Like the original release, The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition received positive reviews from critics. Sean Ely of GamePro praised its updated audio, and said that the new graphics "blow the old clunker visuals ... out of the water". He cited its script, humor, plot, puzzles and balanced difficulty level as high points, and finished, "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition is impressive, hilarious and downright worth your money."[69] Daemon Hatfield of IGN wrote, "Almost 20 years after its release, [The Secret of Monkey Island] remains a blast to play."