Related: Inspector Waffles Is a Cute Pixel Homage to Point and Click Detective Games Where the Franchise Stands Now The games are undeniably an important part of gaming history. Even gamers who have never seen Guybrush Threepwood before will have heard his iconic line: "How appropriate, you fight like a cow!" The games are explicitly referenced in Uncharted 4, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and in most every humorous point-and-click adventure game released since the early 2000s. Monkey Island's legacy is unmistakable, and its influence can be felt within all forms of media - especially within adventure games. The games' plots are simple, shying away from needless complication and serving as great vehicles for gameplay. Pitted against the dread pirate LeChuck, who appears in various undead forms, the Monkey Island games have a pleasing consistency in writing that made it the successful franchise remembered today. Other important and allies include a mysterious woman known only as the Voodoo Lady and Stan, the sleazy but hilarious salesman. Most notably, Governor Elaine Marley, his love interest, is a strong, independent character in her own right.
Guybrush is also supported by a strong cast of characters in each game. Players control of Guybrush Threepwood, a goofy but likable protagonist whose character arc can be summed up in one of the first lines he utters in The Secret of Monkey Island: "I want to be a pirate." He shows considerable personality and growth even in his debut and remains one of the most iconic video game characters of all time thanks to his witty dialogue, unlikely accomplishments and Dominic Armato's great voice acting performance from the third game onwards. The basic gist of the Monkey Island games is simple.