This Maniac Mansion fan remake has been out for a while, but I haven’t had a chance to play it until now. You can grab it from their itch.io page. I’ve played nearly every version of Maniac Mansion that’s ever been released, the only version I haven’t played is the NES port. Over the years we’ve seen a few Maniac Mansion fan projects appear and we’re all still waiting for The Night of the Meteor to release. Meteor Mess is a little different to most remakes and steps away from pixel art into what the developer calls ‘2.5D’ and I think that is a fair description. The story, the location, characters and puzzles are all still there along with some added extras. Overall, the team has done a pretty decent job.
If you’re not already aware, Maniac Mansion is a highly significant and influential point-and-click adventure game from Lucasfilm Games. Originally released in 1987, it debuted the Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion, or SCUMM, a graphical point-and-click engine that went on to power many of LucasArts’ classic adventure games through the ’80s and ’90s. While Maniac Mansion wasn’t the first adventure game to adopt a graphical point-and-click interface, it played a major role in defining the format and inspired many of the genre’s most iconic titles. That influence can still be felt in adventure games today.
Released by Vampyre Games in late 2022, Meteor Mess opens just how you’d expect if you’ve played Maniac Mansion before. We follow our main character, Dave. Dave’s girlfriend Sandy has been kidnapped by Dr. Fred Edison, under the influence of an evil meteor, he intends to use his machines to suck her brains out. After picking your additional two characters, we find our trio standing outside the ominous Edison mansion ready to break in and rescue her. For anyone who’s played the early ‘90s LucasArts classics, the verb-based interface will feel immediately familiar and I think it’s been adapted well to this style. The shift into 2.5D works better than I expected, even if it’s not my favourite presentation of the game. Still, the Edison mansion is as creepy as ever, maybe even more so thanks to the added horror movie-esque ambient music. The team has added some extra puzzles and content, even making Jeff a bit more useful. Another major change is the addition of voice acting, which some will see as a welcome update, while others may see this as a departure from the original style. Personally, I appreciate the classics as they were, but I’m also more than happy to see them reimagined just like this.
In terms of gameplay, the graphical overhaul hasn’t changed the core experience and you’ll still get the original puzzles, multiple endings and familiar point-and-click mechanics. It’s just running on an updated engine. The GAS engine (GameStudio Adventure System), follows a similar premise to SCUMM but was created by Meteor Mess developers Sascha Galla and Thomas Boissé. Built on Conitec’s GameStudio, the team developed their own adventure game toolkit, clearly inspired by SCUMM. You’ll still be pointing, clicking and solving puzzles on your way through the mansion, but there have been a few tweaks. For example, if you’re being chased by one of the Edisons, you now need to escape through two rooms instead of just the room you were caught in. Getting caught around the mansion almost feels a bit more realistic, especially when caught by Dr. Fred. In the original and the Deluxe versions, I don’t recall him catching you on his way to the arcade. It would simply cut to a scene of him playing Meteor Mess. While the added realism is neat, it can be a little frustrating. Outside of these small changes, some added story elements and arcade game changes it’s essentially the same game with a fresh coat of paint.
The voice acting is, for the most part, decent. Not top tier, but it’s definitely serviceable. Some performances are a little stiff, with Ed Edison in particular sounding stiff as a board. Dave, Dr. Fred and Nurse Edna are all well done. Edna does have an odd accent, but this is offset by how completely batshit crazy she sounds which suits her character perfectly. I didn’t expect too much from the voice acting, but it complements the overall presentation of this remake. As for the graphics, I’ll admit I was skeptical when I heard it would be 2.5-3D, but I was pleasantly surprised once I started playing. The environments feel lovingly crafted by a team who are clearly big fans of the original, doing it justice in every inch inside and outside of the mansion. I know not everyone is a fan of moving away from pixel art, but as a different take on a classic, Meteor Mess is presented with care and is well worth a playthrough for any Maniac Mansion fan.
Verdict:
Meteor Mess doesn’t try to reinvent Maniac Mansion and that is exactly why it works. It keeps the core elements intact while giving it a fresh coat of paint and modern touches. The 2.5D presentation won’t be to everyone’s taste and the voice acting is unfortunately a bit of a mixed bag, but the care and attention to detail from the developers is obvious in every room of the mansion. If you’re a Maniac Mansion fan, this is a remake worth checking out.
Deck Compatibility: 10/10
Overall Game Rating: 7/10 – Faithful Fan Remake
Dad with a Deck 
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