The Monkey Island series first reared its head back in 1990, when The Secret of Monkey Island emerged to claim the hearts of gamers everywhere and rewrite the rules on adventure games. The innovative title told the story of wannabe buccaneer Guybrush Threepwood, following him as he tooks his first steps into the world of piracy and untold adventure on and around Monkey Island. Hilarious dialogue, inventive puzzles, atmospheric locations and a somewhat unconventional love story lay at the heart of The Secret of Monkey Island - elements that would remain staples of the series from that moment forth.

Back in 1990, there were a number of features distinguishing the game from other adventure titles of the time. The most notable perhaps being the fact that The Secret of Monkey Island allowed players to explore their surroundings and interact with the world without much risk of dying or reaching a dead end were they to unwittingly perform the wrong action. The emphasis lay on fun, accessible gameplay that didn't punish people for trying anything and everything to see what would happen.

The Secret of Monkey Island was followed by Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (1992), The Curse of Monkey Island (1997) and Escape from Monkey Island (2000) – all of which continued to centre on the exploits of Guybrush as he endured voodoo curses, relationship troubles and ongoing conflict with the many incarnations of his arch nemesis, LeChuck.

Almost 20 years after the first of these titles was released, the accessible gameplay that has underpinned the series throughout continues to act as the foundation upon which the brand-new Tales of Monkey Island for WiiWare is built.