Sam & Max: Episode 3 - The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball

The Good
They have thwarted the megalomaniac Brady Culture. Stopped the machinations of TV super star Myra Stump, now the dynamic duo of private investigation, take on a pizzeria? Not what you expected? Anyhow Sam and Max: The Mole The Mob And The Meatball is the third episode in the first and hopefully not the last season. Does it live up to the previous installments or does it falter?

“So I got him a pair of cement shoes. Which he likes because they are lighter than his lead ones.”-Clamps, Futurama-

The neighborhood has been invaded by goons. It is now up to Sam and Max to investigate this turn of events. While looking into the disappearance of a mole that was sent to infiltrate the Teddy E. Bear pizza/casino chain, the intrepid heroes will have beat a cheat, put out a hit, and eventually get made.

As in previous episodes you get to explore the neighborhood, and a new area, Teddy E. Bear’s. The game feels a little shorter than the earlier installments. But still manages to pack in the fun and jokes. One part in particular has Sam and Max acting as hit men as they must silence a witness. You can’t actually kill the person of course so you must figure out a way to make it look like a mob hit.

As you might have guessed this episode largely pokes fun at mob movie clichés. As well as the world of fast food pizza, and arcade gaming. Chuck E. Cheese is so burned.

The graphics and sound are up to the excellent standards set by the previous installments. Very colorful and vibrant world, with it’s odd looking humans, and odd animal things.

The sound excels over most other games and even some feature films. As we have come to expect.

Is it better than the previous titles? Well no. But it is a great installment in the series.

The Bad
The usual, the game is very brief, and not to difficult.

The Bottom Line
You may end up preferring this episode. You may find it weaker than the other two. Either way it’s worth your time.