But I think what really makes it for me is the cleverness of the dialogue. There's just no reason for it to be this funny, but the one-liners just kill me. I would laugh at these until I choked because they'd surprise me so much. Here are a few of my favorites: A second season of episodic video games was developed by Telltale Games. [36] Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space followed the same overall format as Save the World, with each episode having an overarching storyline involving time travel and laundering of the souls of the dead. [37] As with Save the World, episodes were originally published on GameTap before being made available for general release. [38] The season consisted of five episodes and ran from November 2007 to April 2008. [39] [40] Nowlin and Kasten both returned to reprise their voice roles. In addition to the main games, a twenty-minute machinima video was produced, taking the form of a Sam & Max Christmas special. [41]

Upon its release in 1993, Sam & Max Hit the Road was met with near universal acclaim. Critics praised the title for its humor, voice acting, graphics, music and gameplay. [71] [72] It has since come to be regarded as a classic graphic adventure game, [73] one of the most critically successful projects by LucasArts to date. [74] Sam & Max Hit the Road is regularly featured in lists of top games, [70] [75] and was nominated for the 1994 Annie Award for "Best Animated CD-ROM", although the award instead went to LucasArts' Star Wars: Rebel Assault. [76] The abrupt cancellation of the sequel to Sam & Max Hit the Road in 2004 garnered substantial criticism of LucasArts. In addition to a petition of 32,000 signatures objecting to the termination of development on Sam & Max: Freelance Police, [29] both Steve Purcell and the media were critical of LucasArts' decision. Purcell stated that he failed to understand quite why the game was cancelled, as he believed the development of the game was proceeding without hindrance, [77] while the media put forward the view that LucasArts was moving to consolidate its position with low business risk Star Wars video games instead of pursuing the adventure games that had brought them success in earlier years. [30] The cancellation of Freelance Police is often cited as the culmination in a perceived decline in the overall adventure game genre, [78] and LucasArts later dismissed many of the designers involved with developing their adventure games, effectively ending their adventure game era. [79]Media [ edit ] Comic books [ edit ] Sam & Max debuted in 1987, in a comic book series initially published by Fishwrap Productions. Part 1: The Early Years". The History of Sam & Max. Telltale Games. 2007-06-12. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03 . Retrieved 2008-12-04.

The 2007 reprint was designed to look like an aging leather-bound book, using a yellowed-out version of the original art and even featuring fake wear and tear. The words "Est. 1987" are written at the bottom of the center picture. Magrino, Tom (2007-07-26). " Sam & Max return for Season Two". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23 . Retrieved 2008-12-06. Here's an experiment you can do! Leave a bag of bread on top of the refrigerator for a long time. It will eventually turn grey and taste bad. Now throw it into the street." a b Adams, David (2004-03-26). "Missing in Action: The Lost Games of the PC, Part 1". IGN . Retrieved 2008-08-07.Purcell, Steve (2006-03-18). "Issue #12". Sam & Max - Chapter One: The Big Sleep. Telltale Games. Archived from the original on 2008-12-26 . Retrieved 2008-12-04. Finney, Shaun (2010-04-14). " Sam & Max Secret Origins: Skun-ka'pe". Telltale Games . Retrieved 2010-09-04. Boss Fight Studio". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26 . Retrieved 2019-02-22. Cifaldi, Frank (2006-07-26). "Telltale Tells All (Pt. 1) – An Interview with Dave Grossman". Gamasutra . Retrieved 2009-04-18. But Purcell's stories get shorter, and the jokes get more direct and less clever and varied. Feels more rushed.

A very entertaining and intellectual collection of comics (especially by comparison to other comics), Steve Purcell captures a fun mix of actually funny absurdist humor, some excellent nuanced artwork, and fun and likable characters.Todd, Brett (2008-08-19). " Sam & Max: Season Two Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24 . Retrieved 2008-12-06. a b c d Van Zelfdendate, Alex (2007-06-27). "Playing it Cool: Sam & Max Swing a Record Deal". IGN. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14 . Retrieved 2008-12-04. The Sam & Max franchise has been highly successful critically, and is considered an iconic and influential aspect of the video game industry in the 1990s and the adventure game genre. In 2007, Steve Purcell wrote that he was somewhat surprised at the success of his creation, noting that the series had gained a large fan gathering despite the small size of the franchise. As the series contains only a small amount of comics, video games and a short TV series, Purcell commented that there was "certainly not enough material to build that relentless traction of an endlessly renewed sitcom or a syndicated comic that has existed since the Korean Conflict". [66] The comics were well received by critics, many praising the humor and style of the stories and characters. [67] [68] [69] However, later commentators have noted that the comic book series did not gain much popularity or recognition until after the release of Sam & Max Hit the Road in 1993; [70] the later episodic video games are seen to have revived interest in the comics again, resulting in the creation of the webcomic "The Big Sleep" and publication of an anniversary edition of Surfin' The Highway. [69] a b Day, Ashley (March 2006). "The Making of: Sam & Max Hit the Road". Retro Gamer. No.22. United Kingdom: Imagine Publishing. pp.32–35.