Day of the Tentacle

Day of the Tentacle, also known as Maniac Mansion II, is a graphic adventure game and the sequel to the 1987 cult classic Maniac Mansion. The plot follows the nerdy Bernard Bernoulli and his roommates Hoagie and Laverne as they attempt to stop the evil Purple Tentacle, a sentient lab assistant who drinks toxic sludge and gains arms, immense intelligence, and a thirst for world domination. The game features a time travel mechanic: after a faulty diamond breaks Dr. Fred Edison's Chron-o-John time machine, the three heroes are separated across three eras. Hoagie lands 200 years in the past during the signing of the US Constitution, Bernard remains in the present, and Laverne is thrown 200 years into a future where Purple Tentacle has enslaved humanity. Players switch between characters and send items through time via portable toilets, with changes in the past visibly affecting the future. The entire original Maniac Mansion is playable on a computer inside the game.

DOS

Released in June 1993 by LucasArts (then Lucasfilm Games), co-designed by Tim Schafer and Dave Grossman in their first lead roles. Runs in 256-color VGA at 320x200 using the SCUMM v6 engine. This was LucasArts' first title with full voice acting, available only on the CD-ROM "talkie" version. The floppy version required a 286 CPU and 640 KB RAM across six 3.5-inch disks. The CD version required 2 MB EMS and a 2x CD-ROM drive, supporting AdLib, Sound Blaster, Roland MT-32, and General MIDI. Inspired by Chuck Jones cartoons, the game is impossible to lose or die, removing player frustration. While initial floppy sales were modest, the CD version became a massive success. It is now widely regarded as one of the funniest and greatest adventure games ever made.