View source for Software:Maniac Mansion

{{Short description|1987 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|image=Maniac Mansion artwork.jpg
|alt = Artwork of a vertical rectangular box. The top portion reads "Maniac Mansion" with a group of five teenagers in the foreground and dark landscape in the background. The first teenager is a blond male dressed in a black suit, the second a brunette male in a denim jacket and pants, the third, a black-haired male with glasses and a flashlight, the fourth a red-haired female in a black dress and spiked choker, and the fifth a male with long, blond hair holding a surfboard.
|caption= Ken Macklin's cover artwork depicts five of the playable characters: Syd, Dave, Bernard, Razor, and Jeff.
|publisher={{collapsible list
  |title=Lucasfilm Games
  |titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:12px;background:transparent;text-align:left
  |'''Home computers'''<br />Lucasfilm Games<br />'''NES'''<br />[[Company:Jaleco|Jaleco]]
}}
|director=
|designer=Ron Gilbert<br />Gary Winnick
|programmer=Ron Gilbert<br />David Fox<br />Carl Mey
|artist=Gary Winnick
|composer={{collapsible list
  |title=Chris Grigg<br />David Lawrence
  |titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:12px;background:transparent;text-align:left
  |'''NES'''<br />David Warhol<br />George Sanger<br />David Hayes<br />Dave Govett<br />Tsukasa Tawada (Famicom version)<ref>[http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/images/7/75/Maniac_Mansion_-_FC_-_Credits.png Maniac Mansion (FC) Credits Screenshot - VGMPF]</ref><br />'''Amiga'''<br />Brian Hales
}}
|engine=[[SCUMM]]
|platforms=[[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]], Apple II, [[Software:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[Engineering:Amiga|Amiga]], [[Engineering:Atari ST|Atari ST]], [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Software:Classic Mac OS|Macintosh]]
|released={{collapsible list|title=October 5, 1987|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;font-size:12px;background:transparent;text-align:left|'''Commodore&nbsp;64 / Apple&nbsp;II'''<br />October 5, 1987<ref>{{cite journal|title=Retrodiary|page=13|date=September 2013|journal=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|issue=120|location=Bournemouth, United Kingdom}}</ref><br />'''DOS'''<br />March 12, 1988<br />December 31, 1989 ''(enhanced version)''<br />'''NES'''<br />{{Video game release|JP|June 23, 1988|NA|September 18, 1990|EU|October 22, 1992}}'''Amiga / Atari ST'''<br />July 26, 1989}}
|genre=Graphic adventure
|modes=Single-player
}}

'''''Maniac Mansion''''' is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by [[Company:LucasArts|Lucasfilm Games]]. It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Sandy Pantz from a [[Social:Mad scientist|mad scientist]], whose mind has been enslaved by a sentient meteor. The player uses a point-and-click interface to guide Dave and two of his six playable friends through the scientist's mansion while solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. Gameplay is [[Software:Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], and the game must be completed in different ways based on the player's choice of characters. Initially released for the [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] and Apple II, ''Maniac Mansion'' was Lucasfilm Games' first self-published product.

The game was conceived in 1985 by Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, who sought to tell a comedic story based on horror film and B-movie clichés. They mapped out the project as a paper-and-pencil game before coding commenced. While earlier adventure titles had relied on [[Command-line interface|command lines]], Gilbert disliked such systems, and he developed ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s simpler point-and-click interface as a replacement. To speed up production, he created a [[Software:Game engine|game engine]] called [[SCUMM]], which was used in [[Software:LucasArts adventure games|many later LucasArts titles]]. After its release, ''Maniac Mansion'' was ported to several platforms. A port for the [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Entertainment System]] had to be reworked heavily, in response to Nintendo of America’s concerns that the game was inappropriate for children.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html |title=The Expurgation of Maniac Mansion |website=www.crockford.com |access-date=2016-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012031110/http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html |archive-date=2007-10-12}}</ref>

''Maniac Mansion'' was critically acclaimed: reviewers lauded its graphics, [[Software:Cutscene|cutscene]]s, animation, and humor. Writer Orson Scott Card praised it as a step toward "computer games [becoming] a valid storytelling art". It influenced numerous graphic adventure titles, and its point-and-click interface became a standard feature in the genre. The game's success solidified Lucasfilm as a serious rival to adventure game studios such as Sierra On-Line. In 1990, ''Maniac Mansion'' was adapted into a three-season television series of the same name, written by Eugene Levy and starring Joe Flaherty. A sequel to the game, ''[[Software:Day of the Tentacle|Day of the Tentacle]]'', was released in 1993.

==Overview==
[[File:Maniac Mansion.png|thumb|left|alt=A horizontal rectangular video game screenshot that is a digital representation of a domestic room. Two human characters stand beside a green tentacle in the middle of the room. Below the scene is a list of commands.|Bernard and Dave visit the green tentacle in the mansion. The game displays dialogue above the scene and the point-and-click command interface below it.]]

''Maniac Mansion'' is a graphic adventure game in which the player uses a point-and-click interface to guide characters through a [[2D computer graphics|two-dimensional]] game world and to solve puzzles. Fifteen action commands, such as "Walk To" and "Unlock", may be selected by the player from a menu on the screen's lower half.<ref name=zzap /><ref name=ace /> The player starts the game by choosing two out of six characters to accompany protagonist Dave Miller: Bernard, Jeff, Michael, Razor, Syd, and Wendy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Manic Mansion characters|url=http://www.maniacmansionfan.50webs.com/characters.html|website=Maniac Mansion Fans}}</ref><ref name=zzap /> Each character possesses unique abilities: for example, Syd and Razor can play musical instruments, while Bernard can repair appliances.<ref name="NP-14">{{cite magazine |title=Previews: ''Maniac Mansion'' |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=[[Company:Nintendo|Nintendo]] |location=Redmond, WA |date=July–August 1990 |issue=14 |pages=62–63 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> The game may be completed with any combination of characters; but, since many puzzles are solvable only by certain characters, different paths must be taken based on the group's composition.<ref name=mmmanual>{{cite book | last=Laurel | first=Brenda | title=Maniac Mansion ''manual'' | publisher=[[Company:LucasArts|Lucasfilm Games]] | pages = 1–5 | year=1987 | location=San Rafael, CA}}</ref><ref name=nintpower>{{cite magazine |date=September–October 1990 |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |location=Redmond, WA |issue=16 |pages=14–19 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> ''Maniac Mansion'' features [[Software:Cutscene|cutscene]]s, a word coined by Ron Gilbert,<ref name="GrumpyIn9">{{cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Ron |title=''Maniac Mansion'' in 9 |publisher= Grumpy Gamer |date=April 12, 2007 |access-date=March 3, 2011 |url=http://grumpygamer.com/8139425|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070415021118/http://grumpygamer.com/8139425|archive-date=April 15, 2007}}</ref><ref name="GS-Fame">{{cite news|last1=Buecheler|first1=Christopher|title=The GameSpy Hall of Fame|work=GameSpy|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/mm.shtm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311072453/http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/halloffame/mm.shtm|archive-date=11 March 2011}}</ref> that interrupt gameplay to advance the story and inform the player about offscreen events.<ref name=zzap /><ref name=mmmanual />

The game takes place in the mansion of the fictional Edison family: Dr. Fred, a [[Social:Mad scientist|mad scientist]]; Nurse Edna, his wife; and their son Weird Ed.<ref name=mmmanual /> Living with the Edisons are two large, disembodied tentacles, one purple and the other green. The intro sequence shows that a sentient meteor crashed near the mansion twenty years earlier; it brainwashed the Edisons and directed Dr. Fred to obtain human brains for use in experiments. The game begins as Dave Miller prepares to enter the mansion to rescue his girlfriend, Sandy Pantz, who had been kidnapped by Dr. Fred.<ref name=mmmanual /><ref name=cgw>{{cite magazine | date=May 1988 | last=Ardai | first=Charles |  magazine=Computer Gaming World | publisher=Golden Empire Publications | location=Anaheim, CA | title=The Doctor is in: An Appointment with Terror in Activision's ''Maniac Mansion'' | issue=47 | pages=40–41 | issn=0744-6667 | oclc=8482876}}</ref> With the exception of the green tentacle, the mansion's inhabitants are hostile, and will throw the [[Software:Player character|player character]]s into the dungeon—or, in some situations, kill them—if they see them. When a character dies, the player must continue with the remaining of the three selected characters; the [[Software:Game over|game ends]] if all characters are killed. ''Maniac Mansion'' has five possible endings, based on which characters are chosen, which survive, and what the characters accomplish.<ref name=commodoremagazine2>{{cite journal |last=Addams |first=Shay |date=December 1987 |title=Animated Adventuring in ''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Commodore Magazine |publisher=Commodore Magazine, Inc.|location=West Chester, PA |volume=8 |pages=48, 110 |issue=12}}</ref>

==Development==
===Conception===
[[File:Ron Gilbert PAX 2009.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A brown-haired man with a light brown plaid shirt stands behind a podium against a black background.|Ron Gilbert (pictured) co-wrote and co-designed ''Maniac Mansion'' with Gary Winnick; they were both puzzle and graphic adventure game fans.<ref name="ClassicIntro"/>]]

''Maniac Mansion'' was conceived in 1985 when [[Company:Lucasfilm Games|Lucasfilm Games]] employees Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick were assigned to create an original game.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro">{{cite journal |journal=GamesTM |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |title=Behind the Scenes: ''Maniac Mansion'' + ''Day of the Tentacle'' |year=2010 |issue=3 |pages=22–27 |series=The Ultimate Retro Companion |issn=1448-2606 |oclc=173412381}}</ref> Gilbert had been hired the previous year as a programmer for the game ''[[Software:Koronis Rift|Koronis Rift]]''.<ref name="GDC-Post" /> He befriended Winnick over their similar tastes in humor, film, and television. Company management provided little oversight in the creation of ''Maniac Mansion'', a trend to which Gilbert credited the success of several of his games for Lucasfilm.<ref name="RG2011">{{cite journal |last=Hunt |first=Stuart |title=The Making Of ''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=94 |date=September 2011 |pages=24–33 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref>

Gilbert and Winnick co-wrote and co-designed the project, and also worked separately with Gilbert on programming and Winnick on visuals. As both of them enjoyed [[Engineering:B movie|B horror films]], they decided to make a comedy-horror game set in a haunted house.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro" /><ref name="GDC-Post" /> They drew inspiration from a film whose name Winnick could not recall. He described it as "a ridiculous teen horror movie", in which teenagers inside a building were killed one by one without any thought of leaving. This film, combined with clichés from popular horror movies such as ''Friday the 13th'' and ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'', became the basis for the game's setting. Early work on the game progressed organically: according to Gilbert, "very little was written down. Gary and I just talked and laughed a lot, and out it came".<ref name="RG2011" /> Lucasfilm Games relocated to the Stable House at Skywalker Ranch during ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s conception period, and the ranch's Main House was used as a model for the mansion. Several rooms from the Main House received exact reproductions in the game, such as a library with a spiral staircase and a media room with a large-screen TV and [[Engineering:Grand piano|grand piano]].<ref name="GDC-Post">{{cite web|url=http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014732/Classic-Game-Postmortem-MANIAC |last=Gilbert |first=Ron |title=Classic Game Postmortem: ''Maniac Mansion'' |publisher=[[Software:Game Developers Conference|Game Developers Conference]] |format=Flash Video |date=March 4, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324201117/http://gdcvault.com/play/1014732/Classic-Game-Postmortem-MANIAC |archive-date=March 24, 2011}}</ref>

Story and characters were a primary concern for Gilbert and Winnick.<ref name="ClassicIntro">{{cite book |title=LucasArts Classic Adventures |section=Introduction |author=LucasArts |year=1992 |page=2}}</ref> The pair based the game's cast on friends, family members, acquaintances, and stereotypes. For example, Winnick's girlfriend Ray was the inspiration for Razor,<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref name="Edge2">{{cite magazine | author=Edge Staff | magazine = Edge | publisher=Future Publishing | location=Bath, Somerset | title=The Making Of: ''Maniac Mansion'' | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion?page=0%2C1 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100820012054/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion?page=0%2C1 | page=2 | date=August 6, 2010 | archive-date = August 20, 2010}}</ref> while Dave and Wendy were based, respectively, on Gilbert and a fellow Lucasfilm employee named Wendy.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> According to Winnick, the Edison family was shaped after characters from EC Comics and Warren Publishing magazines.<ref name="RG2011" /> The sentient meteor that brainwashes Dr. Fred was inspired by a segment from the 1982 anthology film ''Creepshow''. The man-eating plant is similar to that of ''Little Shop of Horrors''.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> The developers sought to strike a balance between tension and humor with the game's story.<ref name="ClassicIntro" />

[[File:Skywalker Ranch Main House.jpg|thumb|alt=A large white house with black roofing in front of green hills and forests.|The Main House at Skywalker Ranch inspired the design of ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s setting.]]
Initially, Gilbert and Winnick struggled to choose a gameplay genre for ''Maniac Mansion''. While visiting relatives over Christmas, Gilbert saw his cousin play ''[[Software:King's Quest I|King's Quest: Quest for the Crown]]'', an adventure game by Sierra On-Line. Although he was a fan of text adventures, this was Gilbert's first experience with a graphic adventure, and he used the holiday to play the game and familiarize himself with the format. As a result, he decided to develop his and Winnick's ideas into a graphic adventure game.<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref>{{cite conference |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6IYgWh-qnY&t=49m16s |title=Storytime with Ron Gilbert - PAX Australia 2013 Keynote |last=Gilbert |first=Ron Gilbert |date=July 19, 2013 |conference=PAX Australia |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207121323/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6IYgWh-qnY&t=49m16s |archive-date=2015-12-07 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="usgamer interview">{{Cite web|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/use-questions-on-developer-a-ron-gilbert-retrospective/ |title=Page 2: Use Questions on Developer: A Ron Gilbert Retrospective |first=Bob |last=Mackey |work=USGamer |date=November 9, 2015 |access-date=November 9, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110055029/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/use-questions-on-developer-a-ron-gilbert-retrospective |archive-date=November 10, 2015}}</ref>

''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s story and structure were designed before coding commenced. The project's earliest incarnation was a paper-and-pencil board game, in which the mansion's floor plan was used as a game board, and cards represented events and characters.<ref name=Edge2 /> Lines connected the rooms to illustrate pathways by which characters could travel. Strips of [[Chemistry:Cellulose acetate|cellulose acetate]] were used to map out the game's puzzles by tracking which items worked together when used by certain characters. Impressed by the map's complexity, Winnick included it in the final game as a poster hung on a wall.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> Because each character contributes different skills and resources, the pair spent months working on the event combinations that could occur. This extended the game's production time beyond that of previous Lucasfilm Games projects, which almost led to Gilbert's firing.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/><ref name="youtube.com">{{cite conference |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDvEFbh6I2g&t=34m21s |title=Classic Studio Postmortem: Lucasfilm Games |last=Gilbert |first=Ron |date=March 24, 2014 |conference=[[Software:Game Developers Conference|Game Developers Conference]] |access-date=August 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904033643/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDvEFbh6I2g&t=34m21s |archive-date=2015-09-04 |url-status=live}}</ref> The game's dialogue, written by David Fox, was not created until after programming had begun.<ref name="Edge2"/>

===Production and SCUMM===
{{main|SCUMM}}
Gilbert started programming ''Maniac Mansion'' in 6502 [[Assembly language|assembly language]], but he quickly decided that the project was too large and complex for this method.<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref name="Edge">{{cite magazine | author=Edge Staff | magazine = Edge | publisher=Future Publishing | location=Bath, Somerset | title=The Making Of: ''Maniac Mansion'' | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100806183054/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion | page=1 | date=August 6, 2010 | archive-date=August 6, 2010}}</ref> He decided that a new [[Software:Game engine|game engine]] would have to be created.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/><ref name="Edge"/> Its coding language was initially planned to be [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]]-inspired, but Gilbert opted for one similar to [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[Software:Yacc|Yacc]].<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Bevan |first=Mike |author2=Staff |title=The SCUMM Diary: Stories behind one of the greatest game engines ever made |work=Gamasutra |publisher=[[Company:Informa|Informa]] |date=July 12, 2013 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/196009/the_scumm_diary_stories_behind_.php}}</ref> Lucasfilm employee Chip Morningstar contributed the base code for the engine, which Gilbert then built on.<ref name=igninterview>{{cite web|last=Hatfield |first=Daemon |date=April 26, 2007 |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/26/interview-scumm-of-the-earth |title=Interview: SCUMM of the Earth |page=1 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=August 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009194206/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/26/interview-scumm-of-the-earth |archive-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> Gilbert hoped to create a "system that could be used on many adventure games, cutting down the time it took to make them".<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s first six-to-nine months of production were dedicated largely to engine development.<ref name="RG2011" /> The game was developed around the [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] [[Engineering:Home computer|home computer]], an 8-bit system with only 64 [[Kilobyte|KB]] of memory.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> The team wanted to include [[Scrolling|scrolling]] screens,<ref name="GrumpyIn9"/><ref name="GDC-Post"/> but as it was normally impossible to scroll bitmap graphics on the Commodore 64, they had to use lower-detail tile graphics. Winnick gave each character a large head made of three stacked sprites to make them recognizable.<ref name="GDC-Post"/>

Although Gilbert wrote much of the foundational code for ''Maniac Mansion'', the majority of the game's events were programmed by Lucasfilm employee David Fox.<ref name="GDC-Post" /> Fox was between projects and planned to work on the game only for a month, but he remained with the team for six months.<ref name="Edge"/> With Gilbert, he wrote the characters' dialog and choreographed the action. Winnick's concept art inspired him to add new elements to the game: for example, Fox allowed the player to place a hamster inside the kitchen's microwave.<ref name="Edge2"/>

The team wanted to avoid punishing the player for applying everyday logic in ''Maniac Mansion''. Fox noted that one Sierra game features a scene in which the player, without prior warning, may encounter a [[Software:Game over|game over]] screen simply by picking up a shard of glass. He characterized such game design as "sadistic", and he commented: "I know that in the real world I can successfully pick up a broken piece of mirror without dying".<ref name="Edge3">{{cite magazine | author=Edge Staff | magazine = Edge | publisher=Future Publishing | location=Bath, Somerset | title=The Making Of: ''Maniac Mansion'' | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion?page=0%2C2 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100820012059/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-maniac-mansion?page=0%2C2 | page=3 | date=August 6, 2010 | archive-date = August 20, 2010}}</ref> Because of the project's [[Software:Nonlinear gameplay|nonlinear puzzle design]], the team struggled to prevent [[No-win situation#In video games|no-win scenarios]], in which the player unexpectedly became unable to complete the game. As a result of this problem, Gilbert later explained: "We were constantly fighting against the desire just to rip out all the endings and just go with three characters, or even sometimes just one character". Lucasfilm Games had only one [[Playtest|playtest]]er, and many dead-ends went undetected as a result.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> Further playtesting was provided by Gilbert's uncle, to whom Gilbert mailed a [[Floppy disk|floppy disk]] of the game's latest version each week.<ref>{{cite interview |last=Gilbert |first=Ron |interviewer=Tim Schafer |title=''Double Fine Adventure''! // Ron Gilbert's Words of Wisdom to Tim Schafer |publisher=2 Player Productions |date=January 13, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_LWmRJK-g |access-date=June 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911020622/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re_LWmRJK-g |archive-date=2012-09-11 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{quote box | width = 30% | salign=center | quote=All adventure games of the time required typing, and this is understandable given that most of them were text based. A few games, most notably the Sierra ones, had graphics but they still required typing. I never understood this and felt that it was only taking it halfway.|source=Ron Gilbert on the then-common input method in adventure games<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/>}}

The ''Maniac Mansion'' team wanted to retain the structure of a text-based adventure game, but without the standard [[Command-line interface|command-line interface]].<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> Gilbert and Winnick were frustrated by the genre's text parsers and frequent game over screens.<ref name="ClassicIntro"/> While in college, Gilbert had enjoyed ''[[Software:Colossal Cave Adventure|Colossal Cave Adventure]]'' and the games of Infocom, but he disliked their lack of visuals.<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref name=igninterview /> He found the inclusion of graphics in Sierra On-Line games, such as ''King's Quest'', to be a step in the right direction,<ref name=igninterview /> but these games still require the player to type, and to guess which commands must be input.<ref name="GDC-Post" /><ref name=retrogamerlook /> In response, Gilbert programmed a point-and-click [[Graphical user interface|graphical user interface]] that displays every possible command.<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref name=retrogamerlook>{{cite journal |last=Wild |first=Kim |title=Developer Lookback – LucasArts – Part One |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=27 |date=July 20, 2006 |pages=32–39 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref> Fox had made a similar attempt to streamline Lucasfilm's earlier ''[[Software:Labyrinth: The Computer Game|Labyrinth]]'' and he conceived the entirety of ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s interface, according to Gilbert.<ref name=ewoks>{{cite web | last=Rignall | first=Julian |  date=November 27, 2014 | url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/i-actually-was-hunting-ewoks-lucasfilm-games-the-early-years | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926005157/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/i-actually-was-hunting-ewoks-lucasfilm-games-the-early-years | archive-date=September 26, 2015 | title="I actually was hunting Ewoks". The Original Lucasfilm Games Team Talk About Life at Skywalker Ranch. | work=USgamer | publisher=Gamer Network Ltd.}}</ref> Forty input commands were planned at first, but the number was gradually reduced to 12.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> Gilbert finished the ''Maniac Mansion'' engine—which he later named "Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion" ([[SCUMM]])—after roughly one year of work.<ref name="Edge"/> Although the game was designed for the Commodore 64, the SCUMM engine allowed it to be ported easily to other platforms.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/><ref name="Edge"/>

After 18 to 24 months of development,<ref name="RG2011" /> ''Maniac Mansion'' debuted at the 1987 [[Engineering:Consumer Electronics Show|Consumer Electronics Show]] in {{wipe|Chicago}}.<ref>{{cite journal | title = CES and COMDEX: A Tale Of Two Cities | journal =COMPUTE!'s Gazette | issue = 87 | date=August 1987 | page = 14 | first = Keith | last = Ferrell | publisher=General Media | location={{wipe|New York City}} | issn=0737-3716 | oclc=649175217}}</ref> The game was released for the Commodore 64 and Apple II in October 1987.<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030624215636/http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm |title=20th Anniversary |publisher=LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC |archive-date=June 24, 2003 |url=http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_1.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> While previous Lucasfilm Games products had been published by outside companies, ''Maniac Mansion'' was self-published.<ref name="Edge2"/> This became a trend at Lucasfilm.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Complete History of ''Star Wars'' Videogames – Episode&nbsp;II |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=53 |date=July 2008 |page=56 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref> The company hired Ken Macklin, an acquaintance of Winnick's, to design the game's packaging artwork. Gilbert and Winnick collaborated with the marketing department to design the back cover. The two also created an insert that includes hints, a backstory, and jokes.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> An MS-DOS port was released in early 1988,<ref name="GDC-Post"/> developed in part by Lucasfilm employees Aric Wilmunder and Brad Taylor.<ref name="RG2011" /> Ports for the Amiga, Atari ST and [[Engineering:Nintendo Entertainment System|Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) followed, with the Amiga and Atari ST ports in 1989 and the NES port in 1990. The 16-bit versions of Maniac Mansion featured a copy protection system requiring the user to enter graphical symbols out of a code book included with the game. This was not present in the Commodore 64 and Apple versions due to lack of disk space, so those instead used an on-disk copy protection.<ref name="GDC-Post"/>

==Nintendo Entertainment System version==
{{multiple image|footer=Douglas Crockford managed and Tim Schafer playtested the NES version. |image1=Douglas Crockford - Georgia Tech 2010.jpg |alt1=A gray-haired man with a gray beard wearing a black jacket and gray shirt, talking with a whiteboard behind him.|width1=180 |image2=Tim Schafer 2011.jpg |alt2=A middle-aged man with a brown and grey bear wearing a black shirt and green jacket.|width2=108}}
There were two separate versions of the game developed for the NES. The first port was handled and published by [[Company:Jaleco|Jaleco]] only in Japan. Released on June 23, 1988, it featured characters redrawn in a cute art style and generally shrunken rooms. No scrolling is present, leading to rooms larger than a single screen to be displayed via flip-screens. Many of the background details are missing, and instead of a save feature a password, over 100 characters long, is required to save progress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/maniacmansion/maniacmansion.htm |title=Maniac Mansion – Hardcore Gaming 101 |access-date=2016-03-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317053804/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/maniacmansion/maniacmansion.htm |archive-date=2016-03-17}}</ref>
In September 1990<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/completeoldgameslist.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214001820/https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/completeoldgameslist.pdf |archive-date=December 14, 2010 |title=Classic Games List |publisher=Nintendo of America |url-status=dead}}</ref> Jaleco released an American version of ''Maniac Mansion'' as the first NES title developed by Lucasfilm Games in cooperation with Realtime Associates. Generally, this port is regarded as being far closer to the original game than the Japanese effort.

Company management was occupied with other projects, and so the port received little attention until employee Douglas Crockford volunteered to direct it. The team used a modified version of the SCUMM engine called "NES SCUMM" for the port.<ref name="Expurgate"/> According to Crockford, "[one] of the main differences between the NES and PCs is that the NES can do certain things much faster".<ref name=crockfordnp>{{cite magazine |title=NES Journal |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |location=Redmond, WA |issue=14 |date=July–August 1990 |page=88 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> The graphics had to be entirely redrawn to match the NES's [[Engineering:Display resolution|display resolution]].<ref name="Expurgate"/> Tim Schafer, who later designed ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s sequel ''[[Software:Day of the Tentacle|Day of the Tentacle]]'', received his first professional credit as a playtester for the NES version of ''Maniac Mansion''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=In the Chair with Tim Schafer |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=22 |date=March 2, 2006 |page=40 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref>

During ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s development for the Commodore 64, Lucasfilm had censored profanity in the script: for instance, the early line of dialogue "Don't be a shit head" became "Don't be a tuna head".<ref name="GDC-Post" /> Additional content was removed from the NES version to make it suitable for a younger audience, and to conform with Nintendo's policies.<ref name="RG2011" /> Jaleco USA president Howie Rubin warned Crockford about content to which Nintendo might object, such as the word "kill". After reading the NES Game Standards Policy for himself, Crockford suspected that further elements of ''Maniac Mansion'' could be problematic, and he sent a list of questionable content to Jaleco. When the company replied that the content was reasonable, Lucasfilm Games submitted ''Maniac Mansion'' for approval.<ref name="Expurgate"/>

One month later, Nintendo of America was concerned that its content was objectionable, believing it was inappropriate for children, and contacted Lucasfilm Games to request they tone down the inappropriate content, particularly profanity and nudity. Crockford censored this content but attempted to leave the game's essence intact. For example, Nintendo wanted graffiti in one room, which provided an important hint to players, removed from the game. Unable to comply without simultaneously removing the hint, the team simply shortened it. Sexually suggestive and otherwise "graphic" dialogue was edited, including a remark from Dr. Fred about "pretty brains [being] sucked out". The nudity described by Nintendo encompassed a swimsuit calendar, a classical sculpture and a poster of a mummy in a Playmate pose. After a brief fight to keep the sculpture, the team ultimately removed all three. The phrase "NES SCUMM System" in the credits sequence was censored.<ref name="Expurgate"/>

[[File:George A. Sanger at Blockparty 2008.jpg|thumb|George "The Fat Man" Sanger and his band contributed to the NES port's music.]]
Lucasfilm Games re-submitted the edited version of ''Maniac Mansion'' to Nintendo, which then manufactured 250,000 cartridges.<ref name="Ultimate">{{cite book | title=Ultimate History of Video Games | url=https://archive.org/details/ultimatehistoryv00kent | url-access=limited | first=Steven | last=Kent |  chapter=The New Empire | pages=[https://archive.org/details/ultimatehistoryv00kent/page/n380 365]–366 | publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, CA | isbn=978-0-7615-3643-7 | year=2001}}</ref> Each cartridge was fitted with a battery-powered back-up to save data.<ref name="Collector">{{cite book |title=Digital Press Video Game Collector's Guide |publisher=Digital Press |location=Pompton Lakes, NJ |first=Joe |last=Santulli |edition=7 |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-9709807-0-0}}</ref> Nintendo announced the port through its official magazine in early 1990, and it provided further coverage later that year.<ref name="NP-14" /><ref name="NP-11">{{cite magazine |title=Gossip Galore |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |location=Redmond, WA |date=March–April 1990 |issue=11 |page=93 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> The ability to microwave a hamster remained in the game, which Crockford cited as an example of the censors' contradictory criteria.<ref name="Expurgate"/><ref name="Collector"/> Nintendo later noticed it, and after the first batch of cartridges was sold, Jaleco was forced to remove the content from future shipments. <ref name="Ultimate"/><ref name="Collector"/> Ultimately, the game didn’t sell well enough within the U.S. market to justify a second printing, so the content removal was only applied to international releases.

Late in development, Jaleco commissioned [[Company:Realtime Associates|Realtime Associates]] to provide background music, which no previous version of ''Maniac Mansion'' had featured. Realtime Associates' founder and president David Warhol noted that "video games at that time had to have 'wall to wall' music". He brought in George "The Fat Man" Sanger and his band, along with David Hayes, to compose the score. Their goal was to create songs that suited each character, such as a punk rock theme for Razor, an electronic rock theme for Bernard and a version of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town" for Dave Miller. Warhol translated their work into NES [[Software:Chiptune|chiptune]] music.<ref name="Warhol">{{cite interview|last=Warhol |first=David |title=LucasArts' Secret History: ''Maniac Mansion'': Memories from the developers, and music downloads |publisher=The International House of Mojo |date=January 29, 2008 |access-date=December 24, 2012 |url=http://mixnmojo.com/features/sitefeatures/LucasArts-Secret-History-Maniac-Mansion/4 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104113042/http://mixnmojo.com/features/sitefeatures/LucasArts-Secret-History-Maniac-Mansion/4 |archive-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| EuroG = 9/10<ref name="EuroGamer">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/maniac-mansion-review |title=''Maniac Mansion'' Review |first=Kristan |last=Reed |website=Eurogamer |date=October 26, 2007 |access-date=April 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310175031/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/maniac-mansion-review |archive-date=March 10, 2011}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''ACE''
| rev1Score = 820 out of 1000<ref name=ace />
| rev2 = ''Zzap!64''
| rev2Score = 93%<ref name=zzap />
| rev3 = ''The One''
| rev3Score = 83%<ref name=oneamiga />
| rev4 = ''Commodore User''
| rev4Score = 8/10<ref name=commodoreuser />
| rev5 = ''Amiga Format''
| rev5Score = 73%<ref name=amigaformat />
| rev6 = ''The Games Machine''
| rev6Score = 76%<ref name=gamesmachine>{{cite journal |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=The Games Machine |publisher=Newsfield Publications |location=[[Earth:Ludlow|Ludlow]] |date=December 1989 |issue=25 |page=67 |issn=0954-8092 |oclc=500096266}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''Mean Machines''
}}
According to Stuart Hunt of ''Retro Gamer'', ''Maniac Mansion'' received highly positive reviews from critics. Nevertheless, Ron Gilbert noted that "it wasn't a huge hit" commercially. In 2011, Hunt wrote that "as so often tends to be the way with cult classics, the popularity it saw was slow in coming".<ref name="RG2011" />

Keith Farrell of ''Compute!'s Gazette'' was struck by ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s similarity to film, particularly in its use of cutscenes to impart "information or urgency". He lauded the game's graphics, animation and high level of detail.<ref name=compute>{{cite journal |last=Ferrell |first=Keith |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |date=November 1987 |journal=COMPUTE!'s Gazette |publisher=General Media |location=New York City |issue=53 |pages=35–36 |issn=0737-3716 |oclc=649175217}}</ref> ''Commodore User''{{'}}s Bill Scolding and three reviewers from ''Zzap!64'' compared the game to ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''.<ref name=zzap/><ref name=commodoreuser>{{cite journal |last=Scolding |first=Bill |date=December 1987 |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Commodore User |publisher=EMAP |location=Peterborough |issue=51 |page=42 |issn=0265-721X |oclc=124015983}}</ref> Further comparisons were drawn to ''Psycho'', ''Friday the 13th'', ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'', ''The Addams Family'' and ''Scooby-Doo''.<ref name=zzap/><ref name=commodoreuser/><ref name="Questbusters"/> Russ Ceccola of ''Commodore Magazine'' found the cutscenes to be creative and well made, and he commented that the "characters are distinctively Lucasfilm's, bringing facial expressions and personality to each individual character".<ref name=commodoremagazine>{{cite journal |last=Ceccola |first=Russ |date=March 1988 |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Commodore Magazine |publisher = Commodore Magazine, Inc. |location=West Chester, PA |pages=22–23 |issn=0814-5741 |oclc=216544886}}</ref> In ''Compute!'', Orson Scott Card praised the game's humor, cinematic storytelling and lack of violence. He called it "compellingly good" and evidence of Lucasfilm's push "to make computer games a valid storytelling art".<ref name="card198812">{{cite journal|last=Card |first=Orson Scott |title=Gameplay |journal=Compute! |publisher=COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. |location=New York City |issn=0737-3716 |oclc=649175217 |issue=103 |date=December 1988 |url=https://archive.org/stream/1988-12-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_103_1988_Dec#page/n13/mode/2up |access-date=November 10, 2013 |page=12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313134759/https://archive.org/stream/1988-12-compute-magazine/Compute_Issue_103_1988_Dec |archive-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref> In describing ''Maniac Mansion'' as Lucasfilms' "breakthrough game", Matthew Castillo of ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' magazine praised the "B-movie" horror elements, the use of cutscenes and the visuals.<ref>{{cite magazine| last = Castello | first = Matthew J. | date = February 1988| title = Gaming | url = https://archive.org/details/Asimovs_v12n02_1988-02/page/n191/mode/2up | magazine = Asimov's Science Fiction| publisher = Davis Publications, Inc.| access-date = 2023-05-08| volume = 12| issue = 2| page= 191}}</ref>

German magazine ''Happy-Computer'' commended the point-and-click interface and likened it to that of ''[[Software:Uninvited (video game)|Uninvited]]'' by ICOM Simulations. The publication highlighted ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s graphics, originality, and overall enjoyability: one of the writers called it the best adventure title yet released.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schneider |first1=Boris |last2=Lenhardt |first2=Heinrich |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Happy-Computer |publisher=Markt+Technik Verlag |language=de |date=April 1986 |url=http://www.kultpower.de/powerplay_datenbank.php3?game_id=605 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930034523/http://www.kultpower.de/powerplay_datenbank.php3?game_id=605 |archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref> ''Happy-Computer'' later reported that ''Maniac Mansion'' was the highest-selling video game in West Germany for three consecutive months.<ref>{{cite journal |title=German gamers pick ''Maniac'' |journal=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment |publisher=Larry Flynt Publications |location=Beverly Hills, CA |issue=4 |date=May 1989 |page=14 |issn=1059-2938 |oclc=25300986}}</ref> The game's humor received praise from ''Zzap!64'', whose reviewers called the point-and-click controls "tremendous" and the total package "innovative and polished".<ref name=zzap>{{cite journal |last1=Summer |first1=Paul |last2=Rignall |first2=Julian |last3=Jarratt |first3=Steve | author-link3=Steve Jarratt |date=December 1987 | title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Zzap!64 |publisher = Newsfield Publications |location=Ludlow |issue=32 |pages=12–13 |issn=0954-867X |oclc=470391346}}</ref> Shay Addams of ''Questbusters: The Adventurer's Newsletter'' preferred ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s interface to that of ''Labyrinth: The Computer Game''. He considered the game to be Lucasfilm's best, and he recommended it to Commodore 64 and Apple II users unable to run titles with better visuals, such as those from Sierra On-Line.<ref name="Questbusters">{{cite journal |last=Addams |first=Shay |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Questbusters: The Adventurer's Newsletter |publisher=Addams Expedition |location=Wayne, PA |date=August 1987 | volume=4 | issue=8 |pages=3, 9}}</ref> A writer for ''ACE'' enjoyed the game's animation and depth, but he noted that fans of text-based adventures would dislike the game's simplicity.<ref name=ace>{{cite journal |author=The Pilgrim |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |issue=2 |date=November 1987 |journal=ACE |publisher =Future Publishing |location=Bath, Somerset |page=89}}</ref>

===Ports===
''PC Computing'' in 1988 wrote that ''Maniac Mansion'' for the PC had a clever story but "grade B animation", concluding that "the result falls short of the magic we expect from George Lucas".<ref name="trivette1988">{{Cite magazine |last=Trivette |first=Donald B. |date=October 1988 |title=Fun! |url=http://archive.org/details/PC_Computing_1988_10 |magazine=PC Computing |type=column |language=english |pages=251–256 |access-date=2023-04-07}}</ref> Reviewing the MS-DOS and [[Engineering:Atari ST|Atari ST]] ports, a critic from ''The Games Machine'' called ''Maniac Mansion'' "an enjoyable romp" that was structurally superior to later [[Software:LucasArts adventure games|LucasArts adventure games]]. The writer noticed poor [[Pathfinding#In video games|pathfinding]] and disliked the limited audio.<ref name=gamesmachine /> Reviewers for ''The Deseret News'' lauded the audiovisuals and considered the product "wonderful fun".<ref name=deseretnews>{{cite news |last1=Peterson |first1=Franklynn |last2=K-Turkel |first2=Judi |date=April 30, 1989 |title=We Had to Reconsider Bombing ''Platoon'' Game; ''Maniac Mansion'', ''Dive Bomber'' are Good Fun, Too |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/44671/WE-HAD-TO-RECONSIDER-BOMBING-PLATOON-GAME-MANIAC-MANSION-DIVE-BOMBER-ARE-GOOD-FUN-TOO.html |newspaper=The Deseret News |access-date=February 2, 2011}}</ref> ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s Charles Ardai praised the game for attaining "the necessary and precarious balance between laughs and suspense that so many comic horror films and novels lack". Although he faulted the control system's limited options, he hailed it as "one of the most comfortable ever devised".<ref name=cgw /> Writing for ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'', Bill Kunkel and Joyce Worley stated that the game's plot and premise were typical of the horror genre, but they praised the interface and execution.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kunkel |first1=Bill |last2=Worley |first2=Joyce |title=Spooky Software |journal=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment |publisher=Larry Flynt Publications |location=Beverly Hills, CA |issue=10 |date=September 1989 |page=62 |issn=1059-2938 |oclc=25300986}}</ref>

Reviewing ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s Amiga version four years after its release, Simon Byron of ''The One Amiga'' praised the game for retaining "charm and humour", but suggested that its art direction had become "tacky" compared to more recent titles.<ref name=oneamiga>{{cite journal |last=Byron |first=Simon |date=June 1993 |title=Cheapos! |journal=The One Amiga |publisher=EMAP |location=Peterborough |issue=57 |page=90 |issn=0962-2896 |oclc=225907628}}</ref> Stephen Bradly of ''Amiga Format'' found the game derivative, but encountered "loads of visual humour" in it, adding: "Strangely, it's quite compelling after a while".<ref name=amigaformat>{{cite journal |last=Bradly |first=Stephen |date=August 1993 |title=Budget Reviews |journal=Amiga Format |publisher=Future Publishing |location=Bath, Somerset |issue=49 |page=96 |issn=0957-4867 |oclc=225912747}}</ref> Michael Labiner of Germany's ''Amiga Joker'' considered ''Maniac Mansion'' to be one of the best adventure games for the system. He noted minor graphical flaws, such as a limited color palette, but he argued that the gameplay made up for such shortcomings.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Labiner |first=Michael |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Amiga Joker |publisher=Joker Verlag |language=de |volume=1990 |date=February 1990 |url=http://www.kultpower.de/external_frameset.php3?site=amigajoker_testbericht.php3%3Fim%3Dmaniacmansion.jpg%26backurl%3Dindex_main2.php3 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |issue=2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930034512/http://www.kultpower.de/external_frameset.php3?site=amigajoker_testbericht.php3%3Fim%3Dmaniacmansion.jpg&backurl=index_main2.php3 |archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref> Writing for ''Datormagazin'' in Sweden, Ingela Palmér commented that the Amiga and Commodore 64 versions of ''Maniac Mansion'' were nearly identical. She criticized the graphics and gameplay of both releases but felt the game to be highly enjoyable regardless.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Palmér |first=Ingela |title=Alla har ett fånigt flin – ''Maniac Mansion'' (Lucasfilm) |journal=Datormagazin |publisher = Egmont Tidskrifter |language=sv |volume=1990 |date=March 1990 |page=29 |issue=6}}</ref>

Reviewing the NES release, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named it the #20 greatest game released that season: "The graphics are merely okay and the music is Nintendo at its tinniest, but Maniac Mansion's plot is enough to overcome these faults. In this command-driven game — adapted from the computer hit — three buddies venture into a sinister haunted mansion and wind up juggling a bunch of wacky story lines".<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ |title=Video Games Guide |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=1991-11-22|access-date=2018-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219184932/http://ew.com/article/1991/11/22/video-games-guide/ |archive-date=2017-02-19 |url-status=live}}</ref> British magazine ''Mean Machines'' commended the game's presentation, playability, and replay value. The publication also noted undetailed graphics and "ear-bashing tunes". The magazine's Julian Rignall compared ''Maniac Mansion'' to the title ''Shadowgate'', but he preferred the former's controls and lack of "death-without-warning situations".<ref name=meanmachines /> Writers for Germany's ''Video Games'' referred to the NES version as a "classic". Co-reviewer Heinrich Lenhardt stated that ''Maniac Mansion'' was unlike any other NES adventure game, and that it was no less enjoyable than its home computer releases. Co-reviewer Winnie Forster found it to be "one of the most original representatives of the [adventure game] genre".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Forster |first1=Winnie |last2=Lenhardt |first2=Heinrich |title=Gehirne, Gags & Gänsehaut – ''Maniac Mansion'' |journal=Video Games |language=de |volume=2 |date=June 1991 |pages=38–39 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |url=http://www.kultpower.de/external_frameset.php3?site=videogames_testbericht.php3?im=maniacmansion.jpg |issue=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930034441/http://www.kultpower.de/external_frameset.php3?site=videogames_testbericht.php3%3Fim%3Dmaniacmansion.jpg |archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref> In retrospective features, ''Edge'' magazine called the NES version "somewhat neutered" and ''GamesTM'' referred to it as "infamous" and "heavily censored".<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/><ref name="Edge"/>

==TV adaptation and game sequel==

Lucasfilm conceived the idea for a television adaptation of ''Maniac Mansion'', the rights to which were purchased by The Family Channel in 1990.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=A Short Visit to ''Maniac Mansion'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |location=New York City |first=Benjamin |last=Svetkey |publisher=Time Inc. |issue=101 |date=January 17, 1992 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,309225,00.html |access-date=February 9, 2011 |issn=1049-0434 |oclc=21114137 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617051253/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C309225%2C00.html |archive-date=June 17, 2011}}</ref> The two companies collaborated with Atlantis Films to produce a sitcom named after the game, which debuted in September of that year.<ref>{{cite book |title=Time Capsule: Reviews of Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Films and TV Shows from 1987-1991 |pages=144–145 |first=J. P. |last=Harris |publisher=iUniverse |location=Bloomington, IN |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-595-21336-8}}</ref><ref name=showpower /> It aired on YTV in Canada and The Family Channel in the United States.<ref>{{cite book |title=Beyond Quebec: Taking Stock of Canada |first=Kenneth |last=McRoberts |publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |location={{wipe|Montreal}}, Quebec/Kingston, Ontario |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-7735-1314-3 |page=173}}</ref> Based in part on the video game, the series focuses on the Edison family's life and stars Joe Flaherty as Dr. Fred. Its writing staff was led by Eugene Levy.<ref name=showpower>{{cite magazine |title=On the Air |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |location=Redmond, WA |issue=16 |page=89 |date=September–October 1990 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> Gilbert later said that the premise of the series changed during production until it differed heavily from the game's original plot.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> Upon its debut, the adaptation received positive reviews from ''Variety'', ''Entertainment Weekly'' and the ''{{wipe|Los Angeles Times}}''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Variety TV Reviews 1991-92 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |author=Prouty |year=1994 |volume=17 |isbn=978-0-8240-3796-3}}</ref><ref name="Tucker">{{cite magazine|magazine=Entertainment Weekly |location=New York City |title=TV Review: ''Maniac Mansion'' |first=Ken |last=Tucker |date=October 5, 1990 |issue=34 |publisher=Time Inc. |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20193670,00.html |access-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021192544/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20193670%2C00.html |archive-date=October 21, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal={{wipe|Los Angeles Times}} |title=The New Season: Demented Experiment in ''Maniac Mansion'' |date=September 14, 1990 |first=Howard |last=Rosenberg |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-14/entertainment/ca-73_1_maniac-mansion |access-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012020231/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-14/entertainment/ca-73_1_maniac-mansion |archive-date=October 12, 2012}}</ref> ''{{wipe|Time (magazine)}}'' named it one of the year's best new series.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best of '90: TV |magazine={{wipe|Time (magazine)}} |publisher=Time Inc. |location=New York City |date=December 31, 1990 |volume=136 |issue=28 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972059,00.html |access-date=February 9, 2011 |issn=0040-781X |oclc=1767509 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120152312/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C972059%2C00.html |archive-date=January 20, 2011}}</ref> Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'' questioned the decision to air the series on The Family Channel, given Flaherty's subversive humor.<ref name="Tucker" /> Discussing the series in retrospect, Richard Cobbett of ''PC Gamer'' criticized its generic storylines and lack of relevance to the game.<ref name="Cobbett" /> The series lasted for three seasons; sixty-six episodes were filmed.<ref name="RG2011" />

In the early 1990s, LucasArts tasked Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer, both of whom had worked on the ''Monkey Island'' series, with designing a sequel to ''Maniac Mansion''. Gilbert and Winnick initially assisted with the project's writing. The team included voice acting and more detailed graphics, which Gilbert had originally envisioned for ''Maniac Mansion''. The first game's nonlinear design was discarded, and the team implemented a Chuck Jones-inspired visual style, alongside numerous puzzles based on time travel. Bernard and the Edison family were retained.<ref name="RetroMaking">{{cite journal |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |title=The Making Of Day Of The Tentacle |first=Kim |last=Wild |issue=81 |date=September 2010 |pages=84–87 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Wild |first=Kim |title=Developer Lookback – LucasArts – Part Two |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=28 |date=August 17, 2006 |pages=20–25 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref> The sequel ''[[Software:Day of the Tentacle|Day of the Tentacle]]'' was released in 1993,<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> and came with a fully playable copy of ''Maniac Mansion'' hidden as an Easter egg within the game.<ref name="GSGG">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-48.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041124031943/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/p-48.html |archive-date=November 24, 2004 |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: The Only Good Tentacle Is a Green Tentacle |website=GameSpot |date=April 30, 2004 |access-date=February 13, 2014}}</ref>

==Impact and legacy==
In 2010, the staff of ''GamesTM'' dubbed ''Maniac Mansion'' a "seminal" title that overhauled the gameplay of the graphic adventure genre. Removing the need to [[Syntax guessing|guess syntax]] allowed players to concentrate on the story and puzzles, which created a smoother and more enjoyable experience, according to the magazine.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> Eurogamer's Kristan Reed agreed: he believed that the design was "infinitely more elegant and intuitive" than its predecessors and that it freed players from "guessing-game frustration".<ref name="EuroGamer"/> Designer Dave Grossman, who worked on Lucasfilm Games' later ''Day of the Tentacle'' and ''[[Software:The Secret of Monkey Island|The Secret of Monkey Island]]'', felt that ''Maniac Mansion'' had revolutionized the adventure game genre.<ref name="RG2011" /> Although 1985's ''Uninvited'' had featured a point-and-click interface, it was not influential. ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s implementation of the concept was widely imitated in other adventure titles. Writing in the [[Social:Game studies|game studies]] journal ''Kinephanos'', Jonathan Lessard argued that ''Maniac Mansion'' led a "[[Software:Casual game|Casual]] Revolution" in the late 1980s, which opened the adventure genre to a wider audience.<ref name=kinephanos>{{cite journal|journal=Kinephanos |title=The Casual Revolution of... 1987: Making adventure games accessible to the masses |date=January 2014 |last=Lessard |first=Jonathan |url=http://www.kinephanos.ca/2014/adventure-games/ |access-date=September 26, 2015 |issn=1916-985X |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928094408/http://www.kinephanos.ca/2014/adventure-games/ |archive-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> Similarly, Christopher Buecheler of GameSpy called the game a contributor to its genre's subsequent critical adoration and commercial success.<ref name="GS-Fame"/>

Reed highlighted the "wonderfully ambitious" design of ''Maniac Mansion'', in reference to its writing, interface, and cast of characters.<ref name="EuroGamer"/> Game designer Sheri Graner Ray believed the game to challenge "[[Social:Damsel in distress|damsel in distress]]" stereotypes through its inclusion of female protagonists.<ref name="graner">{{cite book |first=Sheri |last=Graner Ray |title=Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market |page=24 |publisher=Charles River Media |location=Hingham, MA |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-58450-239-5}}</ref> Conversely, writer Mark Dery argued that the goal of rescuing a kidnapped cheerleader reinforced negative [[Social:Gender role|gender role]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Flame Wars: The Discourse of Cyberculture |first=Mark |last=Déry |author-link=Mark Dery |publisher=Duke University Press |location=Durham, NC |year=1994 |chapter=Anne Balsamo |page=[https://archive.org/details/flamewarsdiscour00dery/page/152 152] |isbn=978-0-8223-1540-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/flamewarsdiscour00dery/page/152}}</ref> The Lucasfilm team built on their experiences from ''Maniac Mansion'' and became increasingly ambitious in subsequent titles.<ref name="ClassicIntro"/> Gilbert admitted to making mistakes—such as the inclusion of [[No-win situation|no-win situation]]s—in ''Maniac Mansion'', and he applied these lessons to future projects. For example, the game relies on [[Time-driven programming|timers]] rather than [[Event-driven programming|events]] to trigger cutscenes, which occasionally results in awkward transitions: Gilbert worked to avoid this flaw with the ''Monkey Island'' series.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> Because of ''Maniac Mansion''{{'}}s imperfections, Gilbert considers it his favorite among the games he made.<ref name="GDC-Post"/>

According to writers Mike and Sandie Morrison, Lucasfilm Games became "serious competition" in the adventure genre after the release of ''Maniac Mansion''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Magic of Interactive Entertainment |url=https://archive.org/details/magicofinteracti0000morr |url-access=registration |publisher=SAMS Publishing |location=Indianapolis, IN |first1=Mike |last1=Morrison |first2=Sandie |last2=Morrison |chapter=The History of Interactive Entertainment |date=October 1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/magicofinteracti0000morr/page/48 48] |isbn=978-0-672-30590-0}}</ref> The game's success solidified Lucasfilm as one of the leading producers of adventure games:<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> authors Rusel DeMaria and Johnny Wilson described it as a "landmark title" for the company. In their view, ''Maniac Mansion''—along with ''[[Software:Space Quest I|Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter]]'' and ''Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards''—inaugurated a "new era of humor-based adventure games".<ref>{{cite book |title=High score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games |edition=2 |first1=Rusel |last1=DeMaria |first2=Johnny |last2=Wilson |publisher=McGraw-Hill |location=New York City |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-07-223172-4 |pages=140, 200}}</ref> This belief was shared by Reed, who wrote that ''Maniac Mansion'' "set in motion a captivating chapter in the history of gaming" that encompassed wit, invention, and style.<ref name="EuroGamer"/> The SCUMM engine was reused by Lucasfilm in eleven later titles;<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> improvements were made to its code with each game.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> Over time, rival adventure game developers adopted this paradigm in their own software. ''GamesTM'' attributed the change to a desire to streamline production and create enjoyable games.<ref name="GamesTm-Retro"/> Following his 1992 departure from LucasArts—a conglomeration of Lucasfilm Games, ILM and Skywalker Sound formed in 1990—Gilbert used SCUMM to create adventure games and ''Backyard Sports'' titles for [[Company:Humongous Entertainment|Humongous Entertainment]].<ref name="GDC-Post"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/short-history-lucasarts |title=A Short History of LucasArts |author=Edge Staff |publisher=Edge Online |date=August 28, 2006 |access-date=April 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813202111/http://www.edge-online.com/features/short-history-lucasarts |archive-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref>

In 2011, Richard Cobbett summarized ''Maniac Mansion'' as "one of the most intricate and important adventure games ever made".<ref name="Cobbett">{{cite magazine|last=Cobbett |first=Richard |title=Saturday Crapshoot – ''Maniac Mansion'' (TV) |magazine=PC Gamer |date=July 23, 2011 |access-date=August 22, 2015 |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-maniac-mansion-tv/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004030840/http://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-maniac-mansion-tv/ |archive-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref> ''Retro Gamer'' ranked it as one of the ten best Commodore 64 games in 2006,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Commodore 64 – Perfect Ten Games |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=30 |date=October 12, 2006 |page=25 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref> and IGN later named it one of the ten best [[Software:LucasArts adventure games|LucasArts adventure games]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/17/top-10-lucasarts-adventure-games-2 |title=Top 10 LucasArts Adventure Games |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=November 17, 2009 |access-date=August 21, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009044904/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/11/17/top-10-lucasarts-adventure-games-2 |archive-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> Seven years after the NES version's debut, ''Nintendo Power'' named it the 61st best game ever.<ref name="NP-100">{{cite magazine |title=100 Best Games of All Time |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Nintendo |location=Redmond, WA |issue=100 |date=September 1997 |page=96 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> The publication dubbed it the 16th best NES title in 2008. The game's uniqueness and clever writing were praised by ''Nintendo Power'':<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 2008 |title=''Nintendo Power''&nbsp;– The 20th Anniversary Issue! |magazine=Nintendo Power |issue=231 |page=71 |publisher=Future US |location={{wipe|San Francisco, California}} |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> in 2010, the magazine's Chris Hoffman stated that the game is "unlike anything else out there — a point-and-click adventure with an awesome sense of humor and multiple solutions to almost every puzzle".<ref name="NP-260">{{cite magazine |last=Hoffman |first=Chris |title=''Maniac Mansion'' |magazine=Nintendo Power |publisher=Future US |location=San Francisco, CA |issue=260 |date=November 2010 |page=55 |issn=1041-9551 |oclc=18893582}}</ref> In its retrospective coverage, ''Nintendo Power'' several times noted the ability to microwave a hamster,<ref name="NP-100"/> which the staff considered to be an iconic scene.<ref name="NP-260"/> In March 2012, ''Retro Gamer'' listed the hamster incident as one of the "100 Classic Gaming Moments".<ref>{{cite journal |title=100 Classic Gaming Moments |journal=Retro Gamer |publisher=Imagine Publishing |location=Bournemouth |issue=100 |date=March 2012 |page=66 |issn=1742-3155 |oclc=489477015}}</ref>

''Maniac Mansion'' enthusiasts have drawn fan art of its characters, participated in tentacle-themed cosplay and produced a trailer for a fictitious film adaptation of the game.<ref name="GDC-Post"/> German fan Sascha Borisow created a [[Software:Fan game|fan game]] remake, titled ''Maniac Mansion Deluxe'', with enhanced audio and visuals. He used the [[Software:Adventure Game Studio|Adventure Game Studio]] engine to develop the project, which he distributed free of charge on the Internet.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Games for Windows: The Official Magazine | issue = 3 | date = February 2007 | url = http://www.1up.com/features/101-free-games_2 | title = 101 Free Games 2007 – The Best Free Games on the Web! | publisher = Ziff Davis | location = New York City | access-date = April 12, 2011 | page = 8 | issn = 1933-6160 | oclc = 71652861 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110705173910/http://www.1up.com/features/101-free-games_2 | archive-date = July 5, 2011 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://archive.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2004/12/66109 |title=Maniacs Make a Modern Mansion |magazine=Wired.com |publisher=Condé Nast |first=Jacob |last=Ogles |date=December 23, 2004 |access-date=April 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104034943/http://archive.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2004/12/66109 |archive-date=January 4, 2015}}</ref> By the end of 2004, the remake had over 200,000 downloads.<ref name="GrumpyMarket">{{cite web| url = http://grumpygamer.com/economics_of_an_adventure_game_in_2004| title = The Economics of a 2D Adventure in Today's Market| publisher = Grumpy Gamer| first = Ron| last = Gilbert| date = October 19, 2004| access-date = August 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815163232/http://grumpygamer.com/economics_of_an_adventure_game_in_2004 |archive-date=August 15, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> A remake with [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional graphics]] called ''Meteor Mess'' was created by the German developer Vampyr Games,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/11/maniac_mansion_3d_remake_nearl.php |title=''Maniac Mansion'' 3D Remake 'Nearly Complete' |publisher=GameSetWatch |first=Eric |last=Caoili |date=November 24, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128064456/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/11/maniac_mansion_3d_remake_nearl.php |archive-date=January 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/213830/german-developers-remaking-maniac-mansion-as-meteor-mess-3d/| title = German developers remaking ''Maniac Mansion'' as ''Meteor Mess&nbsp;3D''| magazine = GamePro| first = Dave| last = Rudden| date = February 2, 2010| access-date = April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209060534/http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/213830/german-developers-remaking-maniac-mansion-as-meteor-mess-3d/|archive-date=2010-02-09}}</ref> and, as of 2011, another group in Germany produced one with art direction similar to that of ''Day of the Tentacle''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Plunkett |first=Luke |title=Holy Shit, Somebody is Remaking ''Maniac Mansion'' |publisher=Kotaku |date=May 26, 2011 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |url=http://kotaku.com/5805767/holy-shit-somebody-is-remaking-maniac-mansion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704140807/http://kotaku.com/5805767/holy-shit-somebody-is-remaking-maniac-mansion |archive-date=July 4, 2011}}</ref> Fans have created an episodic series of games based on ''Maniac Mansion''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3165201 |title=101 Free Games 2008 |website=1UP.com |first1=Darren |last1=Gladstone |first2=Scott |last2=Sharkey |date=January 14, 2008 |access-date=April 12, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604024106/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3165201 |archive-date=June 4, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Gilbert has said that he would like to see an official remake, similar in its graphics and gameplay to ''The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition'' and ''Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge''. He also expressed doubts about its potential quality, in light of George Lucas's enhanced remakes of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dutton |first=Fred |title=Gilbert would "love" new ''Maniac Mansion'' |work=Eurogamer |date=March 4, 2011 |access-date=August 8, 2011 |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-04-gilbert-would-love-new-maniac-mansion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821132600/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-04-gilbert-would-love-new-maniac-mansion |archive-date=August 21, 2011}}</ref> In December 2017, Disney, which gained rights to the LucasArts games following its acquisition of Lucasfilm, published ''Maniac Mansion'' running atop the [[Software:ScummVM|ScummVM]] virtual machine to various digital storefronts.<ref name="pcgamer history 2017">{{cite web | url = http://www.pcgamer.com/how-scummvm-is-keeping-adventure-games-alive-one-old-game-at-a-time/ | title = How ScummVM is keeping adventure games alive, one old game at a time | first = Richard | last = Cobbett | date = December 22, 2017 | access-date = December 28, 2017 | work = PC Gamer | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171228014455/http://www.pcgamer.com/how-scummvm-is-keeping-adventure-games-alive-one-old-game-at-a-time/ | archive-date = 2017-12-28 | url-status = live}}</ref> Physical re-releases of the NES and PC versions are scheduled for release by [[Company:Limited Run Games|Limited Run Games]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yarwood |first1=Jack |title=Maniac Mansion Getting Physical Rereleases For PC & NES |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/02/maniac-mansion-getting-physical-rereleases-for-pc-and-nes |website=Time Extension |publisher=Hookshot Media |access-date=9 February 2023 |date=8 February 2023}}</ref> A musical that parodied the main arc of the video game, ''Mansión Maniática, Pablo Flores Torres'' was released in Argentina in 2023.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/teatro/gamers-mansion-maniatica-la-parodia-musical-de-un-famoso-videojuego-de-los-anos-80-nid14032023/| title = Gamers. Mansión Maniática: la parodia musical de un famoso videojuego de los años 80| trans-title = Gamers. Maniac Mansion: the musical parody of a famous video game from the 80s| last = Rovaletti| first = Julieta | date = 2023-03-14| publisher = La Nación| access-date = 2023-05-08| language = es}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Internet Archive game|msdos_Maniac_Mansion_1987}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160926214025/http://www.classicgaming.cc/pc/maniac-mansion/ ''Maniac Mansion''] at Classicgaming.cc
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120601164220/http://www.c64-wiki.com/index.php/Maniac_Mansion ''Maniac Mansion'' at c64-wiki.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233045/http://www.c64sets.com/set.html?id=84 Images of ''Maniac Mansion'' box and manual] at C64Sets.com
* {{MobyGames|id=/maniac-mansion|name=''Maniac Mansion''}}


[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Parody video games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Maniac Mansion}}