wii
Sam & Max Headed For The Wii, Nobody Surprised
Posted by Kotaku US Edition at 12:00 AM on January 15, 2008
Had to happen. Had to. A press release on JoWood's website is claiming that the Austrian publishers will be releasing Telltale's Sam & Max series on the Wii. Can't see how this couldn't work. The game's simple graphics engine can run on the Wii, the Wii Remote steps in for the mouse, everyone's happy. And while speculation is mounting that the game may be available on Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare downloadable service, common sense says that line of thinking is...wishful. Our money's on a disc-based release of the PC's "Season 1". We've contacted Telltale for a little more info, we'll get back to you when there's more to get back to you about.
[IR-News]: Agatha Christie auf Nintendo Wii [JoWood, via Wii Fanboy]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
blackadvent
Posted 7:21 AM 14/1/08
*Whips out hypnotic watch*
You love me, you adore me, you worship me, you want to name your children after me...
blackadvent
2NinjasTapedTogether
Posted 7:19 AM 14/1/08
Dance time!
*dances!*
YES!
2NinjasTapedTogether
L_K_M
Posted 7:15 AM 14/1/08
Will buy. Next up: DS version. In glorious 2D.
L_K_M
crescentfresh
Posted 7:11 AM 14/1/08
I was never aware of the original series, which is odd considering how much I loved adventure games like Space Quest and King's Quest. I'll definitely pick this up, and I hope this game (along with Zack and Wiki) will help resurrect the genre. There's an almost complete fan-made Space Quest 7 out there that Vivendi shut down because they're jerks, but wow would I love to see that come to the Wii if interest in adventure gaming starts up again.
crescentfresh
BTownDesignGuy
Posted 7:09 AM 14/1/08
I could swear I remember hearing Telltale hinting that they'd do a release on the Wii. They had a job posting for Wii programmers. At the time, people speculated that season 2 would see release on the Wii.
It shall be interesting to see what develops.
BTownDesignGuy
eclipsegryph
Posted 6:54 AM 14/1/08
@jackal888: What's wrong with reading? Usually people have huge TV screens nowadays, so reading words on screen shouldn't be too much of a problem. That was a big stink with Bethesda's transition from Morrowind to Oblivion, when they took out the large chunks of text everyone told you and instead offered up a few measly lines of spoken dialogue.
That being said, I'm happy as a green snake in a sugar cane tree to hear of this news! While I subscribe to the GameTap service, having these games on the Wii will allow other people to join in the fun that is Sam and Max.
I'm hoping that more adventure games get made for the Wii. It seems like a no-brainer, really. I'm really looking forward to "And Then There Were None", and the new content on the Wii for that. The CSI game... not so much, but still, you've got to have your bottom tier games, too.
eclipsegryph
Automageddon
Posted 6:53 AM 14/1/08
@Rebochan: OK, let's keep our fingers crossed...
Automageddon
CockroachMan
Posted 6:46 AM 14/1/08
I'm happy I have a Wii :D
Would be awesome if this was sold in WiiWare like the PC version is.
CockroachMan
ShaggE
Posted 6:45 AM 14/1/08
@Killtacular: The first episode wasn't nearly as good as the rest. Give the other episodes a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.
As I've said time and time again, Telltale actually listens to the fanbase's complaints/suggestions and implements them in later episodes, which is a ridiculously rare trait.
For example, we asked for a "run" feature and got it in Season 2, we asked for HtR-style minigames and got them, another forum member and myself both suggested dialogue that made it into the game...
This is a developer that wants to do it right.
ShaggE
Garo
Posted 6:39 AM 14/1/08
Yay, time to get a Wii!
Garo
DarkNight_DS
Posted 6:31 AM 14/1/08
Despite size issues, the guys at Telltale said they planned on working on Wiiware titles. This could be another hint at an HD announcement for the Wii is incoming.
DarkNight_DS
Rebochan
Posted 6:30 AM 14/1/08
Dare I hope that the Wii could spark a new era of console-based adventure games?
Dare I hope for a Wii remake of Day of the Tentacle?
Rebochan
jackal888
Posted 6:27 AM 14/1/08
@InsomniaBob [PSN/XBL]: That joke convinced me not to play this game.
jackal888
Automageddon
Posted 6:23 AM 14/1/08
I'm so looking forward to this.
Sam & Max from the comfort of my sofa, a dream come true.
2nd wish would be Monkey Island 3...
That's not going to come true.
Automageddon
Alazar
Posted 6:22 AM 14/1/08
Excellent news for those who haven't tried it yet who owns a Wii. I loved the first season, haven't checked out any of the new episodes yet (waiting for a disc-release, don't like digital).
Alazar
Sixtail
Posted 6:16 AM 14/1/08
I always wondered if TellTale liked money. I see they do.
@Killtacular:I don't really think they do, but remember, rose colored glasses taint everything.
Sixtail
ElijahDProphet
Posted 6:15 AM 14/1/08
That is excellent news.
ElijahDProphet
InsomniaBob [PSN/XBL]
Posted 6:15 AM 14/1/08
@Killtacular: Sam and Max is an acquired taste, to be certain. I haven't played the full set, but the recently *FREE* episode 4 was fantastic.
At one point, Max launches a nuclear missile at the peaceful world of Krypton, then exclaims, "That'll teach em to lock me in the Phantom Zone!"
CLASSIC. I still giggle about that.
InsomniaBob [PSN/XBL]
Inv4d3r G1R [Rory]
Posted 6:13 AM 14/1/08
Now I'll get to see what everyone's talking about.
Inv4d3r G1R [Rory]
Killtacular
Posted 6:12 AM 14/1/08
I admit I only tried the first episode, but the voice acting & writing was terrible- a big disappointment compared to the original. Do these get better as they go on? Or should I just walk away?
Killtacular
EwilTwin
Posted 6:09 AM 14/1/08
Not really surprised, but happy that this series will spread to consoles as well. Everyone needs to play this!
EwilTwin
jackal888
Posted 6:05 AM 14/1/08
At least there will be voice acting. Zack and Wiki needs voice acting.Reading jokes is not fun anymore.
jackal888
huginn
Posted 8:25 AM 14/1/08
it broke during the weekend for the few of us that can read german. ^^
It's just a smart trick all together. A point and click game on a point and click system.
duuuuuh!
huginn
catapult37
Posted 8:23 AM 14/1/08
I will buy this.
catapult37
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
Posted 8:15 AM 14/1/08
@Calicomarie:
Hahaha, I second that motion.
K-Squad! (Badass Edition)
jackal888
Posted 8:09 AM 14/1/08
@eclipsegryph: I agree sam and max has good voice-acting. I just hope that this spurs Nintendo and other Wii game designers to include voice acting.If "Crush" for PSP can have voice acting and text on screen , I do not see why a game on a DVD cannot.
jackal888
Calicomarie
Posted 8:09 AM 14/1/08
This makes me happy that I keep forgetting to buy the PC version.
Calicomarie
firesign
Posted 7:56 AM 14/1/08
this is great news, and i think sam and max is a perfect series for the wii. i play it on gametap, but i know a lot of people who would buy it for the wii.
firesign
eclipsegryph
Posted 7:48 AM 14/1/08
@jackal888: Obviously the text boxes don't bother me. I think the "silent hero" concept is a perfectly fine one. So where you want the sound, I prefer the words. We can't really say that either of us is "more right" than the other - it's just a game design point. Maybe it's nostalgia. Maybe I just like being able to imagine my own voice for the characters, who knows?
That being said, I think the voice activing for Sam and Max is good. :p
eclipsegryph
hikergirl
Posted 7:43 AM 14/1/08
Add a huge grain of salt to that. Telltale hasn't confirmed this news at all. ;)
It will probably happen at some point but it isn't JoWood's place to say as they were the distribution partner for Season One only.
Also, they hired the Wii programmers to port thier newest CSI game. Not to say they wouldn't use them for something else in the future.
hikergirl
jackal888
Posted 7:39 AM 14/1/08
@eclipsegryph: There is nothing wrong with reading. Reading in modern video games is a failure to flesh out characters in games. I do not want to hear Link say two words then read a text box. I do not want to imagine what a character sounds like in HD in 5.1 surround sound.
jackal888
Alith
Posted 7:35 AM 14/1/08
@Killtacular: I felt the same way. Maybe I'm just getting older but I seem to remember finding 'Hit the Road' absolutely hysterical. I forced my way through episodes 1-3 and gave up after a few minutes of episode 4. I had to really struggle to find it funny or clever.
It's so predictable. You click something, Sam makes a pithy comment, Max makes another in return. Repeat ad nauseum. I'm sure the original wasn't quite as contrived as these newer episodes. They seem to be really scraping the barrel trying to come up with one-liners. Maybe I had a sense of humour failure but I found the new games boring and unfunny. The Soda Poppers need a damn good kicking as well.
Alith
CyricZ
Posted 7:34 AM 14/1/08
I would kiss certain burly men over this, if not for the fact that I'm already enjoying the series on my PC. >_>
Still bravo, big N. Quite a coup.
CyricZ
TinyLightning
Posted 7:32 AM 14/1/08
I've played Season 1 twice on the PC. Lets see what other goods they toss us with the game.
TinyLightning
mkernan
Posted 10:44 AM 14/1/08
As a Mac user and a Wii owner, I'd be really stoked to see this come out on the Wii. I always loved the old PC game.
mkernan
JAcK0R
Posted 10:43 AM 14/1/08
This is pretty good for a guy like me, who's computer barely ran episode one and then refused to play any of the subsequent episodes.
"Aw c'mon, you don't have to make a federal case out of it."
"Nah, we don't have to. We want to."
JAcK0R
explodingman
Posted 9:32 AM 14/1/08
I love this series, and I am glad it is heading to a new platform.
And thanks to Telltale, we now know what happened to Jimmy Hoffa.
explodingman
Snappywave
Posted 9:32 AM 14/1/08
Now that's great!
Snappywave
IrishHalo
Posted 9:15 AM 14/1/08
Sweet waiting for the official announcement now. I only have a Wii and a MacBook so have so far been locked out of the new Sam & Max games I will definitely be buying this for the Wii (would prefer a physical copy as opposed to on WiiWare/VC though).
IrishHalo
Irismr
Posted 9:15 AM 14/1/08
I shall so buy this. So much.
Irismr
Destrudo
Posted 9:13 AM 14/1/08
@Rebochan:
Now that's what I've been hoping for too. Let the second renaissance of Lucas Art's adventure games come swiftly!
Destrudo
CaptLtrl
Posted 11:50 AM 14/1/08
Oh thank you jeebus!
CaptLtrl
sascha23
Posted 11:19 AM 14/1/08
What? No PS3 or 360 versions?
I own this for my PC, but man, I just hate gaming on my PC. I've gotten too comfortable with my couch and holding a game pad.
I would have annihilated myself for saying that five years ago. ;)
sascha23
d1sCo_d3aTh
Posted 10:59 AM 14/1/08
Woohoo! It's good to see this game get out so more people can play it.
Video Game Humor at it's finest.
d1sCo_d3aTh
Kirbytheslayer: Punch the Penguin and Win a Prize!
Posted 10:58 AM 14/1/08
I still want a PS3/360 version as DLC. It could work.
But, WiiWare is simply impossible. Each Sam and Max episode takes around 100MB. If they tried to make it WiiWare, it would fill up your Wii's memory even faster than it normally fills.
Either way, cool.
@JAcK0R: Are you serious? The requirements for the game were ridiculously low. I don't think you even needed over 512MB of ram. I know a PC from 2001 ran it perfectly.
Kirbytheslayer: Punch the Penguin and Win a Prize!
Raian1
Posted 10:56 AM 14/1/08
PS: I was just joking when I said the Wii was "kiddy". Please don't ban me.
Raian1
Raian1
Posted 10:55 AM 14/1/08
As the owner of a kiddy system,
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Raian1
MattGS
Posted 10:53 AM 14/1/08
I'm currently in the middle of playing Season 1. I guess I'll buy it again for my Wii, just for the sake of it. Point and click adventures + Wii = happy thoughts.
MattGS
Tybee
Posted 1:55 PM 14/1/08
Someone at LucasArts just read this, paused for a second, and then moved on, oblivious.
Tybee
ミスターX
Posted 12:54 PM 14/1/08
Bound to happen. Going to sell a lot more for the Wii since Sam & Max caters to the audience.
ミスターX
Toasticus
Posted 3:19 PM 14/1/08
@TheIrishNinja (PSN), IrishNinja2099 (XBL): Likewise!
Toasticus
TheIrishNinja (PSN), IrishNinja2099 (XBL)
Posted 3:09 PM 14/1/08
Awesome news, looking forward to finally playing this. why not a retro SCUMM pack? Keep em comin!
TheIrishNinja (PSN), IrishNinja2099 (XBL)
TheCleaningGuy
Posted 5:02 PM 14/1/08
I was talking to Dave Grossman at PAX, I said, "My PC isn't very good. Will you release this on the wii?"
Dave: "We have no plans to do so."
Me: "Ok, I'll take the collectors edition for the PC then."
Dammit!
Hopefully, we'll get season 2.
TheCleaningGuy
sxp151
Posted 3:53 PM 14/1/08
@Alith: "In my day..."
Every sequel that comes out more than a year or two after the first is compared unfavorably. There's no getting over nostalgia.
The new Sam & Max episodes are much better than "Hit the Road." The original was full of nonsensical puzzles, cheap-shot hick jokes, and a constant sense of "Look how naughty we are!" It had no plot to speak of, and no reason to be anywhere or do anything.
The new ones work much better. The internal logic of the puzzles is more consistent, despite being as silly. The jokes don't always work, but you'll laugh out loud at something. (Even if it's not the same thing as for someone else.) And the targets of the jokes are much broader: for once, "edginess" is not just toilet humor, but actual satire.
Like Star Trek movies, some are much better than others. My favorites have been Episode 1:2, Episode 1:5 (the best), Episode 2:1, and the second half of Episode 1:4.
sxp151
GM80
Posted 6:25 PM 14/1/08
Rockin. As a Mac user, despite being an old school S&M fan (errr ...), I haven't been able to enjoy any of the Windows-only GameTap titles.
Bring the rabbity thing to the Wii.
GM80
Insomnia Bob
Posted 6:23 PM 14/1/08
@TheIrishNinja (PSN), IrishNinja2099 (XBL): Can you DIG it?
Insomnia Bob
yonderTheGreat
Posted 5:34 PM 14/1/08
Why the HELL isn't this on XBLA?!
yonderTheGreat
CyberSkull
Posted 7:50 PM 14/1/08
About. Frelling. Time.
:D
CyberSkull
sxp151
Posted 9:32 PM 14/1/08
@ミスターX: Yeah, with any luck they can tap into the Zack & Wiki market...
sxp151
teruma
Posted 11:09 PM 14/1/08
YES!! I'm delighted that the Wii's obvious point-n-click potential is finally being realised.
@Tybee: No! Do not depress me with your pessimism! If we all chant "Grim Fandango" in unison, they're bound to hear us!
teruma
mcderek3000
Posted 2:30 PM 16/1/08
I bought the Season 1 box right after playing Hit the Road for the first time. Loved it.
It's say that the new Sam & Max is even funnier than the old one - and that's quite an achievement!
Also, the actual gameplay is far better designed than the original.
mcderek3000