Maniac Mansion or Day of the Tentacle? YOU decide!!!

[Woodsyblue]

I've noticed a divide on these forums between those who love Maniac Mansion and those who love Day of the Tentacle. I know there have been threads on this before but I thought I'd start a poll because I'm very interested in whether one game is significantly more popular than the other or if they are more even than one would think.

Please be aware that I am generalizing here, I know that everybody has their own unique opinion. That being said I have found two general camps the fans belong in: Those who love Maniac Mansion complain that Day of the Tentacle abandoned the things that made the MM great and forced itself into a generic adventure game mold. Those who love Day of the Tentacle complain that Maniac Mansion was to hard and the ability to die made the gameplay frustrating.

If you haven't played either then please don't answer the poll. I don't mean to exclude you or anything but you are not really adequately equipped to contribute the discussion. I recommend filing the names 'Maniac Mansion' and 'Day of the Tentacle' away mind as games you get you should get around to playing some time and once/if you complete them both come back here and give us your two cents

I personally picked Day of the Tentacle. I thought it was a masterpiece from when LucasArts where right in their prime. Also, I just loved Laverne, she was my kind of crazy XD. I suspect that Day of the Tentacle will win this battle convincingly but I'll let the numbers to the talkin'. Also, I'd love to hear from you Maniac Mansion fans (and I know you are out there) as to why you think that game is better.

This isn't usually a problem on the Telltale forums but I hope we can all keep things spirited. Articulate and well prepared arguments FTW! For funsies I'll end with the poster art for each game:

[GaryCXJk]

I think it's more like Day of the Tentacle IS Maniac Mansion, therefore it is redundant to compare Maniac Mansion to Day of the Tentacle, because the latter in essence is also the former.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

I think it's more like Day of the Tentacle IS Maniac Mansion, therefore it is redundant to compare Maniac Mansion to Day of the Tentacle, because the latter in essence is also the former.

Huh? I'm somewhat confused by this post.

Also, I can already tell how this is going to go. Day of the Tentacle is revered in this community...for no good reason mind you, but it still is. Oh, and I'm the resident Day of the Tentacle hater. I don't MEAN to clash with the community so often, I just happen to...do that.

[Toothless Gibbon]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Day of the Tentacle is revered in this community...for no good reason mind you, but it still is.

In your opinion, in which you are a very small minority.

It's widly regarded as one on the best adventure gaems of all time, but I guess everyone else is wrong?

[GaryCXJk]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

Huh? I'm somewhat confused by this post.

The game officially is called "Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle". Alas, the game takes place in said "Maniac Mansion", at least for a good part.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by Toothless Gibbon

In your opinion, in which you are a very small minority.

It's widly regarded as one on the best adventure gaems of all time, but I guess everyone else is wrong?

I'm fairly certain that fans of adventure games can agree that the most popular thing is not always the best thing when it comes to entertainment and art. Of course what I say is my opinion, I'm saying it. I don't see a reason to add an "in my opinion" addendum to everything I say, I was pretty sure that statement didn't imply that everyone thought that. In fact, couldn't POSSIBLY be taken to mean that, because it said "Everyone thinks this, but it's pretty unfounded". Everyone can't possibly agree with me that everybody should be disagreed with. It just wouldn't make sense.

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

The game officially is called "Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle". Alas, the game takes place in said "Maniac Mansion", at least for a good part.

So? That makes it part of the Maniac Mansion series, not making it "Maniac Mansion"(which, in a "versus" discussion, is the only possible inference). _____ 2: [Subtitle Here]" is not _____, it just belongs to the _____ series.

[AlmostApollo]

I think anyone that enjoys Maniac Mansion should have to pick Day of the Tentacle anyway. Wasn't the full original Maniac Mansion game in Day of the Tentacle? It was in the version that I played... DoT should be an obvious choice since it has both. :P

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by HumpsMcLovin

I think anyone that enjoys Maniac Mansion should have to pick Day of the Tentacle anyway. Wasn't the full original Maniac Mansion game in Day of the Tentacle? It was in the version that I played... DoT should be an obvious choice since it has both. :P

I suppose anyone who likes ____ should also like ____ submerged in manure, then, since it has both ____ AND manure. Sure, you have to survive through actually digging through the manure to get to the thing you want, even though the original can be used just fine without having to deal with something terrible, but hey, it has MORE.

[GaryCXJk]

Okay, now you're just acting a bit childish, probably even offensive.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

Okay, now you're just acting a bit childish, probably even offensive.

Childish, maybe.

But really? Can a heavily negative opinion of a video game offend somebody? It's...a video game. Surely, you must have issues with any discussion that involves Escape from Monkey Island, because there are tons of offensive opinions about that particular title.

Perhaps I'm being a bit snarky about how I express my opinion, and it appears condescending. I'm sorry about that, but there are certain flaws in logic that had to be addressed. Could I have done it with more civility? Probably, and I can try to work on that. I forgot that the same hatred for something can't be expressed in the same way when most people disagree with you.

[Frogacuda]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

I'm fairly certain that fans of adventure games can agree that the most popular thing is not always the best thing when it comes to entertainment and art. Of course what I say is my opinion, I'm saying it. I don't see a reason to add an "in my opinion" addendum to everything I say, I was pretty sure that statement didn't imply that everyone thought that. In fact, couldn't POSSIBLY be taken to mean that, because it said "Everyone thinks this, but it's pretty unfounded". Everyone can't possibly agree with me that everybody should be disagreed with. It just wouldn't make sense.

Any statement of quality or preference is inherently an opinion. Anyone that needs that pointed out should probably avoid the internet.

I do greatly prefer DoTT. It really took LucasArts games to the next level as far as looking and feeling like a cartoon, being a full talkie, streamlining, etc. The puzzle design was excellent too. The only flaws I can think of were that it lost a lot of MM's darkness, and it was on the easy side.

[GaryCXJk]

Or, you could also have done it without calling DotT a piece of crap in every post you make in this thread. It really gets annoying to see once every somewhat post with what basically says "but it's still crap".

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by GaryCXJk

Or, you could also have done it without calling DotT a piece of crap in every post you make in this thread. It really gets annoying to see once every somewhat post with what basically says "but it's still crap".

I could avoid calling it crap, but that would also avoid expressing my opinion in a thread that specifically asks for it.

[Epic Kiwi]

You haven't mentioned what about it you hate so much..?

Do you hate other games Lucasarts made around the same time, like Sam & Max, or is there something specific you dislike about DoTT that's different from anything else LA has done?

[BeeKay84]

Both aren't my favorites, but personally, I still prefer Day of the Tentacle, because it's way funnier and easier than Maniac Mansion. MM was so hard, I couldn't even solve it with a walkthrough. Well, I could solve it some day, but something that should've worked didn't work at all.

But I am thankful for MM, because without it, the SCUMM engine would've never existed. I guess.

[RMJ1984]

Day of the Tentacle, its just so much more refined, in graphics, music, style, humor, gameplay! Dott forever and ever and ever!

One can only dream if Telltale somehow got to make a series on DOTT!, That would be so CRAAZZZY! oh well one can always dream sniff.

[Secret Fawful]

Both are the Maniac Mansion franchise, so Maniac Mansion.

[Irishmile]

DOTT... I just never could get into MM... I always give up too easy.

[adventureaddict]

I tend to stay away from games that are near-impossible, and have only finished one or two adventure games where you can get stuck/die.
I remember playing MM as a child though, and I think the theory of the gameplay is fantastic, and I did try and play it multiple times throughout the years, I could just never figure it out.

Anyway, my avatar should say where I put my vote. =P

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by Jade Zealot

You haven't mentioned what about it you hate so much..?

Do you hate other games Lucasarts made around the same time, like Sam & Max, or is there something specific you dislike about DoTT that's different from anything else LA has done?

It's isolated. At at least LIKE all other LucasArts adventures, including Escape from Monkey Island. I do have reasons for my dislike, a lot of them rooted in the fact that I first played and enjoyed Maniac Mansion.

1. Atmosphere

I absolutely adored the original Maniac Mansion's atmosphere. It was spooky, it had dark humor, and it mirrored the atmosphere of 80s horror. In contrast, Day of the Tentacle is a...cartoon. And a loud, bright, obnoxious, badly voice-acted one at that. I like cartoons, I like comedies, Sam and Max is an amazing game and I love that franchise to death, but Day of the Tentacle was too much in the wrong franchise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHH...layer_embedded

2. Gameplay

If I were to describe Day of the Tentacle's gameplay, I'd have to go with "Maniac Mansion for retards". No death, which contributes to the atmosphere problem. After all, if you're not picking them off one by one, the intensity is lost. You don't pick the kids, they're pre-picked for you. You use their unique abilities, but only the one of the kid you have, so you have only one solution to each puzzle.

3. Story

This is brief and admittedly minor in comparison to the first two. Only one ending. I don't like the story of Day of the Tentacle, but honestly it's the least of my issues compared to how it was executed.

There are probably more issues I have, but those are the main ones.