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> Results: Sam & Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa
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Is it really already time for the new season of Sam & Max? While I have been anticipating it highly, my kids are still guffawing their way through the first season, meticulously trying everything and exhausting each dialogue tree in hopes of finding just one more funny line - and usually succeeding. Ready or not, the Freelance Police are back and loaded up for more belly laughs and plot twists, poking fun at everyone they possibly can along the way. To continue the television series analogies, launching a second season of a show is tough enough - but bringing about something this grand as a season opener is just amazing.
"SANTA: The snow will run red with your blood!." What an amazing start to the new season - Sam & Max's office is under attack! Figure out how to stop the madness and you will unlock an amazing new adventure that will take you to the top of the world - literally. Nothing is safe or sacred - pop songs of the 80's are over-analyzed, covert shots are taken at Al Gore and other politicians, and the entire institution of Christmas is lampooned. A great time is had by all - except that Max as usual fails to get his fill of violence ... but he always has fun. If anyone was concerned that Telltale would have a difficult time sustaining the zany hilarity of the first season - rest assured, there are belly laughs throughout the game! Most of the same characters have returned, though the neighborhood has been remodeled and gotten some new additions. Everything is nicely scripted and the jokes work perfectly - in fact, I really have to stop remarking how the writing just continues getting better and better, and the voice acting and animated characterizations are improving in step with the writing too. But it does. This episode feels like rejoining the family you have missed all summer - albeit a bizarre and dysfunctional family. Another thing that hasn't changed with Sam & Max Episode 201: Ice Station Santa is the length. The puzzles and situations are not very difficult to work out, and even exploring every area and every dialogue tree will only take about four hours. But given the extreme budget pricing, the laugh-per-dollar ratio is astounding. It is an interesting contrast having recently played Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the other (ahem) episodic game series - while Half-Life is more an expansion called an episode, Sam & Max continues to deliver true value on a regular basis in the way we would expect from our favorite television shows ... only funnier. In fact, the regular delivery and high quality of episodes has alleviated my anxiety over the next episode and replaced it with anticipation ... but I don't worry much, because the next one will be here soon, and it will be great!  
This is the first Sam & Max Episode where I have an issue regarding appropriateness for kids. The Episode One collection was rated T, but I consider it acceptable for kids 10+. This episode lampoons many things, including everything about Christmas, which might cause some concern for younger kids. Therefore I am advising a GamerDad Age Seal of 14+ for this episode. If there are no concerns around Christmas with your kids, having them played by kids 10 and older is quite acceptable. The content is very much the same as in the first season - comic mischief, mild language, and violence against fictitious toys.
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