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==Reception== ===Sales=== ''The Curse of Monkey Island'' sold 52,049 copies in the United States by the end of 1997, according to market research firm [[PC Data]].<ref name=pcgsales1>{{cite journal| author=Staff| date=April 1998|volume=5|issue=4|title=How Did the ''PCG'' Award Winners Fare? |journal=[[PC Gamer US]]|page=45}}</ref> Another 40,538 copies were purchased in the country between January 1998 and July 1998, which drew revenues of $1.57 million for the period.<ref name=pcdata1998>{{cite magazine| author=Staff |title=Letters; Mys-Adventures |date=November 1998 |issue=172| magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | pages=34}}</ref> The game was a success in the German market: Heinrich Lenhardt of ''[[PC Gamer US]]'' wrote, "[I]f it wasn't for the sales figures in Germany, LucasArts probably wouldn't have bothered" to continue the franchise.<ref name=global>{{cite journal | author=Lenhardt, Heinrich | title=Gaming Goes Global | date=July 2001 | volume=8 | number=7 | journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | pages=44–47, 50–52}}</ref> In the second half of November 1997, ''Curse'' debuted at #4 on [[:de:Media Control|Media Control]]'s computer game sales charts for the German market.<ref name=nov1997>{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Verkaufs-Charts | date=February 1998 | journal=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]] | page=68}}</ref> It held in the top 10 through January 1998, peaking in third place for the first half of December,<ref name=dec1997>{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Spiele-Charts | journal=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]] | language=de | date=March 1998 | page=54}}</ref><ref name=jan1998>{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Spiele-Charts | language=de | journal=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]] | date=April 1998 | page=64}}</ref> and its streak in the top 20 continued through March.<ref name=feb1998>{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Spiele-Charts | date=May 1998 | journal=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]] | language=de | page=76}}</ref><ref name=mar1998-de>{{cite journal | author=Staff | title=Spiele-Charts | language=de | journal=[[PC Player (German magazine)|PC Player]] | date=June 1998 | page=76}}</ref> The game had spent 24 weeks in Media Control's top rankings by the end of May, when it secured 27th place.<ref name=mediacontrol>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980614022936/http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html |url=http://www.vud.de:80/charts/chart1.html | title=Charts: CD-ROM Spiele über DM 55,-- | publisher=Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland | archive-date=June 14, 1998 | language=de | url-status=dead}}</ref> In August 1998, ''Curse'' received a "Gold" award from the [[:de:Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland|Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland]] (V.U.D.),<ref name=vud1998>{{cite press release | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000713050154/http://www.vud.de:80/infopres/cebit98.htm| url=http://www.vud.de:80/infopres/cebit98.htm | title=Uhr TCM Hannover – ein glänzender Event auf der CebitHome | date=August 26, 1998 | publisher=[[:de:Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland|Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland]] | archive-date=July 13, 2000 | language=de | url-status=dead}}</ref> indicating sales of at least 100,000 units across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.<ref name=gameprogold>{{cite magazine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718145345/https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/vud-gold-awards-2003,1290773.html | url=https://www.gamepro.de/artikel/vud-gold-awards-2003,1290773.html | title=VUD-Gold-Awards 2003 | author=Horn, Andre | date=January 14, 2004 | magazine=[[GamePro|GamePro Germany]] | archive-date=July 18, 2018 | url-status=live}}</ref> The game remained on shelves by 2001: that year, PC Data reported sales of another 19,552 units in North America.<ref name=randysales3>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020619111456/http://www.justadventure.com/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/Mar-02/sales2001.shtm | url=http://www.justadventure.com:80/articles/State_of_Adventure_Gaming/Mar-02/sales2001.shtm | title=State of Adventure Gaming - March 2002 - 2001 Sales Table | date=March 2002 | author=Sluganski, Randy | archive-date=June 19, 2002 | work=[[Just Adventure]] | url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Louis Castle]] of [[Westwood Studios]] estimated ''The Curse of Monkey Island''{{'}}s lifetime sales at 300,000 copies by 2002,<ref name=800k>{{cite journal | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627220215/http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/pearce/ | url=http://www.gamestudies.org:80/0202/pearce/ | title=The Player with Many Faces | author=Pearce, Celia | date=December 2002 | volume=2 | issue=2 | journal=Game Studies | url-status=live | archive-date=June 27, 2003}}</ref> while LucasArts' [[Bill Tiller]] stated in 2003 that ''CMI'' sold over half a million units worldwide.<ref name=inventoryint>{{cite magazine | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813153740/http://www.justadventure.com:80/TheInventory/TheInventory.shtm | url=http://www.justadventure.com:80/TheInventory/TheInventory.shtm | title=The Celebrity Corner; Interview with Bill Tiller | date=March 2003 | issue=5 | magazine=The Inventory | publisher=[[Just Adventure]] | archive-date=August 13, 2006 | pages=8–19 | url-status=dead}}</ref> Tiller recalled total sales between 700,000 and 800,000 copies in 2009.<ref name=mojo4>{{cite web| author=Staff |title=LucasArts' Secret History: ''The Curse of Monkey Island'': Buried Treasures: Bills Eaken and Tiller|url=https://mixnmojo.com/features/sitefeatures/LucasArts-Secret-History-The-Curse-of-Monkey-Island/5|website=The International House of Mojo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029003120/https://mixnmojo.com/features/sitefeatures/LucasArts-Secret-History-The-Curse-of-Monkey-Island/5|archive-date=October 29, 2016 |date=May 21, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Critical reviews=== {{Video game reviews | MC = 89/100<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-curse-of-monkey-island/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=The Cure of Monkey Island Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2014-11-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122200918/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-curse-of-monkey-island |archive-date=2015-01-22}}</ref> | AdvGamers = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="ag review"/> | Allgame = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=5432&tab=review|title=The Curse of Monkey Island - Review|website=[[AllGame]]|author=House, Michael L.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115033614/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=5432&tab=review|archive-date=2014-11-15|access-date=2014-11-15}}</ref> | CGW = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name=cgw>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_164.pdf |title=Monkey Shines (The Curse of Monkey Island Review) |author=Green, Jeff |author-link=Jeff Green (writer) |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |issue=164 |date=March 1998 |pages=152–153 |access-date=September 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816005005/http://www.gamespot.com/adventure/monkey3/review_cgw.html |archive-date=August 16, 2000 |url-status=live}}</ref> | Edge = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Curse of Monkey Island|author=Edge staff|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|issue=53|date=December 25, 1997}}</ref> | GSpot = 9/10<ref name="gamespot review"/> | NGen = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="NG"/> | PCGUS = 95%<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/289.html|title=Curse of Monkey Island, The|journal=[[PC Gamer]]|author=Trotter, William R.|date=February 1998|page=95|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991206173715/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/289.html|archive-date=1999-12-06|url-status=dead|access-date=2014-11-15}}</ref> | PCZone = 92%<ref name="pczone review"/> | rev5 = ''[[GamePro#PC Games|PC Games]]'' | rev5Score = A<ref name=pcgamesrev>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990828060811/http://www.games.net/pcgames/articles/0,1034,1211,00.html?CHANNEL=pcgames&AD_SECTION=review | url=http://www.games.net:80/pcgames/articles/0,1034,1211,00.html?CHANNEL=pcgames&AD_SECTION=review | title=''The Curse of Monkey Island'' | date=January 5, 1998 | author=Brenesal, Barry | work=[[GamePro#PC Games|PC Games]] | archive-date=August 28, 1999 | url-status=dead}}</ref> }} ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' said that ''The Curse of the Monkey Island'' is a worthy addition in LucasArts's pantheon of the adventure games.<ref name=cgw /> [[GameSpot]] praised the cartoonish graphical style, the music, the pop culture witticisms, the characters, and the challenging but not frustrating puzzles.<ref name="gamespot review">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-curse-of-monkey-island-review/1900-2542629/|title=The Curse of Monkey Island Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|author=Ryan, Michael E.|date=1997-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060412163227/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/curseofmonkeyisland/review.html|archive-date=2006-04-12|url-status=live|access-date=2014-11-15}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' remarked that the game is superficially attractive, with LucasArts's usual superlative production values showing in the music, artwork, voice acting, and animation, but suffers from uninspired puzzle design, a lack of a strong narrative pull, an absence of genuine innovation over the first two ''Monkey Island'' games, and a number of pop culture references that serve only to jerk the player out of the atmosphere. They concluded that the game is just barely fun enough to satisfy fans of the series.<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine|title=Finals|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=39|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=March 1998|page=113}}</ref> Just Adventure praised the game's music as enjoyable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/CMI/CMI_Review.shtm|title=Review: The Curse of Monkey Island|publisher=Just Adventure|author=Rollo, Peter|date=1997-11-25|access-date=2006-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610140248/http://www.justadventure.com/reviews/CMI/CMI_Review.shtm |archive-date=2011-06-10}}</ref> Adventure Classic Gaming addressed plot criticism, saying "Some gamers may criticize the numerous farfetched plot twists in this game", while "some may just call it creative writing!",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/51/ |title=The Curse of Monkey Island Review |publisher=Adventure Classic Gaming |author=Linkola, Joonas |date=1998-01-10 |access-date=2006-01-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321123414/http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/51 |archive-date=2006-03-21}}</ref> and Adrenaline Vault likened ''The Curse of Monkey Island'' to the adventure genre as a whole: "The twin vitals of an adventure game are a good plot coupled with strong dialogue. This game has both, in spades".{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} Although [[Adventure Gamers]] cited the graphic style's "refusal to take itself seriously" was adding "immensely to the game's charm", they found the [[Minor characters in Monkey Island|secondary characters]] "criminally underdeveloped" and the ending as anticlimactic.<ref name="ag review">{{cite web|url=https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17499|title=The Curse of Monkey Island Review|publisher=[[Adventure Gamers]]|author=Schembri, Tamara|date=2002-05-20|access-date=2013-11-13}}</ref> The abrupt ending of the game received criticism from GameSpot, Just Adventure and ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'', the last of which called it "the game's only real disappointment".<ref name=cgw /> ''[[PC Zone]]'' described that due to the introduction of cartoonish graphics "for ''Monkey'' devotees of the first two titles something tiny and almost intangible has been lost", while still scoring the game a 92/100, praising the voice over work and humor of the game.<ref name="pczone review">{{cite journal|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3210|title=PC Review: Monkey Island 3: The Curse Of Monkey Island|journal=[[PC Zone]]|author=Lopez, Amaya|year=1997|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407171909/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3210|archive-date=2008-04-07|url-status=dead|access-date=2014-11-15}}</ref> In a retrospective review, RPGFan commented that the additions of detailed graphics and the spoken dialogue managed to take the story to a whole new level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/monkeyisland3/Monkey_Island_3.html |title=The Curse of Monkey Island Review |author=Slime |publisher=RPGFan |date=2001 |access-date=2006-01-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521072828/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/monkeyisland3/Monkey_Island_3.html |archive-date=2006-05-21}}</ref> ===Awards=== The [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] nominated ''The Curse of Monkey Island'' for "Computer Entertainment Title of the Year", "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Adventure Game of the Year|PC Adventure Game of the Year]]", and "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction|Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics]]" at the [[1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards]],<ref name=aias1997-2>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090128/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm |url=http://www.interactive.org:80/html/award/awardupdate.htm |title=The Award; Award Updates |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |archive-date=June 15, 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which were ultimately awarded to ''[[StarCraft (video game)|StarCraft]]'', ''[[Blade Runner (1997 video game)|Blade Runner]]'', and ''[[Riven: The Sequel to Myst]]'', respectively.<ref name=aias1997>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090115/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardwin98.htm |url=http://www.interactive.org:80/html/award/awardwin98.htm |title=The Award; Award Updates |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |archive-date=June 15, 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Similarly, the [[Game Developers Conference|Computer Game Developers Conference]] nominated ''Curse'' for four [[Spotlight Awards]], including "Best Adventure/RPG", but these ultimately went to other titles.<ref name=cgdc1998>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990429031108/http://www.ogr.com/specials/cgdc98/08spotlight.html | url=http://www.ogr.com/specials/cgdc98/08spotlight.html | title=Spotlight Award Winners | date=May 8, 1998 | author=Jensen, Chris | work=Online Gaming Review | publisher=[[Computer Games Magazine|Strategy Plus, Inc.]] | archive-date=April 29, 1999 | url-status=dead}}</ref> However, it was named the best adventure game of 1997 by ''[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]'',<ref name=cgmawards1997>{{cite web|author=Staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206152953/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/009/194/1997_cgsp_awards.html |url=http://www.cdmag.com:80/articles/009/194/1997_cgsp_awards.html |title=The winners of the 1997 ''Computer Games'' Awards |date=January 19, 1998 |work=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]] |archive-date=February 6, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'',<ref name=cgwpremier1997>{{cite magazine | author=Staff | magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] | title=''CGW'' Presents The Best & Worst of 1997 |date=March 1998 | issue=164 | pages=74–77, 80, 84, 88, 89}}</ref> [[GameSpot]] and ''[[PC Gamer US]]''.<ref name=gamespot1997>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010208121409/http://www.gamespot.com/features/awards97/cont.html |url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/features/awards97/cont.html |title=Best & Worst Awards 1997 |author=Staff |work=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=February 8, 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="pcgsales1"/> It also won GameSpot's "Best Cinematics" prize.<ref name=gamespot1997 /> The editors of ''Computer Gaming World'' wrote: "Simply everything is done right in this game: lush graphics, outstanding voice acting, strong storyline, clever puzzles, and, best of all, a script with more big laughs in it than just about anything at the movies these days. It is, easily, the most entertaining adventure in years".<ref name=cgwpremier1997 />
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