It
wasn’t that many years ago that the adventure game community was abuzz
with the possibility of another Sam and Max game emanating from Lucasarts.
That company’s first and only episode, Sam and Max Hit the Road was
by now a certified (or certifiable?) classic. And then, as was so
often the case with LucasArts sequels, it was dead. And then, Telltale
Games came out with season
one of its 3D edition of the wacky dog and rabbit freelance policemen.
And now, a few years later, we have more Sam and Max games then you
can shake a nightstick at. Still, the market threshold for quality
Sam and Max episodes is very high. Plus, the duo have been on hiatus
for a number of months, as Telltale turned its attentions first to
Wallace and
Gromit and then to the new adventures of Guybrush Threepwood.
Now, we have a spanking new season three of Sam and Max, The Devil’s
Playhouse, in the form of episode one, The Penal Zone.

So,
what’s changed in the wacky world of Sam and Max since last we saw
them in Season Two? Well, a few things, but not that much. I mean,
really, what’s there to change? It’s a terrific formula. I’m not tired
of it yet, are you? The 3D graphics are still cartoonily swell, if
still a bit on the overly pastelish, blocky side. The duo’s sarcastic
dialog is as caustic and hilarious as ever. The villains and other
NPCs are still deliciously loony. The one headline new wrinkle is
that this season Max has been granted “Psi” powers. Of course,
you have to trundle around “earning” them via gameplay,
but they should add a welcome new dimension to the episodes. You really
only get a couple in this first episode to wield, but the game intro
gives you a preview of others that are presumably going to be unwrapped
in subsequent installments.

The
plot, if you really must know, has to do with a space gorilla-skunk
trying to take over the universe by collecting all the Toys of Power.
Luckily for the universe, Max gets his hands on a couple of these
toys first and foils the fiend’s dastardly plans. But, you know, the
plot, as usual, isn’t the point here. The story is just the excuse
for Sam and Max’s outrageous comments and interactions. For those
of you obsessively keeping score, Stinky and her garrulous grandpop
put in an appearance, Sybil is still on her honeymoon with Abe’s head,
and, oh yeah, it looks like Sam and Max are making a major move out
of their office. Though I’m only assuming that because during this
episode they turn it into an alternate dimension penal zone. Hence,
the title.

The
other big S&M headline news, of course, is that this is the first
(so they tell me) new adventure title released for the brand new iPad.
And the game controls have been reworked accordingly. Instead of the
usual click on hotspot and character walks or runs over, you’ve got
to either navigate Sam across the screen with the WASD or arrow keys,
or, drag him in the intended direction with the mouse. Or, if you’re
an early Apple adopter, with your forefinger, or any other part of
your body you so choose and can get away with in public. Of course,
those of us who have played Wallace and Gromit and the Tales of Monkey
Island are by now long accustomed to these new controls. After all,
Telltale does keep telling us that these titles will eventually come
out on Xboxlive and Wii Ware and other console platforms, where the
lowly computer mouse has long since been consigned to the dustbin.
It usually does take a while, but W&G, Guybrush and even the first
two Sam and Max seasons have made it, so I suppose Sam and Max 3 will
too. As of now, however, The Penal Zone is available for PC and iPad.
It does look like they’re preparing a PS3 version, though.

You
know, really, what else is there to say? This is a bit like reviewing
a new box of Dutch chocolates. They’re great! Still chocolatey. As
far as I could tell the required specs and other game incidentals
are fairly similar to the previous two seasons. I think Sam’s
notebook, where he keeps tabs on evidence and suspects, etcetera,
may be new, but I’m not sure. I always try to ignore a game’s
help system, regardless of how well it’s disguised, or even,
as in this case, amusingly written. Really, the only thing left to
say is, Welcome back, boys. Now, go get ’em.

PC System Requirements:

• Operating system: Windows
  XP / Vista / Windows 7
• Processor: 2.0 GHz +
  (3 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent rec.)
• Memory: 1GB
• Sound: DirectX 8.1 sound
  device
• Video: 128MB DirectX
  8.1-compliant video card (128MB rec.)
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
  or better

Mac System Requirements:

• Operating Systems: Mac
  OS X 10.5 or newer
• Processor: Intel Core
  2 Duo processor
• Not Recommended For:
  Macs with integrated graphics

Note: Final system requirements
subject to change.