So... I'm new to Sam & Max games...

edited January 2011 in Sam & Max
Hey guy's I'm new to the TellTale Games forums. I joined because I love the Back to the Future trilogy and heard there was a game coming out. I was really excited for that, when I noticed Sam & Max...

I loved the Sam & Max cartoon series! I haven't played any of the Sam & Max adventure games, though, and now I'm sorta thinking of play some. I looked up some of the games they've had and... woo, boy there's a lot!

Sooo, where should I start?

Would Devil's Playhouse on PS3 worth picking up? I played the demo and thought it was pretty cool. But would I be completely confused by the storyline if I were to start here?

If I see Season One on Wii sometime, should I pick it up? Would that be a better place to start? or would i still be confused if I haven't played the original Lucas Arts game?

Does it really matter if I get confused? Are the games as funny as the TV series? Would the humor make up for the for my lack of background knowledge of the game series?

Oh! Oh! I almost forgot! How's the gameplay? I never really got into point & click adventures, but I've played a few of them as well as some text adventure games, and I'm willing to start playing without thinking it's going to be a platforming game. Would you say the puzzles puzzling enough? Or are they too puzzling?

Comments

  • edited December 2010
    Better to get them for PC, as the Wii version is not as good. Today only, there is a deal, where for $50, you get 5 other TTG games(Wallace and Gromit, Strong Bad, Bone, Puzzle Agent and Poker Night), compared to the $40 for only the 3 seasons of Sam and Max. You don't need to play Hit the Road(the old one) to start. The games are basically logic puzzle games, and are very funny.
  • edited December 2010
    Sam and Max is definently worth picking up. Season 1 would be the best place to start, but you can start on Season 3 if you don't mind spoilers, you just will miss some backstory. I never played the Lucasarts game and was never lost. The puzzles are good for the most part, there are some hard ones, but that's what the hints are for! If you don't mind point and click format, you should play it. It's even funnier than the TV series for the most part. Have I persuaded you enough yet?
  • edited December 2010
    The first season played really well for me, it was the second one that was bad on Wii.
  • edited December 2010
    If you have a computer that can run them, I'd recommend playing them in order on PC. You'd be fine playing just the Devil's Playhouse on PS3, but you'd miss out on some in-jokes and references.
  • As others have suggested, it's best to get Season 1 (and season 2) on the PC. I would recommend Seasons 1 and 2 before The Devil's Playhouse because of some references you wouldn't otherwise get, but you wouldn't be missing out on much if you did start with The Devil's Playhouse. There's no continuity between Telltale's games and Lucasarts's game so you could play either first and it wouldn't affect anything.
  • edited December 2010
    You CAN play any S&M game without playing the others but you will get more enjoyment out of playing them all in order.... and I actually suggest starting with Lucasarts S&M hit the road...
  • edited December 2010
    If your worrying about getting lost with buying the games out-of-order it doesn't matter, canonicity isn't a word known in the Sam and Max universe.
  • edited December 2010
    Nonetheless I suggest you start with Culture Shock, the first episode.

    I got introduced to these games because Abe Lincoln Must Die was for free on Steam and I could try it. Fell in love instantly.

    I actually wouldn't recommend Hit the Road right now... it's insanely hard. Try these ones first.
  • edited December 2010
    Man, now I have even more material things to add to my ever-growing list of unnessary wants: comic trades, video games, movies, and TV DVD sets... I swear, I'll have to get a part-time job eventually.

    Mathman, you said Season 1 worked okay for Wii? So... if I got Season 1 for Wii, and Devil's Playhouse for PS3, that'd work, maybe? Beyond Time and Space doesn't work well on Wii? Is it reeeally terrible?

    It's funny how you guys call each game a "Season" when aside from Season 1 I haven't seen any of the others having "Season" on them... That must just be a Sam & Max fan thing, huh? Like how Pokemon fans call each new group of games a "Generation"?

    I'd go for PC, but everytime I sit at the computer I end up surfing the web. The internet is so useful, yet such a vast, time-draining vortex...

    I must say that the Sam & Max Hit the Road holds a strange 2-dimentional alure for me. It reminds me of the TV series, and of the DOS games of my youth. Do you think they'll ever release it on PSN or some such?

    Wow, a whole new franchise to delve into, I'm a little overwhelmed here. Well, I'll deal with this more over Christmas vacation, I guess, when I'm not supposed to be studying for finals, lol.
  • edited December 2010
    The second game is also called "Season Two" on the PC, and the third game was called "Season Three" by pretty much everyone before the "The Devil's Playhouse" name came out.

    I have to reiterate the idea that it's best to play them on PC.
  • edited December 2010
    Really? Huh, didn't know that about the Seasons. It's still a pretty cool idea, having games called "seasons" like they're a sitcom or something. I like it.

    I'm not sure about migrating back to PC gaming. I haven't bought a new PC game since Command & Conquer 3 in 2007 and I just got a PS3 last summer. It's not completely out of the question, though. I'd rather have a console version, but I'll think about it.
  • edited December 2010
    Zepton wrote: »
    Really? Huh, didn't know that about the Seasons. It's still a pretty cool idea, having games called "seasons" like they're a sitcom or something. I like it.

    Sam and Max is one of the first examples of successful episodic games. Well, when the games are episodic, "Season" kind of fits more than calling all the games as "individual games". Especially Season 1 and 2 (Save the World and Beyond Time and Space) are so similar, you might as well consider them as one big game instead of two seasons; but not two individual games, I'm afraid.
    Zepton wrote: »
    I'm not sure about migrating back to PC gaming. I haven't bought a new PC game since Command & Conquer 3 in 2007 and I just got a PS3 last summer. It's not completely out of the question, though. I'd rather have a console version, but I'll think about it.
    Season 1 and 2 are chunk sized, little games. They won't really hassle your computer too much. Just for the sake of these games you might come back to PC gaming, really. Plus if you buy them from Telltale Store, you can also obtain the DVD for the price of shipping.
  • edited December 2010
    Zepton wrote: »
    Mathman, you said Season 1 worked okay for Wii? So... if I got Season 1 for Wii, and Devil's Playhouse for PS3, that'd work, maybe? Beyond Time and Space doesn't work well on Wii? Is it reeeally terrible

    I can't really speak for the quality of the ports, but whatever platform you end up playing them on, don't skip Season 2. Season 2, in my opinion, had some of the best plotlines, jokes, and puzzles of anything Telltale's ever done.
  • edited December 2010
    I can't really speak for the quality of the ports, but whatever platform you end up playing them on, don't skip Season 2. Season 2, in my opinion, had some of the best plotlines, jokes, and puzzles of anything Telltale's ever done.

    Varies from person to person. I like Season 1 far better than Season 2.
  • edited December 2010
    If I were you, I'd buy S1, then S2 and finally S3 (Which is the least funny imo :( Because there aren't many jokes (comparing to huge ammount of humor in S1/S2), and most of them are simple and obvious)... on PC
  • edited December 2010
    Like everyones saying, start from the beginning and if you like it, just play in order, you won't be disappointed!
  • edited December 2010
    Play the seasons in order if you can. While each season is more or less self-contained, Seasons 2 and 3 have a lot of references to the earlier seasons that'll probably leave you in the dark. While playing Hit the Road is recommended (just because it's great), the Telltale episodes have no real connection to it, so you won't need to play Hit the Road to understand a thing.

    Play all the three seasons on the PC/Mac if you can. If you have to play it on a console, I recommend the 360 version for the first two seasons. The Wii ports have quite a variety of problems (failing to account for how a Wii Remote is different from a mouse, characters' lips not syncing up with what they're saying, some in-game text like Bosco's nametag is too blurry to make out), but they're far from unplayable. While I don't recommend the Wii version of the first two seasons over the PC/360 versions, there's no real harm in playing them.
  • edited December 2010
    I will recommend you NOT to play Hit the Road unlike everyone else did, because well, its puzzles are far more frustrating, the story isn't that good, and well, it's absurd. Absurdity is a good thing of course, since the whole Sam and Max franchise relies on wackyness; but just because of that you shouldn't just jump in the pool of weird. Telltale episodes do a better job with introducing the characters to you and starting from easy, helping you develop a new sense of thinking outside the box step by step, instead of throwing ridicilous puzzles in front of you. I played Hit the Road after finishing with Season 2 and my god, I wouldn't be able to get to somewhere if I didn't practice with Telltale episodes beforehand.
  • edited December 2010
    The Devil's Playhouse is brilliant on PS3, but also, it sort of has a crash course of Sam & Max on it, anytime a character comes back on screen who was in a previous game, the game shows a title card with their name and a quick brief summary of who they are.

    It does the job but it's still best to play the games. Season 1 wasn't really that good to me, I didn't like it much (a lot of people will disagree though) but Season 2 is where it really kicked off and was funny and really good and was also very clever how they handled the time travel stuff.
  • edited December 2010
    I do not think Sam & Max hit the road puzzles are too hard... and the story is great.
  • MarkDarinMarkDarin Former Telltale Staff
    edited December 2010
    This may help with your platform decision... Later in the Month, we will be offering The Devils Playhouse FREE to Playstation Plus subscribers on the PS3. So if you have a PS3 (Which you do) and subscribe to the Playstation Plus service, you have access to an amazing deal!
  • edited December 2010
    Irishmile wrote: »
    I do not think Sam & Max hit the road puzzles are too hard... and the story is great.

    The game is not unforgiving of course. It's not hard, too, it just takes sooo much time to figure out things that you'd NEVER expect before.

    At least, I feel like that.
  • edited December 2010
    I actually didn't like Abe Lincoln Must Die because I didn't -get- the story. Once I got Season 1 for cheap, I did, and it was funnier. No offense to Telltale, they should've made Episode 1 free instead. :p

    Sam and Max Hit The Road is okay, but very hard and very... ah... 90s-ey. The puzzles are... too difficult and weird. But it's funny. I recommend playing it once you have more experience with adventure games.
  • edited December 2010
    I don't have PSN Plus, so that's not the big swaying point for me.

    I'm thinking maybe I'll pick up Devil's Playhouse on PSN, and then if I see Season 1 or 2 or Hit the Road at Walmart or something for under 25 bucks on PC, I may pick it up.

    Will most future games be on PS3, you think? 'Cause that could really work for me.

    Also, I guess, since game parts are called "episodes", and the whole franchise is called a "series", it makes sense that each whole game would be called a "season".
  • edited December 2010
    Falanca wrote: »
    The game is not unforgiving of course. It's not hard, too, it just takes sooo much time to figure out things that you'd NEVER expect before.

    At least, I feel like that.

    Depends on where you're coming from. If you're familiar with the adventure games of the early 90s, then HtR will not feel that difficult, and most of the puzzles will look perfectly logical. If you grew up on the more-entertainment-than-challenge focused games on the 2000s, then yes, HtR can strike you as unfair at times.
  • edited December 2010
    Depends on where you're coming from. If you're familiar with the adventure games of the early 90s, then HtR will not feel that difficult, and most of the puzzles will look perfectly logical. If you grew up on the more-entertainment-than-challenge focused games on the 2000s, then yes, HtR can strike you as unfair at times.

    I can agree with that. The only handheld console I ever had was a Gameboy. Not even GB Color. Just, Gameboy. Gaming was, is and has been pretty damn dry here in Turkey.
  • edited December 2010
    Well if your not doing PC, then you could do well with the consoles. The Wii versions are a little hit & miss, but I'd actually recomend you get the Xbox 360 downloads of 'Save the World' & "Beyond Time and Space'. They play very well, and...well can you say 'Easy Achievements'?

    Unfortunately, 'The Devil's Playhouse' is only on PS3 (for now), but I recomend you get it.

    And if your PC can play them, get all 3 in order, from here. Which ever you think is best.
  • edited December 2010
    I've decided to pick up Devil's Playhouse on PSN over the holidays.

    Hmmm... I'm more likely to buy for PC than for Xbox 360, because I don't have an Xbox. PC might be my only option for Season 1 & 2, I think, since people are saying Wii versions are cruddy. Is there any chance of rerelease of the Xbox versions on PSN? It's doubtful, isn't it?
  • edited December 2010
    (S1&2 won't come to PS3 for a while.)

    Sorry to repeat myself, but get the $50 Holiday Bundle. For $15 more then S3, you get the other two seasons of Sam and Max, plus FIVE other TTG games.(Strong Bad, Wallace and Gromit, Puzzle Agent, Poker Night, and Bone.) The only problem is, the deal ends tonight. But, if you can get it, it's a great starting point to the world of TTG. Direct store link: http://www.telltalegames.com/store/telltaleholiday2010
  • edited December 2010
    Well, while that sounds like a GREAT deal, I'd rather just get them as I come across them and I'm pretty intent on getting Season 3 at least on PS3. Especially if it ends tonight, I'm not all that much in the mood to try and figure out how to order things online from TellTale in a few short hours, right now. I'm not sure what you need even, Paypal? Steam? Is it only for people in USA? It's all just to confusing for me right now.

    "For a while"? You mean they're probably coming to the PS3 at some point? If I just hold out and get Season 3 and the Back to the Future Game, maybe they'll arrive? I'm not in a real rush to get them or anything... and I could probably start with Devil's Playground and back track. You guys said I wouldn't get too confused if I did that, right?
  • edited December 2010
    Zepton wrote: »
    Well, while that sounds like a GREAT deal, I'd rather just get them as I come across them and I'm pretty intent on getting Season 3 at least on PS3. Especially if it ends tonight, I'm not all that much in the mood to try and figure out how to order things online from TellTale in a few short hours, right now. I'm not sure what you need even, Paypal? Steam? Is it only for people in USA? It's all just to confusing for me right now.

    "For a while"? You mean they're probably coming to the PS3 at some point? If I just hold out and get Season 3 and the Back to the Future Game, maybe they'll arrive? I'm not in a real rush to get them or anything... and I could probably start with Devil's Playground and back track. You guys said I wouldn't get too confused if I did that, right?

    Anyone in the world can buy directly from Telltale provided they have an internet connection and a) a credit card; b) a debit card that doubles as a credit card; and/or c) a PayPal account.

    As of yet, there's no official announcement about Seasons 1 and 2 coming to the PS3. If they are (likely someday, but Telltale's the final arbiter of that!), it could be a while. I wouldn't assume they're coming unless and until it's announced.

    As for the other stuff ... I'm in general agreement with everyone else. It's preferable to play the seasons in order -- just enough continuity floating around to make it so -- but not required for understanding what's going on (probably; Your Mileage May Vary on that count, of course). The Devil's Playhouse takes extra pains to bring someone new to Sam & Max up to speed, so it might be a good place to start. Also, get the direct-from-Telltale PC versions of at least the first two seasons if possible. TDP's PS3 port is very solid (it's how I played most of Season 3), so if that's your preference, I think you'll be very happy with it. :)

    Here's the system requirements (from the Telltale Store) for all three seasons to check against your PC:

    Save the World
    • Windows XP
    • 1.5GHz processor
    • 256MB RAM
    • 32MB 3D-accelerated video card
    • DVD-ROM drive (for bonus disc)

    Beyond Time and Space
    • Windows XP or Vista
    • 1.5GHz processor
    • 256MB RAM (512MB recommended)
    • 32MB 3D-accelerated video card
    • DVD-ROM drive (for Collector's DVD)

    The Devil's Playhouse
    • Windows XP / Vista / Windows 7
    • Processor: 2.0 GHz + (3 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent rec.)
    • Memory: 1GB
    • Sound: DirectX 8.1 sound device
    • Video: 128MB DirectX 8.1-compliant video card (256MB rec.)
    • DirectX(TM): Version 9.0c or better

    Hope that helps! And welcome to the fandom! May you enjoy your stay at the asylum. :D
  • edited December 2010
    Thanks to all you guys for your great advice! I feel I can make a more informed decision, now! This fanbase seems pretty cool. Any fanbase that can refer to itself as an "asylum" has gotta be loads of fun. I'm excited to start playing Sam & Max games aswell as the BttF game, and can't wait till my finals are over, and I can devote all my attentions to gaming. Thanks everyone!!!
  • edited December 2010
    And... scene! That was perfect!
    Another satisfied newcomer!
  • edited January 2011
    If you play Season One, just be prepared to put up with Culture Shock. Sheesh. If I never hear from Peepers again...
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