The International House of Mojo

I've monkeyed around with ScummVM 0.3.0 (released yesterday, see story) and taken some screenshots, especially of the user interface, which is new to this release (and will hopefully make it easier for everyone to use ScummVM to play their old games).

Not only does ScummVM let you play many LucasArts classics on modern computers (including Windows, Mac, Linux and some oddballs like PocketPC and Dreamcast), but it supports many newer sound and video settings not found in the original versions, and lets you run games full screen or in a window. Take a look:

• ScummVM Main Menu (Double-Sized Video Mode, Windowed)
• Save/Load ("Advanced MAME" Video Mode)
• In-Game Settings (Advanced MAME, "Full Screen")
• Add New Game Screen 1
• Add New Game Screen 2
• Zak McKracken (Normal Video Mode, with IRC sneak attack)
• Sam & Max (Advanced MAME)
• Day of the Tentacle ("SuperEagle" Video Mode)
• Sam & Max (Super 2X Antialiased Video Mode)

If none of those descriptions in parentheses make any sense to you, fear not. First, just look at the screenshots, because they're pretty cool, and second, check out the ScummVM Website, the ReadMe, and most importantly the download page.

As promised, LucasArts has posted the box art for Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, which you can view here.

In addition to the sweet cover design, LucasArts conducted an interview with Drew Struzan, the creator of the box art as well as the posters for the previous Indy films and Infernal Machine. Here's a quote:

I compose the picture and elements in a strong and classical manner to set the scene with the proper emotional tone; that of secure and powerful, rock steady design. The color composition is warm, as is the trademark of so many of the Indy pieces, making it at that magic hour with the setting sun. Of course the reason I was asked to do the piece in the first place is that my style and taste is recognizable as the authentic Indy representation. With me doing it, it says immediately that this product is the real thing.

Check it out! A new screenshot for the game is also available at the site. And to those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving and aren't vegetarian, enjoy your turkey dinner!

BBC News World Edition has written an article about LucasArts, Star Wars games, and originals. Here is a quote:

The fact that [LucasArts] could almost depend on making money by exploiting interest in Star Wars meant it also had freedom to experiment with games and storylines, said Mr Sarris.

In the past it has developed popular cartoon adventures such as Sam and Max, Grim Fandango, and Full Throttle.

A sequel to Sam and Max was being developed, said Mr Sarris, as were more instalments in the Monkey Island series of games.

Courthold of Adventure Developers points out that the articled used to say that a 4th installment of the Monkey Island series was in development, but later changed. This leads us (well, it leads Jake) to believe that the article was talking about EMI. Don't get all excited, we all know there will be a fifth Monkey Island game eventually.

The SCUMM Bar has pointed out that the LucasArts Company Store is now selling a new audio CD entitled The Best of LucasArts Original Soundtracks. The CD includes music from The Curse of Monkey Island, The Dig, Outlaws, Escape From Monkey island, Grim Fandango, RTX Red Rock, and Gladius.

I just have one thing to say... it's about friggin' time! Now how about updated recordings from Monkey Island 2, Fate of Atlantis, and Sam and Max, eh? Oh, and if you live outside the US or Canada... sorry.

According to LucasArts guy Sam Saliba (AKA Gladius Man), the instruction manual for Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is going to seriously own, reminiscent of the extravagant pack-in goodies of yesteryear's games. Apparently the Emperor's Tomb team hunted down the biggest Indy fan they could find, who also happened to be an accomplished graphic designer, and set him loose on the manual.

Saliba says the full color book is covered head to toe in Indy, with numerous in-jokes and obscure references throughout for the bored (us) to dig around for. We're holding him to it. Sounds perfect for reading while waiting for it to install, or for your brother to stop hogging the game (the jerk).

Of course, there's no telling how cool the thing will be when it actually shows up along with Mr. Indy CD. At least it sounds cooler than the now-typical 2-page black and white Install Guides most games seem to come with.

In Friday's LucasArts.com update, you can find new screenshots for Star Wars Galaxies and Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. You'll notice that the in-store date for the Gamecube and Xbox ports of Jedi Outcast have been set for the week of November 18th. You may also want to check out this statement from LucasArts regarding the enviornments found in RTX Red Rock. And finally, the Knights of the Old Republic product spotlight has been updated with a new character.

On a less fortunate note, it seems the 20th Anniversary celebrations have been removed from the main page. Too bad, but I guess the fun had to stop sometime.

Update: The 20th Anniverary logo seems to have returned... but for how long?

Computer and Video Games has interviewed Tom Sarris, the head of public relations at LucasArts. The interview goes over LucasArts' increased focus on the console market, other stuff like Galaxies, and then stuff about Full Throttle 2, Sam & Max 2, and a mention of Monkey Island. Here's a question about Sam & Max 2's E3 presence next year (hint: hype!), and a bit about the gameplay:

With something like Sam & Max 2, do you have any idea of how you're going to establish such credibility?

Sarris: Not quite yet. We're so concentrated on our Fall and spring games right now that we haven't really even begun to think very seriously about what efforts we're going to need to put into Sam & Max 2. Certainly we're going to showcase it in a very high-profile way at E3 2003.

It is in development, but it's very early days right now. In the next six to eight months it's definitely going to progress to a point where we can showcase it then and show people that it's going to be a very important part of our line-up.

Presumably Sam & Max 2 will still be an adventure, but you're going to have to move away from the point-and-click style of the original Sam & Max?

Sarris: Yeah, although I'm not really sure at the moment how that looks. However, I do believe that, as with the original, there will be mini-games.

Read the whole interview over at Computer and Video Games' website.

Source: Shacknews

LucasArts announced yesterday that its Jango Fett action adventure title, Bounty Hunter, has gone gold. You can expect the game in stores around November 22nd, and unless things have changed since last july, the Gamecube version may be in stores about two weeks after that. Here's hoping that Bounty Hunter is more fun than The Clone Wars...

You can find even more goodies now at the LEC 20th Anniversary Site. First, the History of LucasArts articles have expanded to cover the 1995-1998 years and discusses games like Full Throttle, The Dig, The Curse of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, and oh yeah, Star Wars.

Be sure to also read the updated Flashbacks section for amusing stories about Fate of Atlantis character animations and being dissed by CMI's Gary Coleman. The Flashbacks also contain an interesting memory of how the LucasArts art department reacted to the news that they were going full 3D.

Finally, check out this really cool pencil animation from Outlaws as well as the original trailer for Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight. The fun never stops at LucasArts.com!

Disappointed that Mojo failed to notice, Marek points out that the LEC 20th Anniversary Site has published an interview with long time employee Mike Stemmle. You probably know Mike best as the co-designer of Sam and Max Hit the Road and Escape From Monkey Island.

He's currently working as director and designer on a new Sam and Max game, whose working title appears to be The As Yet Untitled Sam & Max? Funtime Extravaganza. Here is what Mike has to say about all that:

I'm working with Steve Purcell on the design for the all-new, butt-kickin' Sam and Max adventure game, which is poised to pounce like a caffeinated panther onto the crippled wildebeest of the gaming market in early 2004. Even as I type, our little corner of the building is abuzz with the scribbling of concept artists, the clickety-clacking of engine builders, the furrowed brows of mini-game designers, and the manly giggles of plot developers. It's a lot of fun.

Ah to be a fly on the wall in that building, eh? Click here for the full interview.

Though we missed it out of post-Halloween laziness, LucasArts posted their usual Friday update. This week the highlight is the impressive opening cutscene to Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which looks like it might be a pretty fun game (if you go in for that action thing... which you should).

And, as usual, there's some cool new art on the 20th Anniversary site. This week we're treated to a background piece from the introduction to Day of the Tentacle.

PC Gamer has posted another of their frequent "Best 100 PC games of all time" lists, chronicling, well, the best games of all time. As usual, a number of LucasArts adventure classics have made the list. Here they are:

9. Grim Fandango
27. Monkey Island 2
44. Day of the Tentacle
47. Sam & Max Hit the Road

Obviously the second half of the list is superfluous and not worth reading.

Source: The SCUMM Bar

LucasArts.com updated once again, this time showing a new trailer for The Clone Wars. You can also now take part in a new Bounty Hunter contest and view this new screenshot from Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb.

And finally, under the 20th Anniversary page, you can view this scan of The Adventurer from the Fall of 1993. This cover features a Star Wars poster parody with Day of the Tentacle characters. Wow, I've long since forgotten about that cover.

LucasArts.com has been updated with a new product spotlight for Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, which briefly appeared on Friday, disappeared on Saturday, and has now returned. The new site contains wallpaper, icons, and some interesting info. For example, it seems the big bad guard from The Shawshank Redemption is providing the voice of one of the main characters.

Dare I say it, but this site is a fairly good example of how Flash can effectively be used for web design in a non-annoying way.

The time is upon us once again when you, the loving monkey community, get to vote for your favourite sites in a number of catagories from a list of nominees.

The catagories are as follows:
-Best Monkey Island Coverage
-Best International Site
-Best LucasArts Coverage
-Most Creative Design (& Features)
-SITE OF THE YEAR

In the nominee listings you will see many of our esteemed friends along with mojo itself. Go to http://www.mia2002.cjb.net and make your choices!

Kevin "Q-3PO" O'Hara has posted another weekly update about SWG here.

Those of you who feel hard done by about not getting in to beta 1 (grumble) will be pleased to know that he discusses the details of the second beta due out announced next week.

So if you haven't yet sent off your application, hurray up!

Source: Official SWG site

LucasArts.com updated its site last Friday like always, but since we were passed out all weekend, we're only getting around to mentioning it now. First of all, you can view a new game trailer for Bounty Hunter in some kind of weird .exe file. The trailer is quite impressive and shows off some very cool ingame action. On the educational side, you can look at the history behind Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. Following that, there is a new screenshot from Gladius. And finally, check out this Full Throttle concept art under the 20th Anniversary site. Fun, no?

Have you checked LucasArts.com today? No? What kind of fan are you? Well if you did, you'd notice that the Gladius product spotlight has been updated with additions to the FAQ as well as information on weapons, helmets, and shields used in the game.

And with that, Mixnmojo is saved from another day of no updates. Thank you, Gladius!

LucasArts.com released an announcement today, stating that the upcoming Clone Wars game has gone gold for the Gamecube and will be in stores around October 29. No word on the PS2 version, but you can probably expect it soon after. Also, since there is an unwritten rule that all Mixnmojo news posts must have at least three sentences, this has been written as filler material. Enjoy.

Fridays mean more updates at LucasArts.com. You can check out the usual things like new screenshots for XBox Jedi Outcast, a character profile for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and a new screenshot from Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb that just screams, "Hello! I am looking at a giant JPEG in the distance."

But in more interesting news, check out this background art scan from The Dig, which continues the LucasArts 20th Anniversary celebration. It brings back fond memories of sawing off the arm of a German scientist.