Tropic tropes

Having already ventured into the realm of point-and-click adventure games with my review of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, I am now fully entering the puzzle-filled realm with The Secret of Monkey Island. With its clever gameplay and self-deprecating humor, the first entry in the Monkey Island series delighted countless gamers back in 1990 - except me. Haven't played it, you know the routine by now.

The game about the would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood and his battle with ghost pirate LeChuck for the affections of Governor Elaine Marley is considered a classic and one of the best works from the venerable game developer Lucasfilm Games. When Return to Monkey Island was released two years ago, my fingers itched a little, but I will probably stay away from the Caribbean regardless.

As is so often the case, I can at least catch up with the game musically, but as a sober newcomer I have to admit that the score is not fit for more than a 'nice'. 34 years ago, the music was certainly state of the art and will definitely bring back pleasant memories of nights spent puzzling. I, on the other hand, am presented with a soundtrack that comes across as cheerfully light-hearted, but delivers little of note.

Thanks to familiar tropes such as steel drums and reggae borrowings, the tracks drone along in such a childlike Caribbean style that a vacation atmosphere is almost pre-ordained. Composer Michael Land, who I already encountered in the Indiana Jones-game mentioned above, creates a dense and stringent atmosphere here. While many of the pieces in Sid Meier’s Pirates! inspire me to sway along, The Secret of Monkey Island doesn't get me beyond a tired bobbing along. This may be due to the quieter game concept or my (lack of) nostalgia.

The defining exception, which should put a smile on every fan's face immediately, is of course the iconic main theme that we hear in Introduction . The track sounds somewhat mystical at first, before the panpipe whistles the familiar Monkey Island-melody. Even I, as a non-connoisseur, enjoy it, but unfortunately the interesting intermezzo is only one section of the track and doesn't reappear afterwards. I can't give it five stars, although I would like to.

Other songs worth mentioning are the jazzy The Scumm Bar, the croaky LeChuck’s Theme and the swaggy Monkey Island. Tracks like Mêlée Island, The Voodoo Shop or The Fettucini Brothers on the other hand, are likely to be remembered by nostalgic fans. And in my opinion, this will apply to the whole OST. Apart from the really beautiful main theme, the score is hardly worth mentioning, although it will definitely be fun for enthusiasts. Like the author of the corresponding article on Discogs:

The unmistakable soundtrack of Monkey Island with its caribbean island style and dub reggae impacts could not have been better for this great game. The world thanks the creators Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman and especially Michael Land for for this stone cold classic.

unknown author on the OST of The Secret of Monkey Island

From today's perspective, this level of praise would be somewhat over the top. However, considering the year of release and the fact that the music was rated without the associated game, it is probably an accurate assessment.