Political Commentary in EMI
I was recently playing Escape From Monkey Island and realized that there may be a degree of political allegory in it.
I've observed that Charles L. Charles/LeChuck in his run for Governor of Melee Island runs on an unrealistic platform of "Good Times and Free Grog!" The citizens of Melee Island love these promises that he wins by a landslide victory. He also campaigns against the status quo of Governor Elaine Marley, who is from a long line of aristocracy. LeChuck's campaign and governorship seems to reflect the role of the Fascist and Nazi ascensions to power in Italy and Germany, respectively. Both Mussolini and Hitler had a strong populist appeal and in their campaigns for the positions of prime minister and chancellor, they both offered the Italian and German people unrealistic promises. Their campaign promises were so popular, that they were both freely and fairly elected by large margins. However, upon their ascension to power, they came to prove themselves to be brutal dictators. To a lesser degree, Obama's campaign promises of hope and change along with an arguably incompetent presidency has some of these parallels as well. Has anyone else seen these similarities?
I've observed that Charles L. Charles/LeChuck in his run for Governor of Melee Island runs on an unrealistic platform of "Good Times and Free Grog!" The citizens of Melee Island love these promises that he wins by a landslide victory. He also campaigns against the status quo of Governor Elaine Marley, who is from a long line of aristocracy. LeChuck's campaign and governorship seems to reflect the role of the Fascist and Nazi ascensions to power in Italy and Germany, respectively. Both Mussolini and Hitler had a strong populist appeal and in their campaigns for the positions of prime minister and chancellor, they both offered the Italian and German people unrealistic promises. Their campaign promises were so popular, that they were both freely and fairly elected by large margins. However, upon their ascension to power, they came to prove themselves to be brutal dictators. To a lesser degree, Obama's campaign promises of hope and change along with an arguably incompetent presidency has some of these parallels as well. Has anyone else seen these similarities?
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They only have to update the blocky 3d graphics.
It could really turn out to be the best remake of them all as I loved the puzzles but hated guybrushes stupid blocky graphics.
I rest my case.
I will say it's sad how easily people are swung by said unrealistic promises. Maybe not free booze, but Marxism, which historically does *not* have a good record of working. Even when we're not talking about the extreme (where people depend on some dictator who offs them if they so much as look at him funny), people end up in situations where they really aren't able to make their own choices about many parts of their lives, and in return, they're taxed to hell. Why bother working when your life is given away free and whatever money you make is just taken away?
It really is best just to let people mess up or build up their own lives. It's not cruel, it's realism.
I felt the same way. I loved the game overall, and the writing was drop-dead hilarious, but the Resident-Evil-style graphics just didn't do it for me. The character models were good for the time, and they did pull off an occasional special effect that was really beautiful, but I get the feeling whoever made the game wasn't used to animating faces. Every time Guybrush opened his mouth, his whole face went *squish*.
My guess is this: They probably *will* release a special edition of the 3rd game next summer, but since the graphics were already gorgeous, it'll probably just be the same graphics, but in HD and full color with all the dithering and artifacts removed. (I'm hoping they kept all the animation cells, or at the very least, high resolution scans of the cells?) A year after that, we'll probably see the fourth get its graphics overhauled. (And hopefully, Elaine's voice as well.) Notice how the SE 1 and 2 games seem to make their guybrush sprites out of a cell-shaded CG character. The result is actually quite beautiful. Wouldn't it be nice to see one in actual 3d for once?
This.
And anyway, better Obama than Dubya any day. At least we have someone in office now who is competent.