2009 Aggie Awards page 3
Best Writing – Comedy: Tales of Monkey Island
Since its inception, the Monkey Island series has been regarded as one of the funniest video game franchises around. With LucasArts' momentous decision to resurrect the series with Tales of Monkey Island, who better to bring us the fifth installment than Telltale Games, whose predominant focus on top-notch comedic adventures has marked them as a genre leader since 2004? Not since kerosene and propylene glycol came together to make Grog has a combination of elements been more successful, or busted more guts.
Much of our stomach pain can be attributed to one man. Over the course of five ambitious episodes, Guybrush Threepwood, Mighty Pirate™, never lost his sense of humor. His hilarious dialogue choices alone caused enough fits of laughter to be worthy of this award, but luckily for us Tales of Monkey Island had much more to offer. Whether you’re trying to convince giant manatees to mate or engaging in a Pirate Face-Off, Tales consistently put players in hysterically absurd situations that still feel positively vital to the plot. New characters like the androgynous Merfolk, the map-loving Van Winslow, and the impossibly French Marquis de Singe, as well as returning favorites like the Voodoo Lady and Murray the Talking Skull, made up a population of misfits ideally suited to tickle our funny bones. Add it all together, and you get one of the most uproariously funny video games in years.
Runners-Up: Time Gentlemen, Please!, Ceville
Readers’ Choice: Tales of Monkey Island
Humor is such a subjective thing, but it seems we all agree that Monkey Island is as hilarious as ever. Or at least, the new installment was full of enough thigh-slapping, side-splitting, no-more-I’m-about-to-wet-myself yuks to claim the top comedy Aggie and keep a goofy grin on our faces for five months running. The combination of witty dialogue, zany sight gags, and pinpoint comedic timing worked together to create an adventure every bit as funny as it was epic.
Runners-Up: Time Gentlemen, Please!, Runaway: A Twist of Fate
Next up: Best Writing – Drama... the envelope, please!
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