Re-animating classic games with ScummVM

GAMER

Author(s):

The SCUMM engine is the basis of almost all the classic

adventure games by Lukasfilm Games/LukasArts.

Now fans can launch these game on Linux thanks to

ScummVM.

The SCUMM (“Script Creation Utility

for Maniac Mansion”) adventure

engine was developed by

Ron Gilbert for Maniac Mansion, a game

released by Lukasfilm Games in 1987.

Lukasfilm Games, which was later

renamed LukasArts, made continual

improvements to the engine and used it

for a whole series of classic adventure

games.

History

Adventure games based on the SCUMM

engine introduced a sensational new feature

at the time. Players no longer

homeneeded

to type keyboard commands to

control the characters in the game, but

could simply point to objects to enable

hidden verbs. This genre is known as

“Point & Click Adventure.”