Customer Reviews

Sam & Max: Season One

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're even looking at this, you probably remember the heyday of LucasArts point-and-click adventures. So to that I say, "How appropriate; you fight like a cow."

Telltale Games has taken over the reigns of Sam & Max, which is great because LucasArts is trapped in the uninspired quagmire that is Star Wars. Monkey Island, Sam & Max, and Day of the Tentacle are some of the funniest and most original games ever to be produced and I'm just happy that Telltale was able to pry the cold, dead hand of LucasArts away from at least one of these franchises.

How did Telltale do? I think they certainly captured the flavor of the original game - the chaotic spirit of that masochistic lagomorph and the hilariously hyperbolic idioms that spout forth from the noir-inspired doggy. The stories are ludicrous (which is a term of endearment when talking Sam & Max). A+ for that.

However, the controls are too straight-forward, which may be why some people find this game so easy. There is no action bar or SCUMM menu. You simply click on something and the game decides what action to take, whether you pick it up or look at it. Not a huge complaint, but I liked the old way better. Some funny lines in the older games happened when you examined an item in your inventory. You still get to scroll through some funny dialogue, though. B+ for that.

My huge problem with the Wii version is that it was so choppy. Dialogue would get cut-off and some of the driving scenes were terrible (chasing Specks the Soda Popper was a nightmare because my screen was having a grand mal seizure). I'll give that a C- because I could still play through the game and not throw the Wii into a dumpster full of warm mayonnaise. Maybe it's better on PC.

I gave it 4 stars because I want Telltale Games to keep it up. I really appreciate their creativity and desire to keep point-and-click games alive. Hopefully LucasArts will allow Telltale and/or other developers the rights to classic franchises since they're clearly not making the most of them. I bought this game and you should too.

I'm not a big PC gamer so while I was happy to hear about the return of Sam & Max a couple years ago, I didn't get a chance to play their new series of gaming episodes. When I heard they were coming to the Wii, and I could control my dog and rabbit buddies from the comfort of my couch, I jumped all over it. I've had the game for a couple days and have already completed three of the episodes. Here are my thoughts so far. The comedy is surprisingly witty, with lots of references to pop culture (When discussing how they should go about killing somebody, Max suggests they watch Michael Bay movies). The camaraderie between Sam and Max really shines through, and the characters never get to the point of being annoying (with the possible exception of the Soda Poppers, although I think that was meant to be intentional). Animation is fluid and voice acting is top notch.

The episodic nature of the game has both pros and cons to it. Pros include the different jobs Sybil takes on, and the different disguises Bosco wears. Each episode, the gumball machine outside his store is packed with different goodies and the slushie machine has different flavors. Occasionally Sam and Max will refer back to an earlier episode, so it really feels like you're watching/playing a series. Cons are that the levels are really short. Like, REALLY short. Puzzles aren't overly challenging, and the only time I found myself stuck was when I wasn't looking hard enough at the scenery to notice a part to conduct an action on (like a light switch). If you really wanted to, you could finish all six episodes in 10 hours. Item use is too straight-forward. Pick up an item, use it. Other graphic adventure games I've played like Monkey Island require you to combine items to make a new item that will help you solve a puzzle. Obviously, difficulty wasn't a top priority of the development team, but a little challenge wouldn't hurt, so I could feel good about myself upon finishing an episode. I'm only slightly satisfied when finishing an ep, and I feel a certain emptiness as I watch the closing credits.

Overall, this is a fun game, and for $30, it's a decent price for a Wii game. Definitely recommend if you haven't played the PC versions yet.

I played "Sam and Max Hit the Road" on an old 386 about 15 years ago. When I saw this one, I wondered if it would live up to that experience. It did!

What a great game - It's a puzzle game, so probably not suitable for smaller kids, but my 10 and 13 year old kids love it, too!

Sam & Max: Season One is a good game. ...For PC. The Wii Version Crashes alot, has glitches, graphical errors, and has a slow frame rate.

The frame rate is really that bad. half the time nothing's moving, everything's just flickering.

When this game came out, it had been a long time since there was a Sam & Max game, or even a good adventure game released. And its top notch for sure! The Wii version seems a tad buggier than the PC version, but its still a great game. The only glitches are that occasionally, a character will get cutoff at the end of their sentence, but not by much at all.

I got Sam and Max for my wife, who has fond memories of playing point and click adventure games in the early 90s. I looked long and hard for such a thing on the Wii, and the search finally led me here.

Basic premise - you control a dog, who goes around and solves crimes. You use point-and-click with the Wiimote to solve various puzzles and close the case.

The game works well with the wii's controller, which functions almost as well as a mouse. This port is a wonderful fit, and I'm glad to see it on the Wii.

I was initially skeptical due to the goofy cartoon style, but don't let that fool you - the game still works well for an adult. The humor isn't exactly what I'd call side-splitting, but it serves to mix things up, and I've found myself laughing more than a few times.

The puzzles are varied, and the number of items you carry around is reasonable. The solution to puzzles is usually logical, if not always readily apparent. We have gotten stuck in "random click mode" a few times, but upon discovering the answer it felt like a "duh" moment on our part rather than some sort of sadistic game design. These puzzles make sense, and you're given the tools you need to solve them.

The game isn't super long, but it's not disappointingly short either. I highly recommend it for anybody looking to relive the feel of some of those classic adventure games, but with a modern and humorous twist.

I don't know, I'm not a programmer, so how difficult it is to port a point and click to the Wii I could not tell you but I wish a little more time had been spent cleaning it up. Frame rates can cause frustrating flutter if not freezing altogether for brief moments, dialogue gets cut off in the middle, Wii-mote can be difficult to move across the scene. As much as I enjoy the game and the idea behind it I find it equally as frustrating sometimes because of issues that really shouldn't be there. Sure there are many people who have already played this game but I do think with some care Sam and Max could have been a very big deal for the Wii.

Admittedly I have only played episode 1 all the way through and that went pretty smoothly. It's episode 2 where I have started to have the glitch problems. I have not gone and checked out the other episodes yet so maybe it will only be a problem with this specific episode. It's very frustrating to have to wave the Wii-mote in the air and have nothing move on the screen. It has not been frustrating to the point where I will stop playing though. I've never played this series and I do like point and click so I'll work through that and add any comments about the glitches getting any better or worse as I play along. (Add:Since this I have gone back and been able to finish episodes 2 and 3, both with few glitches, played pretty smoothly and both were honestly quite fun and a lot less frustrating than when I was originally playing episode 2)

Though after going back and playing another couple of episodes and finding them to be far less glitchy than the first time I tried to play them I would still recommend Zack and Wiki. Now there's a point and click puzzler that got it right. But then it was made specifically for the Wii in the first place.

There is certainly a place for Sam and Max and I'm glad that I've been able to play through it. I hope the seasons that followed will be made available and affordable. I will likely play them.

I would really like to see Grim Fandango come to the Wii. I'm over the Star Wars stuff. Maybe Tim Schaeffer can come up with something along the lines of Psychonauts for the Wii. Even though that wasn't a point and click it showcases just how creative he and his teams have always been.

Despite the controls being a little slow and slightly buggy, I still found the humor very entertaining. The puzzles ranged from complex to silly to easy, so levels for all "Point and Click" fans. If you are a big Sam and Max fan and own a Wii then you need to place this game just for the sheer laugh value. If you are not familiar with Sam and Max and need more action in a game, then this one isn't for you.

This game is kinda fun. And delivers reasonably good entertainment. Some of the jokes are funny. Some of the solutions to the puzzles are rewardingly bizzare. But something about the dialogue just rubs me the wrong way. It is kind of stiff. And it all just feels kind of forced and choppy. Nice to have something different to play though. A good value at $26 plenty of hours of entertainment trying to figure out which item is supposed to be used for what. Maybe when I'll get over the mario kart binge i've been on I'll come back to it and solve the rest of the episodes.