Have a look here.
Then correctly assume that it, at the very least, looks Graham Annable-licious.
Then start questioning what it could all mean.
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Or, to put it another way, Sam and Max: The Devil's Playhouse, Episode I: The Penal Zone is available now on PC and Mac!
What are you waiting for? Enter the Zone! You know you want to.
Here's where we compile all the reviews we can find for the premiere of Sam & Max's third season. The real onslaught will begin in a few days and right now it's still mostly iPad reviews, but there's enough write-ups out there to get started. Rest assured, we'll update this as we feel like it:
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The Adrenaline Vault - 4/5
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Mac|Life - 3.5/5
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Macworld - 4/5
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Pocket Gamer - 6/10
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IGN - 7.2/10
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4 color rebellion - 5/5
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Gamers Daily News - 8/10
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VG Reloaded - 8/10
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Brutal Gamer - 8/10
-Negative Gamer - -1/-10
Feel free to let us know in the comments as you come across a new review yourself, and we'll add it here.
As Mojo's feature section is still under development, we're posting the review of 'The Penal Zone' right here, in the news. Hey, it's technically news! More after the cut.
The same guy who conducted those successive, episode-specific interviews with Dominic Armato as Tales of Monkey Island was released is back with a new interview with Steve Purcell at Alternative Magazine Online. Although he's been asked them all before, the questions are good and cover Purcell's whole career. A little taste:
How did you feel about episodic gaming initially?
I always thought it would be a good fit. Even back at LEC, Ron Gilbert talked about wanting to do mini-adventures that you would pick up at the counter of the game store as you were checking out. Ron, Dave Grossman and I brainstormed some ideas for a Sam & Max episodic series. I think smaller adventures are easier to get your head around both in making them and playing them.
For more, the most constructive course of action would be to read the rest of the interview.
Source: Alternative Magazine Online
For those who can't wait the one day that remains without an additional sneak at The Penal Zone, you should check out this new gameplay video over at GameTrailers which depicts Sam and Max irritating Grandpa Stinky. Check it out, you weak-willed sap.
Source: GameTrailers
Known best as Harry Moleman from the Sam & Max seasons (though you probably also know his distinctive voice from TMI and A Vampyre Story as well), Tim Talbot is the latest, though certainly not the last, Bay Area voice actor to get the samandmax.co.uk treatment. Read the interview for an inside look at the storied voice actor's life, along with all the insightful insights that come with it.
Unconscionably, they failed to ask him the code phrase, though.
Source: http://samandmax.co.uk
On their spiffy new website (there's a lot of that going round) Gamesâ„¢ magazine have as one of their launch features a wonderful article called 'The Empire Strikes Out - LucasArts And the Death of Adventure Games'.
It mostly chronicles LucasArts of the turbulent 2003-2004 period, with some nice new insight to the making of Sam & Max: Freelance Police and Full Throttle: Hell On Wheels, although saying the latter received "an enthusiastic response" from fans is a bit of an exaggeration.
Sam & Max in particular has some nice info clarifying just how close the cancelled game got to what Telltale would later do. However, I'm not sure whether this was published early 2009 in the mag itself as mentions Fate of Atlantis being included with Indiana Jones & The Staff of Kings but makes no mention of Tales of Monkey Island.
Anyway, have a read for yourself.
Source: Gamesâ„¢
There have already been a few write-ups on the iPad version of Sam & Max from the device's early adopters, but this review by IGN is the first for the game's anticipated and technically superior PC version. Giving the episode a 7.2, they found The Penal Zone good with some reservations:
As an introduction to the season, The Penal Zone does a good job of setting the stage for more zaniness to come. Unfortunately, the story elements here are a bit thin but at least the episode focuses on one truly interesting new character in the cast. The send ups of the classic paranormal shows and movies are starting to ramp up and promise to deliver even more as the season progresses.
We'll keep you apprised on all the latest reviews of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse as they materialize, along with our own take in the hopefully near future. And of course, you've only to wait until April 15th before you can judge the game for yourself.
Source: IGN
Well, now that we're back and capable of at least updating the news again, I suppose we'd better put our Easter candy aside and get back to work.
The main news story that occurred during our downtime was the surprise announcement that the first episode of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, The Penal Zone, is now available for the Apple iPad! No lie! Apparently, Telltale suddenly found themselves with the opportunity to be among the device's initial apps and couldn't pass it up. Good on 'em for expanding to yet another platform, a platform which by all accounts is a good fit for what Telltale does. The episode is available for $9.99 from the Apple store, in case you haven't figured that out. The PC/Mac and PS3 premiere remains April 15th.
In related Telltale news, a new interview with Dan Connors about his studio's unexpected iPad launch has stirred up a bit of forum chatter, mainly on the basis of the following quote:
Sounds like a good way for Telltale to try out some crazier game ideas; at least if they fail, players will have known about the possibility upfront rather than getting another Bone scenario. Your thoughts?
Update: Dan Connors vs. Randy Breen!
The main news story that occurred during our downtime was the surprise announcement that the first episode of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, The Penal Zone, is now available for the Apple iPad! No lie! Apparently, Telltale suddenly found themselves with the opportunity to be among the device's initial apps and couldn't pass it up. Good on 'em for expanding to yet another platform, a platform which by all accounts is a good fit for what Telltale does. The episode is available for $9.99 from the Apple store, in case you haven't figured that out. The PC/Mac and PS3 premiere remains April 15th.
In related Telltale news, a new interview with Dan Connors about his studio's unexpected iPad launch has stirred up a bit of forum chatter, mainly on the basis of the following quote:
Frankly, and from a risk-taking standpoint, we would like to get people used to the idea that we might release a pilot of something and then if it takes, we'll green-light a season. I think that model would allow for us to take more chances and innovate more. We're still trying to figure out exactly how that could play out.
Sounds like a good way for Telltale to try out some crazier game ideas; at least if they fail, players will have known about the possibility upfront rather than getting another Bone scenario. Your thoughts?
Update: Dan Connors vs. Randy Breen!
Source: Telltale Games