Monkey Island 2 Special Edition - imuse comparison

Edit: The xbox 360 received an update which implements the imuse system (I don't know if it's true, but based on reports the 360 version simply lacked one single file which would have activated the imuse system). I haven't done new comparisons, but I assume it's on par with the PS3 version now.

This is comparison of the imuse sound system in each version of the Monkey Island 2 special edition. I used Woodtick (first town in the game) for the comparison as it's the best example in the game for the imuse system (which is supposed to smoothly change the music from tune to tune).

0:00 - 360 version
0:29 - PS3 version
0:56 - PC version
1:44 - 360 version classic mode (I did a mistake with recording here, so this particular segment is in mono)
2:28 - PC version classic mode
3:15 - The original game played in ScummVM (using emulated MT-32 music, which unfortunately isn't perfect)

360 version simply has no imuse at all. Whenever you change rooms it instantly changes tune to its starting point. PS3 and PC both have the same implementation which is actually faithful to how imuse works. As you move between rooms the song will do a unique transition, although they are very short.

360 classic mode honestly sounds awful. Not only is the music not close to its MT-32 roots, the transitions are brutally instant. PC version is better, but not by much, a few of the rooms seems to transition in a similar way as the special edition music, but some transitions are instant!

The original game has much more advanced transitions which sounds more dynamic. Unfortunately this video doesn't really do the music justice as ScummVM's MT-32 emulation is far from perfect. Which means if you want to listen to how the music is meant to be heard, you'll need a real MT-32 compatible sound card. While I still prefer the original MT-32 music, I must say the new music in the special edition is very good.

At 4:12 in the video you can see a few of my favourite dialogue from Scabb Island. I should mention that the game is quite super awesome and anyone who like adventure games should run off and buy it now! Every version of the game is great, although PC is slightly better with its full 1080p view and mouse controls.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• monkey
• island
• lucasarts
• special
• edition
• imuse
• scummvm
• xbox
• 360
• pc
• ps3

[Kooptroopa]

Thank you for posting this! I bought the 360 version (as I wanted the goofy achievements and had the live points to spare) and found the sound implementation to be horrible.

Tell me - On the PC version during the "reconciliation" conversation with Elaine, do they add the sappy romance music that jumps off key when you say something wrong? The 360 version has complete silence during this scene, which sounds really off-putting and out of place.

Considering purchasing the PC version now.

[FluffyQuack]

@Kooptroopa I can't remember specifically when I completed that scene. But I've got all the music extracted from the PC version, and I notice there's one main theme for that scene with about 33 short snippets of music which I assume is for the reactions. So it looks like they made the music for that scene properly.

That scene is entirely silent in the 360 version? Now that's a bummer.

[CptSpauIding]

I prefer the original version personally

[fotakatos]

I'm wondering what fucktards disliked this video.

[godzil42]

I love the dialog at 5:15 :D

[fourbarposer]

Thanks for going the effort to do this comparison, some people just can't appreciate the hard work the original developers put in to making all that special stuff that probably is still unique to these original versions.

I'm doing a game music project and was specifically interested in whether the special edition still had imuse, since they could certainly reproduce it without midi by using internal multitrack audio mixing of several instrument layers.

[Muffinfordinner]

Oh my god they completely fucked it up.

[PObserver]

@Kooptroopa Still, I don't know why someone would ever go through a console to play a PC game... that's as daft as getting The Orange Box for the PS3.

[Kooptroopa]

@PObserver You commented on a 5 month old post that has since been made redundant as I got the PC version a week later for $5, even came with the first SE game for free LOL.

[PObserver]

@Kooptroopa PC version doesn't have this problem. You bought a PC game for the 360 LOL.

[niaj4]

@anss321 It is actually so immersive that you hardly notice its presence ; I only did on my most recent playthroughs ! I think imuse is what makes original music transitions instead of simple fadeouts. A fine example of that is when you're at the marsh in front of Lady Voodoo's house and you hear the theme ; when you enter the coffin/boat, the drums will join in ! Also, depending on how fast you skip dialogue with Largo, his theme will always have a proper ending. That kind of thing.

[kvector]

5:16 :P

-Ahem...

-Yeah?

-How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

-A woodchuck could chuck no amount of wood since a woodchuck can't chuck wood.

-But if a woodchuck could chuck and would chuck some amount of wood, what amount of wood could a woodchuck chuck?

-Even if a woodchuck could chuck, and even if a woodchuck would chuck wood, should a woodchuck chuck wood?

-A woodchuck should chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, as long as a woodchuck would chuck wood.