As you can see, in visual terms it's not a bad downgrade of the gorgeous PC/360 version. As far as gameplay goes...I haven't played it (come on, I only just finished the PC version!), but it looks fairly straight-forward: finger moves cursor, and the buttons down the button handle interaction and inventory.

If you're interested, it'll cost you $8.

So we won't. Instead, we'll review this as a port. Think of it as your memories of Star Wars versus your impressions of Star Wars: Special Edition. In some ways, it's great seeing an old favourite given a new lease of life. But in others, well. Han shot first.

Loved
Same Old, Same Old: This isn't a "remake". There's no new 3D tech underpinning the game, no re-written puzzles, no sweeping changes to Ron Gilbert's original vision. Instead, it's exactly the same game. Same lines, same characters. Heck, you press F10 and the game switches between new version and the original, so seamlessly you can do it mid-animation and/or mid-conversation (though you won't get voice acting in the 1990 version). So you know exactly what you're getting: one of the best adventure games ever made, and possibly the funniest as well.

New Vision: But it's not quite the same game. It plays the same, but sounds and looks very different. For the first time, voice comes to the original, thankfully (and tastefully) done by most of the cast from the later games, including Dominic Armato as Guybrush . There's also a new, shinier art style atop the game, which in most places looks great, especially the life it breathes into the game's landscapes. Some characters, however, have a lot less…character, a bit less humour to their faces, so it's not an improvement across the board.

Hated
A Wretched Hive Of SCUMM & Villainy: LucasArts' SCUMM menu system persevered for a decade or so because it was perfect. It served the original well, and it served its sequel well, but this remake does away with it in favour of a weird adaptation of LucasArts' later single-click interface. Some things are activated intuitively with a mouse click, others you have to drag through a cumbersome inventory system. It's a messy problem to face in 2009, especially when you can just hit F10 and be reminded that they did things better back in 1990.

Like a night out to go see the remade Star Wars movies, if you're a fan of the original, you'll enjoy the update, as it's nice seeing a rusty old game given a new lease on life. Even if a few of the additions are a little unnecessary.

Monkey Island: Special Edition was developed and published by LucasArts, released on July 15 for the PC and Xbox 360. Retails for $10 on PC and 800 MS Points on Xbox 360. Played game to completion for, what, the 17th time now?

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition updates the classic LucasArts adventure game with the high-definition graphical updates you demand, but also offers the original old-school visuals purists go nuts for. New voiceover work, an updated score and un-messed with hilarity makes the 800 Microsoft Points asking price a steal.

Madballs in... Babo: Invasion is a bit more expensive at 1200 Microsoft Points. But it offers 16-person multiplayer action and four player co-op, with decapitated Avatars and playable Madballs at your disposal. Enjoy Skirmish, Team Skirmish, Capture The Flag, Invasion, and Avatar Attack modes, while savoring rare Madballs licensing opportunities.

The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Madballs in... Babo: Invasion [Xbox.com]

The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition is coming to the PC and Xbox Live with high-definition, hand-drawn graphics presented in 1080i and a new easier to use interface. But the original point and click adventure classic will always be running in the background.

At any time in the game you can press a button and Monkey Island will immediately switch over to the original, pixelated version running on the SCUMM engine.

While the game itself holds up nicely to the test of time, the biggest draw for me will be the ability to hot-swap between original and reimagined versions of the game. Every single scene has been upgraded, with new backdrops, new animations and that great hand drawn look. It's hard to resist the temptation to pop back and forth between both versions to see what the developers have done to each and every scene.

The game remains mostly faithful to the original, though the new controller configuration makes it a bit easier to get through the game. One trigger lets you pull down a verb list, another lets you access your inventory. Special Edition also adds a new three-level hint system, the final level of which is a bright yellow arrow showing players where to go next.

And the developers haven't forgotten about the many hardcore fans of the original. The game is now voice acted by the cast of The Curse of Monkey Island and the developers managed to put a key figure deleted from the original back in the game.

Spiffy, the dog at the Scumm Bar, showed up on the back of the original box, but had to be cut from the actual game due to space. Now he's back, though mostly as decoration.

Another neat touch: The loading icon for the game is the picture of a floppy disc.

Starting this July, Telltale will be releasing Tales of Monkey Island, a five-episode monthly adventure game series for the PC and WiiWare featuring the further adventures of Guybrush Threepwood and nemesis, LeChuck, as Guy accidentally releases a voodoo pox that threatens to turn the swashbuckling men of the Caribbean into pirate monsters, which is the only thing worse than just plain pirates.

Meanwhile, LucasArts is internally developing The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, which is a completely update version of the 1990 original, complete with new graphics, a remastered musical score, and full voice-overs. FULL VOICE-OVERS.

This could either be very good news, or very sad news, depending on how they handle it. The Secret of Monkey Island is due out this summer on Xbox Live Arcade and the PC.