Like many other PAC fans, LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island and the games that followed in the series sparked my admiration for the form and shaped my understanding of good puzzle design, but I also deeply loved the narrative and visual elements (quirky, well-rounded characters; hilarious dialogue; metagame and game development culture references; silly pirate and Voodoo magic lore; captivating settings complete with atmospheric soundscapes, etc.). After playing through the first game as a 9- or 10-year-old kid, I continued to express my love for it by learning to play the theme song on my ukulele for grade 5 music class, drawing posters featuring the characters, and coming up with backstory or side-story concepts for the more minor characters. Deep down, I think I wanted to make a game with a unique story that pulled the best stuff from the Monkey Island universe, but now I was also considering how to simultaneously incorporate Canadian culture.
Last summer, I took an online class through Gale Education, "Getting Started in Game Development," which is the first serious attempt I've made toward pursuing this longstanding interest. Midway through, when assignments required me to think through some of the nitty-gritty as well as broader visionary elements of a game, I pondered developing a PAC game loosely based on one of my favourite texts I teach in English 10: "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by the Arrogant Worms. It's a marvellously satirical take on the troubles of rural Saskatchewan life, a ballad parody where the protagonist is an anti-hero, and a celebration of the made-up history of pirating in Canada. To me, it encapsulates quintessential Canadian humour and culture, very similar to Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring's This is That, which I also adore.
With articles published even as recently as today raising the issue of missing Canadian video games (see The Long Dark is a fiercely Canadian video game. Why aren't there more like it?), I continue to be motivated to pursue acquiring the skills and knowledge I need to make a game, first and foremost, that I'd enjoy playing, and that I hope others would enjoy as well.