Murray’s Unused Trailer Takes
Within Return to Monkey Island’s resource files, you can find unused voice assets, including some alternate takes from Murray. Here’ what they sound like.
Return to Monkey Island, aka WeirdCogs.
As revealed by Ron on Mastodon, the secret internal code name for Return to Monkey Island was WeirdCogs. That goes hand-in-hand with Cogg Island which incidentally only showed up as an easter egg.
More Than One Way to Blow a Fish
The former Pirate Leaders go with the classic mouth-to-mouth method. Guybrush, meanwhile, chooses mouth-to... well...
The Alternate Loom Sales Pitches
In both “The Secret of Monkey Island” and “Return to Monkey Island,” you can press the Escape or skip key to get an alternate “Loom” sales pitch from Cobb.
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
Stabbing the Monkey Beach Tree in the Heart
The carved heart reveals a disturbing romantic profession. Luckily, you can stab it. Sort of.
Obtaining Captain Madison’s Autograph
Hand Madison her book—“Ship-to-Ship Combat Strategies”—from Carla’s collection, and she’ll sign a personalized inscription for Guybrush.
Guybrush Trading Boybrush For a Key
Oh, it’s just a figure of speech! For those who haven’t played “Casual” mode: It’s easy to get Locke’s key, and Guybrush is willing to trade a lot for it. Here’s a supercut. Credit: LGH.
“Qui dolorem ipsum, quia dolor, sit amet”
Lila’s dramatic spell at the Monkey Island alter translates to: “Who cares for the pain itself, because it is pain. Unless some of it is useful. Unless they are blinded by lust, they will not come out.” This according to Google Translate. Conversely, the lines are very similar to “lorem ipsum,” the text commonly used as placeholder text in publishing.
Voting Time With Guybrush: A Collection
After successfully getting his Monkey Island vote through, Guybrush has an arsenal of other topics to put up for consideration.
Avast! The Fate of the Chandelier Pirate
The pirate swinging from the chandelier in The Secret of Monkey Island has met their untimely demise if the body outline in Return is anything to go by. Also, note the “welcome” mat—“avast” means “stop.” In other words, anything but welcoming.
Chuckie Washes His Hands in the Sewer
Have Boybrush read the sign above the sewer runoff in the Big Whoop outhouse and repeatedly interact with the water to make Chuckie do something rather gross.
LeChuck’s Inspirational Speeches: A Collection
If you keep double-ringing the LeShip bell, LeChuck will give a number of inspirational speeches. Enjoy them all here!
Chuckie Really Is LeChuck
So to speak—Chuckie’s cut-off jacket has the same crossbones emblem as the back of LeChuck’s coat.
Inaccessible Alley
Early promo shots showed that the Mêlée alley would not initially be accessible in ReMI. This, of course, was changed in the final game.
The Origins of “XYZZY”
While a seemingly random set of characters, the “XYZZY” harkens back to the 1976 adventure game Colossal Cave Adventure. Typing in the key combination would allow the user to fast travel between two distant points. Wikipedia has more.
Return to a Different Logo
For a hot minute, Return to Monkey Island had a logo similar to the Tales-era version, at least sort of. While the classic logo was used in marketing, the website’s OG image (the preview image you see on links from Mastodon or Bluesky or whatever) was of a more tattered variety. It was quickly changed after a breaking story from Mojo. Source: Jack Rodford.
The Yak Butter Fellow
The mounted marlin is a promotional item gifted to the Cod’s Wollop by a yak butter fellow.
It was established by the Scumm Bar cook earlier in the game that Marlon Marlin is the only yak butter peddler on Mêlée Island.
Do Do Mi Sol Fa Fa Re
The voices of the skulls—Murray aside—are provided by Clint Bajakian, Michael Land, and Peter McConnell, the game’s musicians. Source: GDC Vault.
The Cursed Pappapisshu! Returns
“Youch,” or, if you investigate the informative plaque in The Curse of Monkey Island, “pappapisshu!” The exclamation makes its comeback in Return to Monkey Island. (It also appears in Tales: here is a screenshot.)
- The Curse of Monkey Island
- Tales of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
The Chef’s Dad
In The Secret of Monkey Island, it’s fairly apparent that there is a picture of the Pillsbury Doughboy in the Scumm Bar kitchen. In Return to Monkey Island, you can steal the painting—of a rather bad boy-looking Doughboy —after you give the Chef the cookbook. Later, the Chef will tell you the picture is of his father. Which puts forth the question: Is the Chef actually Pillsbury Doughboy’s son?
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
Material For Conrad’s Newsletter
After visiting Monkey Island, you can offer up some material for the Mêlée Island museum curator’s newsletter. Of interest: One line of dialogue shows in the game’s resource files that does not appear in the game regarding LeChuck’s diary: But I've been thinking about adding a room with stuff for kids to play with, it would go great in there.
Additionally, if you mention a manatee in your Chums story, Conrad will respond: Hm. I'm not sure about the manatee. Not very piratey.
The Bespectacled Creature Hiding in Mêlée Forest
Wander the Mêlée Forest—seemingly in Casual Mode only—and you’ll meet a bespectacled creature hiding out. In code, it’s referenced as pineapple_person.
Was it responsible for the death of the explorer found in The Secret of Monkey Island? We may never know.
Cobb
Not just a random advertisement scheme. Cobb was a character in Loom, sans disguise.
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
The Chef Rebuilds the Scumm Bar
The Scumm Bar chef has a long list of improvements for his establishment, some more achievable than others.
Settle Accounts
You don’t have to pay for much in Return, but you can settle your accounts if you so choose.
Mêlée Poster—Before and After
Carla’s election poster is switched out after the mop tree is chopped down.
The Secret Revealed in The SCUMM Bar. Twice.
The Secret… Secrets… of Monkey Island are revealed in the SCUMM Bar by two different patrons.
The Photo Booth
You can find a photo booth in the final location of the game. Click the right spot, and you’ll get a picture. Drag that onto the frame, and you can see it in a close-up.
Brrr Muda’s New Queen
After Guybrush becomes Brrr Muda’s new queen, things change through town.
Electrical Plug Beneath Monkey Island
An electrical plug can be spotted—if you look really closely-above one of the monkey statues. Very foreshadowing.
The Three Composers
While there undoubtedly was a lot of crossover, we can, thanks to the OST and various interviews, deduct which composer wrote what:
- Michael Land: Big Whoop (prologue and end), Mêlée, Monkey, Scurvy Ship, theme/menus/scrapbook.
- Peter McConnell: Terror, Brrr Muda, LeAnchor, Diving Theme, below Monkey.
- Clint Bajakian: LeShip, Voodoo Shop, Scurvy, Barebones.
Per Spelmann
Quoting standards in Monkey Island games is not a new thing, but for the Brrr Muda town hall, Peter McConnell fully reinterpreted the Norwegian folk song, “Per Spelmann.” Here is a comparison of the two.
Drown Guybrush
Guybrush can fully drown—run the clock out four times underwater, and you’ll get a less-than-cheerful ending.
Where’s Wally?
“Where’s Waldo” is known as “Where’s Wally” in many parts of the world.
It’s NOT Always 10 o’clock?
From the “what does it all mean?!” file—the map to the secret either says it’s seven-ish o’clock, or the minute hand is missing and we see the second hand instead. Related to the Cogg Island puzzles?
Lon Chaney
Lon Chaney—also known as The Man of a Thousand Faces
—was the master of makeup and a man of many faces in 1920s movies. Jon Laney shared many similarities.
Ship Skulls
Pick up the skulls before rebuilding the Sea Monkey on Monkey Island, and they’ll come with you as ship decoration. Additionally, bringing Murray is optional.
Pirate Leaders of Low Moral Fiber
A common question we get is if this scene was cut from the game. It was not, but you need to enable Writers’ Cut in the game’s preference to see it.
Lemonhead Returns in Return
Sort of! Bonus: “Lemonhead” is a classic 'merican candy.
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- The Curse of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
The Lumpsucker Flees
Every time you enter the Cod’s Wallop the lumpsucker will crawl closer to the exit. After 31 tries, it’ll exit.
LeChuck’s Birthday
According to his own diary, LeChuck’s birthday is on December 1st.
Seckrit: Maniac Mansion Meets Return to Monkey Island
The Seckrit
sign on Monkey Island is not a random typo, but a reference to Maniac Mansion.
Use The Horse Armor
Those who pre-ordered the game got one extra inventory item: the completely pointless Horse Armor. You can actually use it, just not in a meaningful fashion.
The Hidden Cogg Island
The underwater Cogg Island was cut from the final game but you CAN explore it. In Part 4, find the trivia card that asks Where is Cogg Island located?
Click the answer that contains a coordinate—it’s random—sail to it, and dive down to see what was cut. Make sure to save first, as there is no way to return to the surface. Don’t want to go looking for yourself? Our save-game section includes a file and instructions on how to use it to get straight to the island.
All the Endings
There are a total of eleven possible endings/codas. This is a compilation of them all.
Monkey Island After Quake
After the quake, things have changed on Monkey Island —this is a supercut of what to see and do.
Important Information in the Mêlée Jail
The rules change after the Monkey Island quake, if only ever so slightly!
Monkey Island Referencing Pirates of the Caribbean Referencing Monkey Island (Maybe)
Remember the “Pirates of the Caribbean” scene that was suspiciously similar to “Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge?” It was then referenced in “Return to Monkey Island” — all a coincidence? Maybe...
The Fate of the Sea Monkey
There is an oft-forgotten optional scene in “The Secret of Monkey Island,” which ties in with a discovery in “Return to Monkey Island.”
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
Prologue With Original Audio
Return to Monkey Island had lines recorded using Guybrush and LeChuck’s voices as opposed to Boybrush and Chuckie’s. This is what it would have sounded like.
Sushi’s Trials and Tribulations
The goldfish from Zak—Sushi—makes a cameo in Return to Monkey Island.
Monkey Island Cliff Fall: Before and After (And After)
The Sierra-mocking easter egg in The Secret of Monkey Island is referred to in Return to Monkey Island. Witness the change.
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island
Original Music in Monkey Island: Go Tell Aunt Rhody and O Good Ale Thou Art My Darling
Did you know Stan's theme and the SCUMM Bar theme in the Monkey Island games are based on pre-existing compositions? Witness Go Tell Aunt Rhody
and O Good Ale Thou Art My Darling.
One or more tune has appeared in every game.
The Fate of The Cover Pirates
They may not have appeared IN the game, but the three pirates from Steve Purcell's The Secret of Monkey Island
cover show up in Return to Monkey Island.
Props to Rex Crowle and team for even including the semi-hidden Purcell signature.
- The Secret of Monkey Island
- Return to Monkey Island