Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues

Sam & Max Episode 202: Moai Better Blues is the second episode of Season 2, and picks up immediately after Sam and Max have taken care of Santa back in Episode 1. They’ve just arrived back at their street (which is still torn and littered with the debris from the previous episodes), and barely have time to take a breath before they see Sybil running madly around the block while being chased by a very large, red triangle.

Well, of course, this is a Bermuda Triangle, and it appears it can only be stopped by a red-shaped octagon….You get the idea, of course.

The action soon moves to the real mystery, which takes place on Easter Island. It seems that a prophecy has foretold the imminent demise of Easter Island by a volcanic eruption, and it’s up to Sam & Max to avert this catastrophe.

While the humor in these games is always rampant and ever-present, this time around the jokes seem to be much more pointed and less general. The first episode poked fun at the commercialization of Christmas (I thought) and delivered some really funny takes on all the traditional and sometimes shallow trappings of the Christmas holiday. This second episode appears to be taking more of a concentrated aim at religion in general and Christianity specifically.

There are other running jokes, though, like the presence of several famous missing persons who have magically been transported to Easter Island, and are now in baby form. D.B. Cooper, Amelia Earhart, and even Jimmy Hoffa! Less humorous is the inclusion of the Lindbergh baby, who was murdered (maybe the game authors were referencing Charles Lindbergh, Sr., a famous pilot?).

There are pothead jokes that remind me of Cheech and Chong, and also popular book and movie references, such as the 12 monkeys. Most of these jokes are about cultural events from way back, though, and many young people will not get them. Who under 40 will remember the “Gong Show”?

Besides the written jokes, there are tons of sight gags, as well. I especially liked the way the “trophies” from the previous episodes are included in successive episodes in Sam and Max’s office, and how all the damage is still apparent. There are also many missing objects on Easter Island that have been sucked there by the Bermuda Triangle: the second half of the Twenty Commandments, Noah’s Ark, and lots of mismatched shoes.

We get to play some mini-games this time around, like a cute arcade surfing game called Wipeout, and a really fun musical/rhythm game similar to DDR and Hero Guitar, where Sam is driving down the street, running over bagpipes. These games can be played separately from the storyline. I really liked the bagpipe game!

The puzzles are about the same in terms of difficulty, although some of them are pretty challenging. Most are fairly easy, though. This episode is pretty short, too, and can be played in a few hours, especially if the hint system is used.

I’m a big fan of Sam & Max, and really enjoyed the resurrection of the crime-fighting duo in Season 1. I also enjoyed the first episode of Season 201: Ice Station Santa, and found most of the Christmas jokes funny because they poked fun at the secular aspects of the holiday. However, many of the jokes in Moai Better Blues are pointed squarely toward basic tenets of Christianity, including the 12 disciples, Jesus’s miracles and parables, and the resurrection. I am curious if this vein will continue in subsequent episodes.

Gameplay: 7.5
The game designers have found their groove. The second season is more polished and features more integrated puzzles. However, the humor seems a trifle forced at times. And, I just don’t understand the whole Lindbergh thing. If they really meant the baby (whose name was Charles Augustus Lindbergh II), then it’s tacky. But other jokes are hilarious and will make players wish they could play them back to make sure they heard them correctly. The sight gags are too rich. I especially enjoyed D.B. Cooper’s backpack. But humor aside, the whole episode is really short.

Graphics: 8.0
I love the cartoon style!

Sound: 8.0
Same as always, wonderful music and sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium
Some puzzles are easy, some are not. There is a hint system, though, and a walkthrough on the Telltale site.

Concept: 7.0 
It’s all pretty much the same as previously, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Overall: 7.8
I believe this episode to be a little superior to Ice Station Santa in the smoothness of the story and the good integration of puzzles. Some things could have been better, such as more to do at Stinky’s Diner, and more Bosco, whom I adore! However, the direction of the humor at Christianity was a little heavy-handed and could offend some players.