Never played Escape from Monkey Island, can I still play TOMI?

[KingN]

I just bought TOMI (taking advantage of the sale), but I haven't played the previous game. I have played all the other games, Escape is the only one I haven't. Without knowing the plot of Escape, will I still be able to understand/play Tales?

[Remolay]

I played Tales before I played any Monkey Island game. The plots of the games are barely connected. All you need to know is that Elaine is Guybrushes wife and LeChuck is the bad guy

[KingN]

thanks for replying! Since I have played others in the series, I should be more than all set!

[Hayden]

Yeah, however, there are some jokes and references related to EfMI in ToMI, and they will be missed if you don't play EfMI. But... it's really not that important.

[Bunnyman]

I never played CoMI or EfMI. I played the Launch of the Screaming Narwhal before SoMI:SE and still really enjoyed it. Now the remakes of the first two games are out, I would play those first, but it doesn't matter too much. I summaries on Wikipedia for Curse and Escape and all you need to know for Tales is that Guybrush is married.

[Teeth]

Nah, Escape is just barely mentioned a tiny bit in Tales. :p Secret, Revenge and Curse are mentioned constantly.

[Jenny]

If you want to get every possible reference then yes, play Escape. But otherwise there is no need.

Playing the first three before Tales, I would highly recommend, for anyone lurking. ;)

[Danny]

Yeah, there were almost no references to EMI in the game, while playing it, I kept thinking they intentionally distanced themselves from it and only referenced the other 3 games to please the hardcore fans.

[Ash735]

Events from the first three games are mentioned all around Tales, but Escape only has like four jokes in total! So no, you don't need to play Escape, you could essentially play Tales RIGHT after Curse as it sort of carries on that same vibe.

[tabstis]

Events from the first three games are mentioned all around Tales, but Escape only has like four jokes in total! So no, you don't need to play Escape, you could essentially play Tales RIGHT after Curse as it sort of carries on that same vibe.

Which four jokes were they? :p

[Ash735]

Which four jokes were they? :p

Off the top of my head:
1) The Ultimate Insult being a requirement for the Cutlas of Kaflu
2) The Guybrush Q. Threepwood joke

...that's all I can really remember so far.

[mgrant]

There were a couple of references to LeChuck's living statue form at the end of Escape as well.

[apenpaap]

I played Tales before I played any Monkey Island game. The plots of the games are barely connected. All you need to know is that Elaine is Guybrushes wife and LeChuck is the bad guy

If you're very observant you don't even need to know those two things, as the first half minute of the game slightly hints at it. First we see a hideous green zombie pirate with a huge fluorescent beard saying "At LAST! My victory is at hand! Hehehehehe! Behold, the legend'ry thirteenth monkey of Montevideo, whose sacrifice will eternally bind the oceans themselves to my infernal will! Hehehehehe!", hinting that he might possibly be a villain. Elaine being Guybrush's wife is hinted at too: first LeChuck calls Guybrush her "mighty pirate husband", and then Guybrush commands him to "Let go of the monkey and back away from [his] wife!". Guybrush's exclamation might mean that either A: Elaine is his wife, 2: one of the monkeys in the hold is his wife, or Z: Chuck the plant is his wife.
:p

[Epic Kiwi]

It also could mean that Elaine is a monkey.

[techie775]

Off the top of my head:
1) The Ultimate Insult being a requirement for the Cutlas of Kaflu
2) The Guybrush Q. Threepwood joke

...that's all I can really remember so far.

The nice thing is they didn't mention the Herman Toothrot Quagmire from Escape in Tales.

[Debbie82]

Off the top of my head:
1) The Ultimate Insult being a requirement for the Cutlas of Kaflu
2) The Guybrush Q. Threepwood joke

...that's all I can really remember so far.

There's also #3: the "Trial of the Century-y-y-y" which mimicks the trial with Pegnose Pete, and #4: mention of LeChuck coming back as a "living statue" in ToMI's Chapter 5.