Sam & Max Episode 205: What's New, Beelzebub?

Whooee! Sam & Max Season 2 is now a wrap, and has finished with style and panache. This is the best episode of the season to date and is a fitting ending to a great game.

Sam & Max Episode 205 What’s New, Beelzebub? begins immediately after the end of Chariots of the Dogs, with Sam & Max on their way to Hell, Bosco’s body in tow. Their task is to rescue Bosco’s soul from the pits of Hell. Strangely, this way station between the world and Hell doesn’t look much like the River Styx. It does have a ferryman of sorts, but it’s Harry Moleman, not Charon. On this highway to Hell, the ferry is now a Soul Train and requires a token to board. Of course, a token to Heaven or Hell can only be obtained by dying first. Sam & Max don’t want to die just quite yet, so they must find and liberate someone else’s token. Once this is accomplished, the opening music and credits roll and the real game begins.

Hell turns out to be a corporate conglomeration that is designed to process souls with efficiency. The executive secretary is none other than Jurgen, who is absolutely hysterical in this part, much funnier than in Night of the Raving Dead. The soulless employees are Hugh Bliss, Brady Culture (both from the first Season) and a “shambling corporate blob” that plays minesweeper all day. Bliss is in charge of censorship, which is a running joke in this episode. I had complained about a previous episode containing profanity, as I detest that type of language, but I got a huge kick out of this interpretation on the subject.  Too funny, especially the side story that involves the constant cursing (censored by Bliss) by Tourette’s-inflicted Timmy Two-Teeth the rat, Jimmy Two-Teeth’s son.

With Hell as the backdrop, there is no end to Hellish humor. Songs, famous people, cartoons and other pop culture propel the jokes, visual and verbal. And, if you hated the Poppers like most of us, it’s finally made clear why they were ever included. They are truly hilarious in this last episode. Many more past heroes and villains are also present and dead in hell because of being dispatched there by Sam and Max. Other past characters are above on Sam and Max’s street.

Once Sam and Max find their way to Hell, they set about trying to free Bosco’s soul. It turns out that recent souls are displayed in dioramas of each person’s personal version of Hell. Bosco is naked and is being watched by his mother, Sybil, and a mariachi musician. There are other dioramas, and each one is just as funny. All the souls will eventually have to be liberated in order to move the game forward.

Satan himself is simply a harried executive trying to keep his job in hard times. Whoever voices Satan has the perfect accent, a type of upper-class English accent. Good help is difficult to find, and Satan must stay on top of the game if he wants to remain employed. What happens to Satan when he becomes down on his luck is sad, sad. But, he deserves it after he tricks poor Sam into selling his soul and getting a Popper for his partner in his own personal Hell.

The puzzles are plentiful and varied, and are a little more difficult this time. This is not because they are inherently more difficult to solve, but because the requirements aren’t as obvious as usually. Some solutions initially don’t seem that logical, but do make more sense once begun. An example is the method used to free the Desoto from its personal hell. It’s not an obvious solution, but is plausible when enacted. And, sometimes the puzzles require previous experience of past games, in order to know certain things.

I haven’t enjoyed an adventure game as much as this in a long time. It’s just so funny! What a way to end the Season. I so enjoyed this game. I would like to know the joke behind the title, though; I never did get that one. I know Tom Jones sang “What’s New, Pussycat”, but I don’t get the connection in this game.  Maybe someone can explain it to me.

Tell Tale have outdone themselves with this second season of Sam & Max. When all the episodes are combined into one game, this is a masterpiece of superb storytelling and entertainment. The running theme throughout has appeared to be the extreme commercialization of Christianity and other sacred objects and ideas in today’s culture. Some of the episodes haven’t played this up as strongly, but this last episode brings it all together. Turning Satan, who is a powerful fallen angel, into a parody of a corporate executive, really skewers society’s lack of Bible knowledge in general today.  The viewpoint of the writers in this send-up of religion can be taken either as a regret of how little religion really means to people today, or as an argument against the belief of anyone in any religion at all. Then again, maybe they just thought this was a funny story for Sam & Max.

Gameplay: 9.0
The gameplay is great. The story is great, the puzzles are great, and the sight gags are great.  Great, great, great.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are the same as in all the games, really nice. The cartoon style fits Sam & Max well. The characters always look just as they should.

Sound: 8.0
The sound effects and voices are always good. The music is a good fit, as well.

Difficulty: Medium
Most of the puzzles are a medium difficulty.  Some are more difficult, but help is on hand from Max.

Concept: 8.0
The humor is very original and the game is presented exceptionally well.

Overall: 9.0
The best of the episodes! I enjoyed this last episode more so than any of the others. The humor hit my funny bone dead on, and I enjoyed seeing all the stuff littered around the locations from the previous episodes. The only feature I didn’t care for was the constant traveling back and forth on the Soul Train. Everything else was a hoot, though. Everyone should get the full Season 2.