Scrutinizing each scene for details also often yields clues that can help you figure out what needs to be done to move forward. The game is light on action, instead relying heavily on puzzle solving and interacting with characters to progress the story.

Most of the puzzles you will come across on Sam & Max's adventures are not terribly difficult, but it's fun unearthing clues and trying out different items in your inventory or other combinations to come up with solutions. Some spots may hang inattentive players up as you must backtrack a lot to figure out a crucial clue you missed out on earlier. Each episode has a reasonable number of smaller puzzles and a few complex ones towards the end.

The story itself is so well scripted and entertaining that it's easily the shining point of the game. Every subsequent episode pushes the envelope of weirdness even further without ever managing to get too outright ridiculous. The story is enhanced by a saxophone laden, jazzy soundtrack, rounding out the detective-noir vibe, and extremely well-done voice acting. Visually, the transition from 2D to 3D is smooth and the graphics retain their cartoon-like quality. Each location oozes personality, and quite a few visual gags are buried into almost every area of the game.

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Individual episodes are not overly long, but there are plenty of peculiar plot-points packed into every parcel. Each should take about several hours to complete, depending on whether you explore every possible nook and cranny or simple just seek to solve the puzzles required to advance the plot. Lately, point-and-click adventures have not seen the same level of popularity they once enjoyed on the PC, but Sam & Max is a wake-up call aimed at reminding players there's still life left to the genre, despite many claims to the contrary. The Wii offers mostly the same solid experience found in the PC edition. The game looks good and plays well, and the voluminous humor and interesting characterization alone are well worth the price of admission.

With the success of Strong Bad’s Cool Game For Attractive People being released simultaneously via WiiWare and PC, we’re hopeful the upcoming season of Sam & Max gets the same episodic treatment for both platforms.

By Nathan Meunier
CCC Staff Contributor