Maniac Mansion is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and first released in 1987, played here in its NES version. You step into the role of Dave Miller, a teenager who sneaks into the Edison family mansion with two friends to rescue his girlfriend Sandy from the grip of Dr. Fred Edison — a scientist whose mind was unhinged by a sentient alien meteor. It pioneered the SCUMM verb-menu engine that would power LucasArts adventures for the following decade, and its branching structure means the ending you reach depends on the companions you bring.
How to Play
At the start you choose two of six teens to accompany Dave, and that choice matters: each character has a distinct ability that unlocks routes others cannot. Bernard can repair electronics, Wendy can interest a publisher in a manuscript, Razor and Syd can perform in the recording studio, Michael uses a camera and darkroom, and Jeff can reconnect telephone lines. During play you select verbs from the on-screen menu — Walk To, Pick Up, Use, Open, Give, and more — then click an object to act on it.
Browser controls (NES gamepad):
- Arrow keys — move the cursor and navigate menus
- X — A button (confirm / select action)
- Z — B button (cancel)
- Enter — Start
- Shift — Select
Tips
- Your two companions determine which endings you can reach. Replaying with a different pair opens paths and solutions that are otherwise locked off entirely.
- Inspect every room carefully before moving on — critical items can be easy to overlook in cluttered backgrounds.
- Save often. Some actions are irreversible and a handful of mistakes can leave the game in an unwinnable state without warning.
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