look at these two screens.
Uncanny resemblence, isn't it? I'm pretty sure that's on purpose. If someone doesn't see anything: these are from Big Whoop Amusement Park in the end of MI2 game, and Villa de la Booty from Booty Island from the same game.
First things thirst, there's a part of Stan's logo on both of these screens.
Costume shop is the same as gift shot.
There is some kind of a mechanism or booth, just where Kate Capsize was "see the world!", "see the world!". Either that's some video mechanism or something (there is a place for coin after all), either there were bought boat tickets or something.
There's a weenie hut which is an unnamed hut on Villa de la Booty.
Plus, on the screen with Augustus deWaat we can see that the same antique shop stands in the same place.
So, people, well... uhm... what do you think of this anyway?
Uncanny resemblence, isn't it? I'm pretty sure that's on purpose. If someone doesn't see anything: these are from Big Whoop Amusement Park in the end of MI2 game, and Villa de la Booty from Booty Island from the same game.
First things thirst, there's a part of Stan's logo on both of these screens.
Costume shop is the same as gift shot.
There is some kind of a mechanism or booth, just where Kate Capsize was "see the world!", "see the world!". Either that's some video mechanism or something (there is a place for coin after all), either there were bought boat tickets or something.
There's a weenie hut which is an unnamed hut on Villa de la Booty.
Plus, on the screen with Augustus deWaat we can see that the same antique shop stands in the same place.
So, people, well... uhm... what do you think of this anyway?
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Looks to me like one of those mechanical fortune tellers, probably meant to represent the Voodoo Lady.
And, *maybe* the first two games are just a child's imagination, but that's probably not The Secret. Ron said that it was to be revealed in Game Three, so it must be something else/something deeper.
Maybe it is something else, but I highly doubt that it's something deeper. Really, let's face it, all the fuss about the Secret of Monkey Island began just because it wasn't revealed for years and the series seemingly stopped (and then Curse appeared, and all the hype began to get even bigger). And at this point of time, the hype is practically so high, that should the Secret be revealed, it would be a 99.9% disappointment, and I'm quite sure Ron understands that.
One reason why I think that child's imagination IS the secret, it's because there are three characters: Voodoo Lady, LeChuck, and LucasArts Tech Support Girl, who say that everything will be revealed.
But yes, there's this LeChuck's red eyes stuff... I remember, I think it was Dave, who said that they were throwed there just in case a sequel would have been made.
...and meh, maybe the pirate world is real, and that particular part of the theme park is simply a voodoo illusion that LeChuck created, using Booty Island's harbour as a template? The theme part could be just as much in Guybrush's head as anything else, so this isn't really definitive.
Recycled graphix :P
I don't think this is definitive, since under the "LeChuck cast a spell on Guybrush to make him think he's a kid in an amusement park" theory, you could say that the amusement park was imaginary so it resembling a "real" place is no weirder
Is there any reason at all why that couldn't be in Guybrush's imagination? He could simply be starting to daydream again even as he leaves the park
It could be like a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court style plot twist. You know how in any of the many versions of that story, at the end when in the fantasy world the character is "killed" or "disappears" or something bad happens to them that everyone you've grown to care about in the fantasy world kind of goes "Oh, where did he go? Oh, he is dead, rest in peace. Oh we shall never see him again. Oh, I hope nothing bad happened to him." etc. etc.
And then it cuts back to the hero awakening in his real world.
It could be like that.
Also, the ending of MI2 is not neccessarily connected with the secret of Monkey Island.
What? Why on earth would it be a random "daydream" stuck in the middle of the story?
Because if we assume that it was all a child's imagination, then as guybrush gets back to reality it makes sense that his "dream" might keep going somewhere in his head.
"I might be eating hot dogs with mom and dad and chuckie right now but i know my beloved Elaine is still waiting for me somewhere".
From a fan's (and not only) point of view, it's always just interesting to see and have some idea what was planned, and in what everything turned out, and everything like that. Not that it will change anything.
You know, in my opinion, the third game decided to explain TOO much. I mean, I was quite satisfied with the beginning (quite clearly explaining it was some kind of spell in mix with reality or something like that, but leaving some things open), but the developers somewhy had to explain a lot of things in detail, leading to a LOT of retcons, which is not quite that satisfying. Just on top of my head:
1. Elaine suddenly loving very much Guybrush (bearable, it's women after all
2. The Voodoo Lady changing her mind about Big Whoop and warning Guybrush NOT to come after it.
3. The story of LeChuck's death (he died in a storm before MI3, in MI3 he deliberatery went through gate of hell, i.e. Big Whoop)
4. The story of Captain Marley and his relations to Big Whoop (I mean, in MI2 there's a parrot who cites talk between Marley and his crew, where they should bury the treasure... plus that big X)
And I did not even try to remember every detail, because there is kind of more to that. Don't take me wrong, I like MI3, I like MI4 (though it added the Captain Marley retcon... ANOTHER one), but I never really liked retcons. I bear them, because there is no choice, but it's not very appreciative towards the original writers. I do think that nobody will argue if I say that it could be possible to write a great and enjoyable story without all those retcons. That concerns both MI3 and MI4.
And so far, by the way, Tales does a steady job of not making any more storyline changes than already occured in the series.
In the last part of the book, the hero, Jack Shandy, is attacked with a voodoo spell by another pirate. And suddenly he finds himself in Paris, with his father. He realizes that it is actually a memory of his childhood. Then he meets an elegant black man who calls himself Maître Carrefour (the "Master of the Crossroad"...), a powerful voodoo loa. Maître Carrefour tells him voodoo attacks take place in the mind and memory of the victim. But there is also an "intruder" (the attacker) in your memories, altering them, trying to destroy your mind. And if you are not strong enough to dissociate the true memories from the false ones, the darkness engulfs you and it's the end of you (that happens to one of the book villains, Leo Friend).
So... that would explain a lot of things about MI2 ending. Under LeChuck's voodoo spell, Guybrush is reliving memory of his childhood (going to the fair with his parents or something like that), "Chuckie" being the intruder, trying to mess up Guybrush's mind...
I'm a defender of the "child fantasy" theory myself, but I found the similarities very interesting.
Looks like recycled graphics to me.
I admit that it would be interesting to hear what Ron originally planned, but there's evidence to both ways and ending of the LCR left a lot of things open. The discussion what the end means has continued since the early 90s and still there is no conclusive evidence to one way or another. Unless original devlopers decide to open up their mouths we won't be any wiser.
I agree that the whole the Carnival of the Damned thing was bit too much and like you I enjoyed other parts of the game more than the ending. Blood Island particularly was interesting. (I have always liked darker islands more than brighter ones). Personally I'm relatively tolerant towards retconning, because practically every game, movie and TV series does that. Although less would have been probably better.