The Timelines of Monkey Island

Early design

Ron Gilbert began the early design of the game after completing work on Maniac Mansion, while supporting Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders from a technical standpoint. [1] [2]

Design document created

Ron Gilbert created an early design document called Mutiny on Monkey Island. It featured a more serious story with Captain Smear West as the protagonist and Governor Fat as the villain, instead of Guybrush Threepwood and LeChuck. The plot did not include a love interest for the protagonist. [4]

EGA (16-colour) available in stores

The first version to be released featured only 16 colours, with its backgrounds painted on a computer using a mouse by Mark Ferrari, Steve Purcell and Mike Ebert. [6]

Pinpointing the exact release date is difficult, as the game likely reached stores at different times. LucasArts' old website (cited by Wikipedia) lists October as the release month, but the source of this information is unclear, and it may not be correct, as the game could have reached stores by late September. [7]

Amiga & Atari ST ports released

Advertised as available in the UK by March 1991, following late-1990 announcements of an early 1991 launch. Reviews of the Amiga and ST versions began appearing internationally by mid-1991. [10] [11] [12]

Special Edition announced

The remake was first showcased at E3 2009 with updated hand-drawn graphics, full voice acting, and a remastered soundtrack with the option to switch to the original version. [14]

Work started

The team imediately started working on the game right after The Secret of Monkey Island. [16]

First public showing

Lucasfilm Games (later LucasArts) demonstrated The Secret of Monkey Island II, as it was called at the time, at the Summer CES 1991. Enchanted Realm magazine noted that LucasArts' adventures exhibited much improved graphics and refinements to the interface, placing them on the magazine's "Must Buy" list. [18]

Retail release

The IBM PC version of the game became available in retail stores in December 1991, a date listed on the old LucasArts website. This timing aligns with the oldest known full version of the game which was compiled on November 21, 1991, making a December release plausible. [7] [13]

The first review appeared in Game-X magazine (on sale December 19, 1991 to January 1, 1992) and stated that the game was already out. [20]

Special Edition announced

At the Game Developers Conference, LucasArts revealed that a new HD "Special Edition" was in development. [23]

Pitch document written

Larry Ahern and Jonathan Ackley wrote a pitch document titled The Pirate Curse of Monkey Island. It describes Elaine putting on a cursed ring and transforming into a wooden figurehead on the bow of her ship, after which the Voodoo Lady gives Guybrush five tasks to lift the curse. [26]

Development started

The programming team was assembled (Jonathan Ackley, Chuck Jordan, Chris Purvis, Livia Mackin, Aric Wilmunder) and development began. [27]

Demo featured in PC Gamer

PC Gamer released an issue featuring LeChuck on the cover, which also included a disc with a world-exclusive playable demo. [31]

Available in stores

The game became available in stores, and although it was expected to launch the week of November 10th, the exact day is uncertain. A review in GameSpot confirms its availability for that month. [33] [34]

Project begins

Around this time, following the collapse of Justice Unlimited and a six-week break, Mike Stemmle and Sean Clark met with LucasArts president Jack Sorensen. Management had decided to move forward with another Monkey Island, and the two were offered the role of lead designers. [35] [36]

E3 showcase

LucasArts showed Escape from Monkey Island at E3 2000, where attendees were able to preview the game. It went on to win Best Action/Adventure Game at the 2000 E3 Game Critics Awards. [38] [39]

Available in stores

The PC version of the game became available in North American stores in early November, with shipments reaching the UK and other European countries later in the month. [42] [43]

PS2 release

The PlayStation 2 version was released in the United States and later that month in Europe. Improvements over the PC edition included higher-polygon character models, less-compressed audio and cutscenes, and new extras such as a Monkey Kombat move chart, two-player Murrayball, Monkey Invaders, and a concept art gallery. [46] [47]

Design started

Initial design and brainstorming began. Ron Gilbert contributed to early brainstorming and Dave Grossman led the Telltale team on tone and story during this phase. [48] [49]

Telltale press release and rumours

Telltale's press release for Wallace & Gromit announced that a new episodic series would be revealed at E3. Around the same time, rumours began circulating that Monkey Island might be making a return. [50] [51]

Chapter 1 released

The first episode, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, premiered on PC, introducing the story arc that would continue across the season. [53]

The WiiWare version followed a few weeks later, as was the case for all episodes in the season. This delay was caused by the extra work required to shrink the game below Nintendo's strict 40 MB file size limit and to pass the company's certification process ("Lot Check"). [54]

Chapter 3 released

The Lair of the Leviathan deepened the mystery and introduced new locations and antagonists. [56]

Chapter 5 released

The final episode, Rise of the Pirate God, concluded the arc with an epic confrontation and wrapped up the season's major threads. [58]

PlayStation 3 release

Tales of Monkey Island was released on the PlayStation Network in North America as a complete five-chapter set. The European release followed shortly afterwards. [60]

iPhone release

The first episode, marketed as Monkey Island Tales on iOS, became available on iPhone. The remaining episodes were released over the following months, with the fifth and final episode arriving on February 23, 2012. [62] [63]