Monkey Island 2 (FM-Towns version): Missing puzzle part?

[LostTrainDude]

The following thread may contain spoilers, so watch out!

I was playing the FM-Towns version of Monkey Island 2, "Hard" mode, through ScummVM.
Usually the Elaine's map piece puzzle needs 3 steps to be solved:

• The piece flies away from Governor's Mansion to the Cliff
• Once you get the fishing rod from the fisherman on Phatt Island, you can use it to try to take the map piece which ended hitched on a branch over the cliff. Unfortunately it will be stolen by a seagull while you're "reeling it in" and brought over a treehouse on the Big Tree
• Using Guybrush, Elaine's dog, over the pile of paper stocked in the treehouse, you retrieve the map piece.

On FM-Towns there is no point 2. I mean, during the little cutscene that shows the map piece flying around the island, it flies directly to the Big Tree. This makes the "fisherman puzzle" only some sort of "funny extra".

Out of curiosity: do you think (or know if) it is some sort of bug or is it a "workaround" for some kind of hardware limitation of the FM-Towns?
Anyway, while the original Amiga version was released in 1991, the FM-Towns version was released in 1994 ("the last title LucasArts ever published on that system", Wikipedia) and, actually, I'm not so sure that the same people worked on both versions: according to Wikipedia, Gilbert left LucasFilm in 1992.

Tweeting with Gilbert himself, he said that he doesn't remember this, but it is something he "would be surprised" about.

[Gribbler]

I don't know about fishing pole puzzle but I just wanted to say that your signature pretty much defines my life philosophy I will live forever, yay!

[selmiak]

As the FM Town was for the japanese market mostly, maybe this was some target audience decision. I mean, have you see the cover art for the FM Town Zak McKracken? Maybe they thought the cliff puzzle was just a filler or too frustrating for japanese people, who knows what goes through the heads of people deciding where to cut which.

[Trapezoid]

But the Japanese LOVE fishing.

[LostTrainDude]

I don't know about fishing pole puzzle but I just wanted to say that your signature pretty much defines my life philosophy I will live forever, yay!

Basically, on Phatt Island you have to challenge a fisherman to get his fishing pole in order to complete the "Elaine's map piece puzzle"
Favourite Guybrush's one-liner against him: "You? Why, you couldn't catch fish at a restaurant."

As the FM Town was for the japanese market mostly, maybe this was some target audience decision. I mean, have you see the cover art for the FM Town Zak McKracken? Maybe they thought the cliff puzzle was just a filler or too frustrating for japanese people, who knows what goes through the heads of people deciding where to cut which.

You mean this one?
Yeah, knew that

But what I have found most "amusing" (yet predictable, given the audience), in Zak McKracken FM-Towns version, is the "characterization" that had the main characters - all "Western" people - have big manga-styled eyes, and had the Kathmandu guru and guard have "traditional ones", since they are from South Asia.

I've found the perfect screenshots!





I find those big eyes to be somewhat creepy, anyway.

[Gribbler]

Basically, on Phatt Island you have to challenge a fisherman to get his fishing pole in order to complete the "Elaine's map piece puzzle"
Favourite Guybrush's one-liner against him: "You? Why, you couldn't catch fish at a restaurant."

No no, I know there is a pole puzzle in MI2, I finished this game 30-40 times by now, I just don't know WHY this puzzle is omitted in FM Towns version of the game.

[qptain Nemo]

You mean this one?

I LOL'd. This is hilarious, we need more of this kind of thing happening.