Maniac Mansion: a Timeless Masterpiece

In every human being, from the youngest to the oldest, there is an innate need to solve puzzles, overcome difficulties, and find the solution that will lead to a new confrontation with a more arduous obstacle. A need that has driven us to discover fire and invent the wheel, so why not also rack our brains to save our beloved girlfriend, who has fallen into the clutches of a mad scientist in a house full of dangers?

Maniac Mansion, published in 1987 by that forge of ideas and video game wonders later known as LucasArts, is probably the milestone of graphic adventures, packed with humor, puzzles, and brilliant ideas. It had many conversions, culminating in the NES edition of 1990, which was the one being played by the person writing this right now.

Sandy, the girlfriend of our fearless protagonist, is kidnapped and held captive in Fred Edison’s mansion, a barely veiled parody of the classic Mad Doctor found in many B-movies and beyond. With the help of two friends whom we can choose at the beginning of the game, and whose choice will affect not only the multiple endings, but many phases of our adventure’s gameplay, we will have to venture into the mansion and uncover its evil nature, hidden literally in its depths.

Iconic sadomasochistic nurse Edna, assistant and wife of the very wicked scientist: falling into her clutches means game over, and trust me when I tell you that while playing Maniac Mansion, it will happen to you often.

Il grado di difficoltà è elevato tanto quanto il senso di soddisfazione che otterrete risolvendo enigmi e sfuggendo alle innumerevoli trappole disseminate nei vari ambienti dell'enorme villa da esplorare. The beauty of video games like Maniac Mansion, needless to say, is the possibility of playing it together with friends, interpreting and moving the chosen support character and “passing the joypad,” a practice very common in the Eighties and Nineties that, in modern times, has had many attempts at revitalization thanks to small horror gems like Until Dawn, from 2015.

Easter eggs and secrets to discover inside Dr. Fred's mansion are the jewel in the game's crown: listing them all would be impossible and, above all, would deprive you of much of the fun that the gameplay experience can give you. I like to remember the famous chainsaw, whose presence in the game will only make sense if you play the sequel to Maniac Mansion, that Zak McKracken which in fact paved the way for a certain Monkey Island (and which will see the grand return of the True Villain lurking behind Fred Edison), or the hamster belonging to a character in the mansion, which even today gives me an incurable sense of tenderness.

Moments so unique and hilarious that they made Maniac Mansion a must for every gamer, not to mention its collectible appeal: the NES version is still highly sought after today, with its cover nodding to the atmosphere of a Sixties B-movie, torn jeans, and rebellion running through its veins.