Adventure Games We Want Back

In an age when adventure games had all but given up, along came Grim Fandango to show the world how it's done. The story of Manny Calavera, a lowly salesman in the Land of the Dead, was epic, exciting, fun, hilarious and touching. Sure, having point'n'click instead of the Resident Evil-esque control scheme would have been better, but that took precious little from the game's value. Personally, I miss Glottis. And while Manny and Meche may have boarded the Number Nine, surely there's at least one more character left in the Land of the Dead who's got a story to tell.

Sure, there are a few complaints about the original Full Throttle - mostly that it was too short - but what game is perfect? Over the years, however, this point'n'click adventure has developed quite the cult following. There were sequels planned for it, but both were canceled. Personally, I'm glad the second one didn't make it out of the gate, because its creators wanted to focus it more on fighting and driving, and like all the games on this list, it should not be allowed to leave its adventure game roots. Too many games were ruined by that - see Mask of Eternity.

The greatest adventure game of all time? Some firmly believe it is. Most of the reviewers at the time certainly did. Whether it's true or not, this is certainly and undeniably another LucasArts gem. Just like the other LucasArts titles at the time, it was witty, engaging and filled to the brim with some of the best puzzles ever put into a videogame. If a reboot/sequel by a competent adventure game company doesn't sell like hotcakes, perhaps the Caponians succeeded in their nefarious plan to lower human intelligence with their 60Hz Hum.

Boy, does this game have pedigree. First off, it was written by Orson Scott Card and Steven Spielberg - with a novelization written by one of the greatest Star Wars writes of all time, Alan Dean Foster. Second, it had one of composer Michael Land's best soundtracks, the first to be released as a separate CD by LucasArts (if you own a copy, treasure it, because it is incredibly rare). And third, it's just a phenomenal game. Sure, it's a departure from the standard LucasArts style seen in Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle, but what a departure it is. Science-fiction fans simply must play this title due to its fantastic storyline. Granted, a sequel would be tough, but if you could get Orson Scott Card behind the proverbial typewriter for it, you could very well have another classic on your hands.