Monkey Island 2 Special Edition is Official

To the delight of fans and adventure game enthusiasts, LucasArts has announced that it is going to release a Special Edition version of Monkey Island 2: Lechuck's Revenge.

The Special Edition is basically a remake of the original game, now in updated graphics, voice overs, and more. LucasArts has decided to update Monkey Island 2 after the recent success of The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and its collaborative effort with Telltale Games in releasing the latest game in the franchise, Tales of Monkey Island.

The Monkey Island series was a hugely successful game franchise in the 90's, starting with The Secret of Monkey Island and spawning off many sequels. Gamers are placed in the shoes of the pirate Guybrush Threepwood as he battles with his arch nemesis, LeChuck, who keeps coming back in badder forms (starting off as a ghost, then becoming a zombie, and then upgrading his badness in becoming a demon).

The Monkey Island franchise's success is thanks to its incredible humour (which to this day still has not dated), its rich and memorable characters, its well-balanced gameplay (the puzzles are hilarious but also make sense), and even its music.

Both of the first games in the series were originally the brainchild of game design and game scriptwriter veteran Ron Gilbert.

Fans would be pleased to know that Dominic Armato returns to do the voice-overs for Threepwood.

As to a release date? No date just yet, although the game is set to release this coming winter-time (South Africa) and will be available for PC, Mac, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and even iPhone.

Official feature list from LucasArts:

Play it again for the first time with signature Special Edition features

• All new re-imagined contemporary art style, hand-drawn to feature
  animation quality and presented in high definition
  
  
• Re-mastered music score presented in full orchestrated detail
  .
  
• Complete voice over using the original Monkey Island franchise cast
  brings the story and characters of the original adventures to life like
  never before
  
  
• Scene-for-scene hot swap allows for seamless transition between
  special edition and classic modes anywhere and at any time.
  

• All-new direct control option allows players to control Guybrush directly if they choose
  .
  
• Revamped hint system highlights objects of interest in the environment
  .
  
• In-game audio commentary from the game’s creators gives players
  direct insight into select scenes of the game
  .
  
• Bonus art viewer lets players view original and new concept art used in
  the making of the game
  .
  
• Character voiceover available in both Special Edition and Classic
  modes
  .