Evolution of PC Graphics and Sound as told by The Secret of Monkey Island

LucasFilm Games in early '90 prepared a wide variety versions of the same game: "The Secret of Monkey Island".
The first DOS version of the game can be played on Hercules Graphics Card with PC-Speaker, final version of DOS SoMI works on VGA PCs with CD. Enhanced "talkie" version was prepared couple years ago using speech tracks from The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition.
As a bonus I've also included Atari ST, Amiga and Sega CD versions of SoMI.
[0:00:00] Hercules + PC Speaker
[0:07:49] CGA + Tandy 3-voice
[0:15:34] EGA + GameBlaster (CMS)
[0:23:39] VGA + AdLib
[0:31:37] VGA + CD-Audio
[0:39:28] VGA + MT-32 (Talkie)
BONUS:
[0:47:54] Atari ST
[0:56:11] Amiga
[1:04:37] Sega CD

[@Mystemo]

You know that a song is good when you can still stomach listening to it comming from an internal PC speaker.

[@carl_the_]

yes!

[@raspberry144mb3]

It's less indicative of the song itself and more indicative of the care put into the PC speaker rendition of the song. The same level of care was NOT put into the Atari ST version.

[@steffennilsen2132]

It sounds like the pc speaker is having a stroke trying to achieve polyphony, but yes it is a very good rendition considering its 1bit nature

[@mattaaron6142]

When u seek out the original PC speaker version or adlib vs orchestral remaster

[@mattaaron6142]

@@steffennilsen2132 1bit 8khz mono some odd

[@andynonya1490]

Its hard to imagine nowadays that there used to be so many vastly different versions of the same game all around the same time period

[@DirkPittNCC1701]

i wish that more games with this level of quality would be produced

[@dissected1]

The old PC speaker is still so impressive. single channel puls modulation at its finest and most creative. unbelieveable what can put pulled out of this. Oh, and nice video bzw, very informative!

[@Bark777]

Indeed. This PC speaker music is even better: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maHWaYmvqr-iqaM

[@manocset]

Yes you are right but the Pinball Fantasies has came out two years later when the CPU-s was better.

[@floydmayflower]

@@Bark777 That's not real "PC speaker" music. That game has a built in MOD player and it's playing MOD files using the CPU as a DAC. It's not producing the sound, it's just playing a file.

[@HrLBolle]

I don't know whether you know about this knew DOS Games Planet X3 by David Murray ( The 8-bit Guy on KZbin), but here is a link to the game ost pc speaker kzbin.info/www/bejne/eH6ZdH5_etuVaJo

[@nathangamble125]

I think PC Speaker sounds at its best when it's trying to emulate an Amiga. It tries so hard... kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoTZm2Z-n92cn8U

[@oscwavcommentaccount]

For mobile users: [0:00:00] Hercules + PC Speaker [0:07:49] CGA + Tandy 3-voice [0:15:34] EGA + GameBlaster (CMS) [0:23:39] VGA + AdLib [0:31:37] VGA + CD-Audio [0:39:28] VGA + MT-32 (Talkie) BONUS: [0:47:54] Atari ST [0:56:11] Amiga [1:04:37] Sega CD

[@BlueBox88]

I wonder why ega and gameblaster are in a different key?

[@UltromanTheTacoman]

@@BlueBox88 I think it has to do with the sounds the card could make. I don't think it could make sounds which sounded different enough to each other, that you could have several instruments play in the same key, without it sounding like one sound that constantly changed only a tiny bit between instruments. There is a clear separation between the instrument playing bass, the base melody in the mids and another for the high notes. But I'm talking from absolutely no experience with making music for these cards or their hardware :P I've just been making electronic music for 20 years on a hobby-level.

[@HalfLife-hq8eu]

Thanks bro

[@puuuuuutamadre]

PC Speaker ALWAYS will be the most impresive by far for........... it pulls some tears from my ears when i just ear it, 20 years later...........

[@CP200S]

PC Speaker wave driver still impresses me!

[@saxojon]

One sound at a time..

[@angelvids6024]

30

[@modology]

Roland MT-32 is just god damn incredible compare to all other version. It even sounds better than CD-Audio version.

[@jordanscherr6699]

Remember that both CD and Roland MT-32 versions are created by similar methods. More care was put into the composition of the MT version, and there's no compression in the individual instruments. So the CD version could have been just as good if it was done with equal production values.

[@mr.pendleton7121]

Jordan Scherr How did he get voices to work alongside the roland mt-32? In most videos that show the talkie patch for Monkey Island, sound from the special edition overrides everything.

[@jamiehav0k62]

@@mr.pendleton7121 Hes probably playing in dos rather than scummvm

[@Delta225]

@@jamiehav0k62 I played through the whole game like this in scummvm, both parts worked just fine.

[@nathangamble125]

@@mr.pendleton7121 My understanding is that for this to work you need to have a PCM-capable soundcard (i.e. a SoundBlaster) *AND* an MT-32. Expensive and impractical for most people in those days, but amazing.

[@DanielSong39]

Huge jump from EGA to VGA and Game Blaster to AdLib. Once you had the VGA/AdLib combination with the 486 processor, PC's absolutely owned! Another big jump would follow with the Pentium, 3D graphics card, CD sound, and 15-16bit color, and we've had diminishing returns since.

[@Nikioko]

The Amiga was somewhere in between. And a lot cheaper than a PC with VGA and Adlib.

[@Delta225]

Opinions on the sound of each PC Speaker - Impressive considering the limitations. One square wave that couldn't be adjusted at all doing THAT is actually pretty amazing, especially with the limited tools at the time. Tandy - Sounds like if the PC speaker had just two more voices. In fact, it is a PC speaker with 3 voices and noise capability. Creative Game Blaster - The stereo is really nice, reminds me of the Amiga, only more 8 bit. Also this particular recording has the Game Blaster set to play two semi-tones above the intended key for some reason. Adlib - Because of how it's tuned ever so slightly lower than the others, it sounds a little depressing. Combine that with the lack of decent percussion and it really seems like the Monkey Island soundtrack wasn't made with FM synthesis in mind. CD ROM - This one kind of disappoints me, mostly because of how this isn't taken from real instruments, and instead opts to be a high quality recording of a MIDI with some effects in there. Doesn't really take advantage of CD technology now, does it? Roland MT-32 - This is the way Monkey Island was meant to be enjoyed. It's almost as though the soundtrack was composed with an MT-32, it sounds so definitive, so full, so... right. It's my personal favorite version. The fact that there's a version of this where the characters talk is extra special. Atari ST - Even though the Atari ST is 16-bit with even some hints of 32-bit, the sound is still 8-bit like. The sound chip is severely outdated for it's time and it shows here. Guess Atari hadn't learned from the 7800. (Using the same sound technology as the 2600 in the 7800.) Amiga - Definitely a contender for best version, but nothing beats the MT-32. It really didn't take full advantage of the Amiga's sound chip, but it still sounds really good, as most Amiga compositions do. Sega CD - See CD ROM.

[@LunaTheStars]

Seeing the Adlib and how it’s slightly depressing, I wonder if Creative would’ve done better with 3x YM2203’s (OPN) rather than the YM3812 (OPL2)

[@_Leouch]

I remember how bind blowing were amiga back in the days.

[@eds2011]

Keep in mind that Roland MT32 is too expensive for this era. Is more easier to see and listen the cd-rom version for IBM PC than listen in MT32(back in the 90's). I love mt32 and I think it's the best too, but how many people have this card? I'm brazilian and I remember the best sound card is Sound Blaster in most of the computers that we have. Normally the PCs come with "multimedia computers" (with cd-rom capable, microphone and the sound blaster variations of SB16), so, this is the way...haha The same thing happen with Mortal Kombat and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo.

[@arciks11]

I disagree with Adlib version sounding poor. I find Adlib's soundtrack to be way easier on ears than Game Blaster. And Amiga version to me sounds kinda off.

[@cjmillsnun]

The adlib wasn’t a creative card.

[@steffennilsen2132]

I really like the Gameblaster for its mix of early computer sound and actual capabilities. Interesting that this version has such a prominent stereo emphasis over the other versions.

[@Gggrrrrrrrr23]

The Amiga version kicks ass

[@arielmatiagrieco]

just beautiful

[@JackTF]

@@arielmatiagrieco Sound made by sound guru Chris Huelsbeck himself.

[@mattyjohnsson257]

That is my childhood. That is IT.

[@johnnyw525]

The best

[@MasterCrawford88]

The amiga version is ass

[@adz929]

Damn the Amiga sounds and looks awesome!

[@LimeyLassen]

Interesting how they completely rebuilt the artwork for VGA. Remaster isn't he right word for it, the aesthetic is different.

[@Risingson2]

I always thought the EGA version is artistically superior to the VGA one

[@Risingson2]

@Andrés Ferrari oh yes that's me. Don't say it too loud or they will find out about my real age :)

[@tammycarmonadesign]

They used to develop actual artwork on paper sketches and then digitize it. So they could rerun the whole process from scratch, and of course it would end up looking different.

[@MonkeyspankO]

EGA was my jam. Good memories...in a light wine sauce.

[@gustavosantos106]

This must be the only one game whose intro I've never skipped.

[@saxojon]

I quite literally skipped the games but never the intro. I never got around to play them, but I consider this theme to be one of the best, if not the best, themes in gaming.

[@jordanscherr6699]

I swear, Commodore's Executive structure shot them in the foot SO hard! The Amiga was out and kicking long before the EGA and Adlib equivalents where available. Look up the story of Commodore's mismanagement and "dismissal" of the one guy who understood the Amiga for what it was. Without a sane and clear head, it was just a matter of time before DOS caught up, then blew away what Commodore had in graphics and sound.

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

Imagine how different computing could've been if computers like the Amiga, Sharp X68000, Fujitsu FM-TOWNS, and Acorn Archimedes had stuck around...

[@Nikioko]

The Amiga graphics had 32 colors at 320x200 pixels, thus somewhere between EGA and VGA. And the onboard sound system was better than PC speaker, and sound cards were very unusual and expensive in PCs back then.

[@jordanscherr6699]

@@Nikioko Even so, Commodore could have had the cream of the crop even by that point. But instead their power structure weeded out anyone who could keep up the momentum. As a result, they weren't the top anymore, and just kept falling behind.

[@Nikioko]

@@jordanscherr6699 Yes. In the 80s, they were top. But by 1992, when Monkey Island 2 and Indiana Jones 4 consumed 11 disks, the downsides were obvious. They didn't keep up with the development of the PC, and in 1993, when 486s with sound cards and VGA became standard, they were out.

[@daishi5571]

@@Nikioko But in 1992 Amiga had AGA which had capabilities of SVGA. And while the sound chip hadn't been upgraded, due to the Chipmem upgrade it was now more capable than ever. Big box Amigas had both sound cards and video cards available and all Amigas had CPU upgrades available. I have said many times it wasn't the Amigas capabilities that were the problem but that only few knew what they were. The Amiga could do anything a PC could do and then some.

[@jakeconer]

I’m just imagining someone with a Hercules and PC speaking playing this game. Then suddenly upgraded to a computer with VGA and ADLib. I think he would have a heart attack trying to process that it was the same game.

[@Boykissing_foxman]

So this is what computers were like back then huh? Only a few colours and a few sounds! Wow, today sounds so advanced now that I realise it.

[@sashakrasnov7233]

Man, you did a really great job! Thx! It's breathtaking!

[@dam-soft]

Alexander Krasnov Thank You!

[@jesperandersen3354]

EGA with Game Blaster was my childhood and the combination i most fondly remember! :D It was something magical about EGA and how its partly crude drawing made it mystical and let my imagination fill in the blanks. Same reason i prefer "A Short Hike" pixelated (not the most pixelated setting, one above). I feel the same with all those old Lucasarts/film and Sierra point and click games with that EGA look. It's very characteristic.

[@theguardian8317]

Note that these visuals and audio aren't obtained from the real hardware but using emulation / Virtual Machines

[@farhanatashiga3721]

How do you know Sherlock?

[@elmalloc]

@@farhanatashiga3721 he smarter than

[@samdiego1965]

31:39 is the one I had as a kid back in 94. Best CD-ROM game I ever played

[@Caleb-fv5fp]

The mt-32 sounds magical! so much better then cd audio

[@Dornpunzel]

And here i am.... sitting in front of this video, feeling happyness while watching monochrome with a pc speaker song, reminding me of my childhood - wondering why the hell did i jump on that hardware madness train, buying a RTX 3080 for around 1400€ couple of months ago. People can be stupid.

[@cjmillsnun]

VGA/ Adlib for me. It’s how I first played the game.

[@jonathanmartensson8535]

My right ear loved the GameBlaster version

[@natashaestes154]

Amiga is a bonus inclusion. That's the one we had 😃

[@Schule04]

The hercules graphics are probably the reason why all the items you can point at are spelled out on the bottom of the screen. Because otherwise you can't make out what you're even clicking on.

[@space302]

The hercules version seems to be a hastily made conversion from other versions. They could have made it much clearer but that would have required redrawing everything in a higher resolution.

[@powerdude_dk]

Very nice collection of comparisons!

[@SomeBlokeOrWhatever]

I guess I'm the only one who has some love left for Soundblaster 16/OPL-2 Synth. There is something a bit magical about the _distinctly computery_ sound of old FM Synth based music. Like a natural evolution of a Chiptune.

[@vubhuhjkbhubohjb]

Amiga owned it by monkey island 2 things had changed but the amiga is the definitive version of monkey island 1! 4 floppies of goodness.

[@MrWolfTickets]

Well done, thanks so much for making this. I'm surprised the Atari doesn't sound better. I thought it had better built in sound

[@eds2011]

Seems quite interesting how the Sega converted Monkey island game. Use the Amiga version but build the cd-rom music. Shame for Sega not use the PC-DOS version (with sound effects it's possible to run in sega cd + genesis hardware)

[@detlaslegacy]

The amiga was fascinating.

[@vexxxc]

SEGA CD SOUNDCHIP: Ricoh RF5C164

[@XS_Sanz]

So many good memories! Thank you!

[@Anonymous-jh4nr]

What a pleasant surprise on SEGA . Nice :)

[@citroenboter]

Ah man, the AdLib version is just the version that's most nostalgic to me and I love it. The earlier ones are seriously impressive though.

[@RizzAustralianHistory]

Man I a have a soft spot for gameblaster music and sound.

[@shazcow]

The PC Speaker is working so damn hard

[@AndrewK2685]

Wow compatible with so many prototypes!! True Legend

[@thetwistedsamurai]

All Sierra games, from what I remember as a kid, were played on Adlib. Super nostalgic.

[@David_Larkin]

xXt0x1c-sl1m3Xx Sierra had an contract with roland where every soundtrack needed to be composed for the MT-32

[@thetwistedsamurai]

That's smart of them. At least it sounds good in Adlib too!

[@cjmillsnun]

This is a Lucasfilm game.

[@thetwistedsamurai]

@@cjmillsnun Didn’t Sierra and Lucasfilms work together for a while?

[@BOX_corporation.]

@cjmillsnun Its actually a lucasarts game

[@giuseppescalia1256]

Amiga i miss you 😭😭😭

[@GrnGht]

Man the amiga version brought me back, I played this originally on an a500

[@lelxrv]

With Loom I prefer EGA, but in case of Secret VGA is vastly superior. Especially those portraits by Iain McCaig.

[@Nikioko]

The Amiga Version was very good for its time. With 32 colors, it was somewhere between EGA and VGA, and the sound was really good. So, for a home computer, you got a lot of value, as the performance was better than on most IBM-compatible PCs.

[@madden8021]

Sad that the Special Edition doesn't get an Honorable mention which shows as to how far computers had come since then.

[@Daehawk]

VGA and SVGA is where my memories still live.

[@JamesSmith-fl2ky]

I played the EGA version of this game + soundblaster as a kid, and I had NO IDEA there were Atari ST and Amiga versions. Mind blown. I will need to see if there is some way to play an emulated Amiga version. I wanted an Amiga very badly but never was able to get one.

[@bigblackbadger1]

Night sky looks like a sunrise on the Atari 51:00

[@madcommodore]

WOW your monochrome mode dithered Hercules graphics are scaled so badly they look nothing like they should lol

[@mong9abba]

Damm!! I grew up with adlib card. It fantastic sound !!

[@Abdelrahma.]

Damn i can't believe that this game released on sega and sounds are impressive can dool with mt 32

[@theresin]

People these days will never understand what it was like getting your first Game Blaster. It really was a whole different world.

[@decfairlight3228]

Kind of an odd choice given the game had a Tandy color mode and the average PC user on an XT system would have had CGA and the PC speaker or an Ad-Lib. Always nice to see the Hercules version of the game though.

[@omc8872]

I had a Sega master system while my cousing had an Amiga500 with 1 mb extension rom....Amiga was like magic to me. Never forget Hero Quest 2 legacy of solarys.

[@samthemultimediaman]

The Atari ST versions music seems like it was rushed, Iv heard much better remixes of the Monkey island theme played on the Atari ST than what was in the game.

[@neocolors]

Great Video! I played VGA/CD Sound. Interesting that they edited out the sunrise/set, good decision though because it‘s always 10 o’clock in Melee Island and at this time there is no sunrise/set in the caribbean!

[@patrik1414]

VGA+Adlib enough for me in 2022.

[@PTsR]

You forgot about Macintosh version

[@dottthemovie]

THIS CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED BY ONE WORD ------- A M A Z I N G !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@rikustorm13]

VGA AdLib is so good omg :o

[@LeeTennant90]

Great video. I grew up with the Atari ST version and still my favourite game. But plaited a lot if the others ions too. Midi music sounds awesome. Recently set PC up with Roland and its great.

[@Unoriginal_Fox]

0:13 Hey, it's trying its best.

[@JCORR76]

EGA is the best version!!!

[@AgeofReason]

*I came for the PC speaker sound only.*

[@TienNguyen-fr7we]

Thanks a lot for this Video. I enjoyed it very much 🙂

[@heibk-2019]

Gameblaster and Pc speaker are my favourites

[@london3618]

Roland really beats all. However, the amiga part made me smile most because I played that for at least 300000 hours😆

[@profdrdick010101]

Still amazed how superior the Amiga sounds were. Thank you, Chris Hülsbeck!

[@Raul-vlc-86]

VGA/Adlib is perfect for me. The pixel is a thing of beauty; same with the Adlib. (This game didn't need remasters, it looks considerably uglier to me; that's just my opinion)

[@erlendstaavi1151]

i ended up here from ahoys video

[@pinheadmarineii4615]

Who didn't?

[@CascadianRanger]

Because of him I beat monkey island, am playing through monkey island 2 and am getting the lucas arts pack on steam

[@DschungelKatze]

Feeling nostalgic about the game I haven't even played. Weird feeling but I like it.

[@mimosa27]

When will you play it?

[@diondewet]

Well done at putting this together

[@AaaSWE]

I have always liked the mt-32 version.

[@Bloodshade]

VGA + CD is definitely the one that hits the best without it being ear gape

[@ark333]

why it's dusk visible in EGA in the docks scene, and not in the VGA version?

[@RetroJ0E]

Don’t forget EGA w/ Adlib!

[@ObiWanBillKenobi]

46:18 Hey, Rob Paulsen is the voice of the peg leg ghost pirate!

[@Planetdune]

Wait what ? There is a talkie version on the old graphics ? I thought the only talkie version was the HD remaster but that doesn't let you have the old graphics with voice. They did include this on MI2 remaster.

[@HerecomestheCalavera]

Ultimate Talkie edition

[@imperia777]

There is tools to extract the voices from remastered versions and put them into normal versions so they become talkies. This is the way I like to play mi1 and mi2

[@axperience4503]

Sid doesn‘t like to be called by his family name.

[@domby8897]

The music on the Amiga version sounds wrong to me

[@OMA2k]

@Gabriel Eder The Amiga didn't exactly have a sound card but a DAC that played MODs with samples

[@alfredodelriofortich]

Cuando he visto el de AMIGA me he puesto a aplaudir de la emoción

[@eyeball226]

Whoever arranged the main theme for the Amiga did some weiiird stuff to the middle section. Can't work out if there was some kind of technical limitation that caused them to rewrite the melody or if they just felt like it.

[@arciks11]

So from what I understand Sega-CD version has a hack that undarkens in.

[@Alianger]

I believe CGA is actually older, being from 1981 while Hercules is from 1982. I don't suppose this game had different visuals for TGA or CGA+ modes?

[@nekokna]

i just loooooooove pc speaker sounds(when well done)

[@vertigoz]

Love them all!

[@Scripture-Man]

The MT-32 version is easily the best, and it's great to see a version with speech. Just a shame it lacks the ambient sound effects! I hope one day someone can make a version with the original MT-32 music + speech + ambient sound effects, ideally with volume controls for all three :)

[@theguardian8317]

There were never talkie editions of MI 1 + 2 until the modern versions. It's some sort of fan made version.

[@Dracobyte]

Whats the difference between that and the CD version.

[@theguardian8317]

I don't think anyone knows of the little differences between all the different versions of MI1 that where released over the years but in general I see it as 3 types of sound & music you could get: - For earlier systems the only option was PC speaker or integrated audio. - For PCs that had installed an additional sound card then you would configure MI to play the sound files with the hardware you had, e.g. Sound Blaster, Roland, Gravis; The MT-32 was sort of an add on for Roland cards that would make the music sound better. Basically the music come in sort of instruction files that each hardware would interpret and play with it's own samples, that's why they sound different. - Later the CD ROM version was released. This version had some of the music (all of it??) recorded as music tracks that you could also put into any cd player to listen. The music in this version would sound exactly the same on any computer as long as you had a sound card. The sound effects still depended on having the game properly configured according to your sound card (I think). None of this versions ever had voice over. The special edition released recently just like any other modern game has a new voice track, music and sound effects as wave format files obviously. I don't know from where they got the music from but I assume it is the same one as the CD ROM version.

[@ssg-eggunner]

23:39 my favorite (i might be biased)

[@filiplahoda248]

Most impressive beginnings had Game Blaster, Amiga and Sega CD by my opinion

[@Masters-hq1lz]

EGA and VGA for the win. CGA looks terrible. The best sound is Roland MT-32 and then the CD-Version. CD-Version sounds like Curse Of Monkey Island 3.

[@kidwolf0015]

Well, CGA isn't really ideal for displaying on modern RGBI monitors... When used on older composite monitors, however, it looked passable. It turns out that dithering works in a completely different way with composite, and several "artifact colors" could increase the color palette significantly. Unfortunately, this is case of incompatibility between older and newer technology... The only way to have a "16 color" CGA experience is either with a composite monitor or with VERY specialized emulators with built-in filters to recreate the effect. Wikipedia seems to explain it fairly well: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_artifact_colors

[@kidwolf0015]

Another problem is that later CGA releases tended to avoid using composite mode, due to advancements in technology. So... Yeah, Monkey Island isn't really the ideal CGA experience...

[@lnfoaleze6577]

Nice Job ! Great vidéo

[@AshtonCoolman]

I guess the Atari version needed a MIDI synthesizer like an MT32 or SC-55 to sound decent?

[@rikustorm13]

CD Audio is of course good too :D

[@shanuthejackal4817]

Wait, Steve Purcell worked on this game? Cool.

[@withoutcommentary-kh6rx]

36:26 floyd cant

This is a great video.

[@robotchan]

You're a great person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@XennialGeek]

It is almost funny how much better the Amiga version sounds compared to all other versions. Gameblaster is a close second. The Roland MT32 which should be the best sound is merely the third best.

[@trustyvault13canteen32]

TIL that you can play Monkey Island on a Mega Drive

[@wilderness_over]

VGA + Compact Disc Digital Audio