[Due to the reviewer coming down with a terrible case of scurvy, our review of Tales of Monkey Island Episode 4 slipped through the cracks and ended up here. We know, Episode 5 is already available; we've currently got our dirty hands on it and will have a review up this week, but in the meanwhile, here's the belated review of Episode 4 -Ed.]

Tales Monkey Island Episode 3 drew to a close with our hero betrayed and captured by Morgan LeFlay; the Marquis De Singe eager to have him in his perfumed clutches once more. But upon their return to Flotsam Island, a mob of peeved pirates accost Guybrush and put him on trial for a number of crimes. Mr Threepwood stands accused of felonious feline frightening, consonant abuse, thigh crime, and nefarious collectible counterfeiting – all thanks to his actions in earlier episodes.

In Episode 4, The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood, it is up to the Mighty Pirate-At-Law to defend himself and clear his name of all charges, reclaim La Esponja not-so-Grande, and finally cure his plunder bunny Elaine and the other afflicted pirates of the Pox of LeChuck. Should he fail, he faces death by keel hauling, hanging, boiling, scaphism (eww), corset, hanging, mauling, and 8-sided dice (painful, but at least it ain’t 4-sided dice). After completing his stint in the obtuse pirate legal system, Guybrush must foil the machinations of The Marquis, who has heinous plans for the pox-infected Elaine.

Episode 4 continues the high level of quality we have come to expect from the series, with the same excellent writing, animation and voice acting. The addition of some new and well thought-out characters adds to the already great list of intriguing personalities, and Guybrush’s interactions with them are as amusing as ever. As usual there are several references to earlier episodes, and combined with the continuing story this provides great cohesion across the series. The majority of the puzzles are challenging yet logical, but there are a few “What the heck?” moments – but what adventure game would be complete without a little obtuse head scratching? Fortunately, the in-game hint system is usually enough to point you in right direction.

You can tell by the hat: this man knows what he's talking about.

Another favourite character from earlier Monkey Island games makes a return – Stan the used ship salesman, complete with his original psychedelic jacket and rapid arm wavery [Is that the technical term? -Ed].  He has given up the pre-owned vessel business in favour of the legal and souvenir trade, and represents the pirate prosecution against Guybrush while purveying tacky (but useful) memorabilia.

While it is a little irksome to be back on Flotsam Island with many of the same locations and faces, there are some truly memorable moments in this episode – an outstanding cutlass fight between Morgan and the pox-enraged Elaine complete with witty banter, Guybrush’s hilarious cross-examination of himself on the witness stand, and his attempt to taste Fugu Jolokia (the world’s hottest chilli) are just some of them.

After saving Spinner Cay from pirate attack in the previous episode of Tales of Monkey Island, the buckswashling Guybrush and his crew were rudely interrupted by the gargantuan gullet of a monstrous manatee. Episode 3: Lair of the Leviathan (LotL), picks up right here as our hero is about to be devoured. This plot continuity makes a nice change from other episodic games, and really gets the player hankering for more.

Guybrush, Winslow, and Morgan LeFlay find themselves trapped in the throat of the giant manatee – and they are not alone. Besides the occasional crawly throat grub, Guybrush discovers the conquistadorial Coronado De Cava (an old flame of the Voodoo Lady) who like him has been searching for La Esponja Grande. He has been marooned in the manatee for many years, and with his help you must find a way to guide the giant critter to the sacred manatee mating grounds, the resting place of the sacred sponge.

LotL is somewhat linear when compared to previous open-exploration episodes, and there is a very limited number of locations. The majority of the game is spent within the manatee, but fortunately you’ll be having way too much fun to care.

Puzzles continue to improve, with LotL having the best in the series so far. There is a lot of variety and originality here which makes a pleasant change from the usual adventure game find-this-item or talk-to-that-person malarkey. At one point you will take part in a matrimonial quiz, requiring you to have paid attention earlier in the game. Failure will result in Guybrush being slowly digested by the manatee… tasty! My favourite has to be the Pirate Face-Off – much akin to Insult Swordfighting in earlier Monkey Island games, you and your opponent pull faces at one another until one is defeated. Building up your repertoire is a challenging task and will have you scouring the manatee’s guts for inspiration. And let’s not forget the opportunity to play manatee matchmaker! There are plenty of great puzzles to entertain you, and with one or two exceptions they are inherently logical – but actually solving them requires a fair bit of brain juice.

Voice acting and animation are still excellent – if anything, Guybrush’s lines and character have improved as the series matured. There are some recycled character models, but these are well disguised and do not become tiresome. That aside the characters are remarkably well-rounded in this episode, a step forward from the generic pirates earlier in the series. You’ll encounter a surfer dude with a drinking habit, a bongo-playing nerd, a crazy-eyed pugilist (the Democratically United Brotherhood of the Manatee Interior)… and one of the greatest characters ever, Murray the Talking Skull. First seen in The Curse of Monkey Island, Murray has some of the best dialogue and voicing you’re ever likely to hear, and he makes for some truly entertaining end credits. The game is almost worth playing just for him.

Overall LotL is the strongest of the series. Those new to it may feel a little lost, but that won’t prevent them from enjoying this game – but if you haven’t already played the rest of the series, now is the time to do so.

After solving the mystery of Flotsam Island’s strange winds and narrowly escaping the Marquis De Singe’s foul French clutches, Episode 1 closed with our hero Guybrush Threepwood (Mighty Pirate ™) caught off guard at the pointy end of a cutlass.

The Siege of Spinner Cay (TSSOC) is part 2 of the excellent Tales of Monkey Island series, in which we find the plucky pirate protagonist aboard the dubiously-seaworthy Screaming Narwhal in pursuit of his beloved Elaine and the un-undead LeChuck. The Pox has spread, and now the hook-sporting Guybrush must locate La Esponja Grande (a colossal, voodoo-infused sea sponge) to soak it all up like spilled undead soup.

Monkey Island is all about puzzles. Well, and monkeys. Fortunately, you’ll encounter plenty of both. The puzzles found in TSSOC are clever and challenging, a definite improvement on those in Episode 1 – they’re not as obtuse, more entertaining to solve, and suit the story better. You’ll probably get stuck from time to time, but thinking things through (and paying attention to the subtle in-game clue system if necessary) will get you past these bits without the desire to soak your PC in grog and fire it out of a cannon.

The story in Episode 1 was a little thin, but as you progress through Episode 2, the plot begins to come together nicely and draws you in. Dialogue is well-written and downright hilarious at times (the writers’ heads must be rather… interesting). Happily, the infamous Monkey Island humour is in strong effect throughout, complete with episode-spanning laughs. From groan-inducing puns to genuinely funny situations (plus a book of the world’s worst fish jokes), TSSOC will keep you clicking and chuckling right to the end.

Each of the characters features wonderful animation and lifelike facial expressions, all rounded off with admirable voice acting (and fortunately the same cast as Episode 1) – poxy pirates, blade-brandishing bounty hunters and disturbingly androgynous merfolk are all superbly realised. Graphics and artwork have come a long way since earlier episodic offerings – the visuals are simple yet gorgeous, and reward you for every new location discovered. In previous titles, Telltale had a tendency to re-use game locations which made for somewhat repetitive play. Fortunately, this isn’t the case in Tales of Monkey Island – areas in Episode 2 are fresh and colourful, with excellent design and a high level of attention to detail. The occasional cookie-cutter desert island seems formulaic, but fits the story.

The Siege on Spinner Cay is a very polished game. It’s a little shorter than Episode 1 – you’ll probably complete it in a single sitting, but it’s a satisfying experience nonetheless. If the remaining episodes continue to be of the same high quality, $35 (around R270) for the series is an absolute steal!