Monkey Island is one of the premier early computer age adventure games. LucasArts and Guybrush Threepwood took us on swashbuckling journeys through various puzzles and treasure hunts back in the day when not much else was around. Fast forward nearly twenty years to the re-release of Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge. Guybrush killed the mortal pirate LeChuck in the first game, but he’s back in zombie form and it’s your job to take him down yet again. With updated graphics, controls, and a few additions, is Monkey Island 2 worth buying? Hit the jump to find out.

The Secret of Monkey Island remake, released last year, brought Guybrush back from the digital retirement home with fancy new graphical upgrades. Fans of the series were pleased, but not all newcomers knew what to do. Enter Monkey Island 2, which brings back the amazing HD art remakes but adds some flair. The voiceover work for all the characters is done very well, for the most part, with a welcome ability to switch between the classic pixelated gameplay and the new art style, all the while still being able to hear the voiceover work if you so choose. The big addition here is a new control scheme where you can maneuver Guybrush with the left thumbstick like most current action games. If you still want that point and click style, you can switch back and forth at any time in the menu. LucasArts also added a hint system and interactive object highlighting so you can figure out what to do when you get stuck in some of the puzzles. And you will get stuck.

Unless you’ve played Monkey Island 2 in the past, some of the puzzles could pose a challenge. Who, these days, would come up with a puzzle where you need to get swamp mud in a bucket and rig up it up over a door so you can eventually get clothes from the laundry in order to make a voodoo doll? It’s hilarious, yet frustrating. You’ll be looking online for game guides when you get stuck, but it’s still fun. The new control scheme also poses a bit of a challenge as it’s not exactly precise, so you’ll find yourself moving back and forth a few times trying to get down a path or enter a hatch.

Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge is a great update to the classic game and a nice step forward in the series’ remakes. While it isn’t the longest game out there if you know what you’re doing with the puzzles, the bonus concept art and game creator commentary are enough reason to give this one a spin. Newcomers should definitely check out the demo while fans of the original should snatch up LeChuck’s Revenge right away.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]