Maniac Mansion Deluxe

Game review

A few years ago, a mysterious meteorite fell near the house. And since then, strange things start happening around the house - besides, the family living there has changed a little. They are... just plain weird. However, the main character - Dave Miller - will have to go to the house, as Dr. Fred kidnapped Sandy's girlfriend. So Dave and his friends set out to rescue Sandy and maybe in the process reveal the secret of that house...

There are weird people living in Maniac Mansion: Dr. Fred, a "retired" physician turned mad scientist; Nurse Edna, a former health care professional whose hobbies would make a sailor blush; Weird Ed, a teenage commando with a hamster fetish; and then there's Dead Cousin Ted, and the Tentacle, and somebody - or something - else... And what's a sweet young cheerleader named Sandy doing in Dr. Fred's basement?

Your goal is to direct a team of three local college students (including Sandy's boyfriend Dave) through the mansion to rescue Sandy. As you explore, you'll meet all the strange inhabitants of the mansion, and you'll discover Dr. Fred's ambition to control the world - one teenage at a time.

You'll find that each of the seven teenagers you can choose from has special skills, talents, and weaknesses. And each of the crazy occupants of the mansion has goals and desires that can help or hinder your team, depending on how you handle them. The story - and your approach to rescuing Sandy - will be different depending on which kids you choose and how you interact with the people and things inside the mansion itself.

Each of the possible stories in Maniac Mansion is really a large, complex puzzle made up of scores of smaller puzzles. From time to time, movie-like "cut-scenes" reveal clues about the story and what's going on elsewhere. As you discover the smaller puzzles that make up each story line, you'll find that most will have to be solved in a certain order. There are always several ways to get something done - but of course, there is always a best way. Good luck!