Score
Gameplay:	9
Graphics:	8
Sound:	9
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	8.8

Sam & Max: Season 1 Review
August 7, 2007 by Andre Thomas

The developers at Telltale Games have done it again. The popular publisher Telltale has brought back the (also popular) Sam and Max series with a compilation called Sam and Max Season One. This compilation includes every episode from season one on a single disk, plus it includes a bonus cd with extras. With the following this series has, the name itself could sell, but is the point and click genre over with?

The Detectives are back!

 

Sam and Max are a couple of "unique" detectives that solve crazy crimes with comedic and farfetched twists. Their assignments range from stopping freaky child stars from wrecking havoc in the city, to going to the moon to save the inhabitants from becoming enslaved using mind control. Nothing is to far out for Sam and Max and they will go to any lengths, no matter how weird they are, to solve a mystery and save the day. This popular title has kept point and click mysteries alive.

The controls are self-explanatory and are quite literal. When we say point and click, which is what you’re literally during most of the game, we mean point and click. This may seem repetitive and boring, but those of us who remember when pc gaming first really became popular, point and click mystery games were great. The learning curve is incredibly simple! All you had to know was how to move the mouse and you were put into a brand new world of suspense like you’ve never imagined before. We all know the old saying; "If it isn't broke, don't fix it". In this sense, no other control scheme could have worked.

The storyline in each of these episodes are what really keeps fans into this popular pair of detectives. For years, Sam and Max have solved crimes in newspaper comic strips, PC games, and television shows. Their fans have stayed behind them all this time for the same reason, the story. The mysteries that they solve are so unique and unpredictable; you don't want to miss anything. You’d feel lost without knowing where the story went with the twists. I am happy to report that this fact holds true with the season one compilation.

One big thing that separates this game from any other point and click mystery is the comedy elements it provides. There are plenty of times in this game where you will find yourself laughing at Max and his hilarious phrases and reactions to Sam and other things going on in the story. What I thought was great was that it always wasn't childish comedy. There were some points in the story where I was like "wow, a child would never catch that," but it was still funny. Not many mystery games have comedic points in them because of the seriousness in the title. The comedic timing in this game keeps it fresh and fun while keeping us mindful that this is a game and not something that should be taken too seriously. Just something to laugh at and pick up and play. Not many games seem to take us there anymore. Most of them are only worried about technicalities and graphics. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make a good game with out mind-blowing graphics.

 

Wow Sam, is that a new coat?

Sam and Max stayed true to their thirteen-year-old look but upgraded it graphically. Everything in this game, graphically, just feels good. The developers don't overdo the visuals as they try to keep Sam and Max’s cartoon like appeal. If this game would have looked extremely real, I think many of the fans would have been disappointed.

Max wait, I think I heard something.

The voice acting in this game is hilarious! Listening to Sam and Max's interactions as you click on things is funny and never gets old. One of the down sides to this, however is that they don't have the original voices from the TV show. Don't get me wrong, the voices for Sam and Max are great and they fit the characters really well. But, it would have felt nostalgic to get the original voices in the game. It would have put this game over the top.

Story time fun!

The complete season one of Sam and Max gives you a brand new story on each episode. Each episode requires different methods in order to solve its case. You will never finish the newer episodes if don’t try different things each time. There are certain people who have to be interrogated in certain ways and other characters may respond to Sam and Max differently than any other character in the game. This adds to Sam and Max, making each episode feel unique.

Extra Plasma!

The plasma factor is kind of hard to pick between two things. So instead of choosing, I decided to go with both. The first is the bonus disc that comes with season one. It has trailers from both seasons, a print out poster, behind the scenes of the series and more. There is so much on this disc it should be sold separately. Speaking of sold; the second plasma factor would have to be the price. Every episode of the first season plus the bonus disc only cost $34.95 (each of the episodes normally cost $8.95, resulting at the entire season costing a little more than $53)!

 

Case Closed!

Hands down, this game is just great. With a mix of thought provoking mystery, funny twists, and unique storylines, this game is a must have for Sam and Max fans (or for any fan of point and click games). To get the complete season at such a great price, there is no reason not to get it. It looks like Point and click is back in style, and Sam and Max are leading the pack.