I was thinking that maybe if we come up with a good enough idea, LucasArts might consider trying to publish a GF2. If we can get enough people on the site to pledge to buy it, then they might seriously consider it as well. Here's my ideas.

I think a sequel should involve Eva as one of the main characters. Glottis should definitely be in it. And Maximino and Nick should be taking over from where Hector left off. Maximino shouldn't really be trying to be horrible, Nick should be trying to run everything through him.

It's a good thought but as I recall, Nick got on the Nr. 9 with a fake ticket and thus was denied passage and was sent down to...wherever it was...

What if you got meche to accidentally be transferred down to where nick and the others are gone then manny who is resting in the number nine and still thinking meche is using the little lady's room has to get out of paradise in the first year and then in the second he lands back in the land of the dead there he has to find some kind of special portal that takes him to what lies beneath(while in the land of the dead he could meet and even enlist the help of a few freinds like say glottis)
When manny reaches there he is either knocked out or drugged or something and is in a room with many familiar figures but still has to get out and find meche

If they are to make a sequel they should forget about the first game's characters and storyline, and try to create something new with the land of the dead as a background. Personally I'd like to see the game using new sources of inspiration, and maybe move a bit away from Casablanca/Chinatown to something more similar to North by Northwest and/or Notorious. Keeping the classic movie references is a must at least.

Well, whatever they do, I hope they can create a game as great as GF is.
And besides, Lucasarts is developing sequels to Full Throttle and Sam & Max so it's not impossible that GF2 will come out some day...

You're quite right, Nick did get sent down below. I liked "Gf2 wanted"'s ideas, but I also think that RemiO is right, the game should have the same setting, the land of the dead, just different characters. Maybe the main character can be part of the crime scene, and then have some revalation.
It'll be hard to make a game as great as Grim Fandango, but I think LucasArts can come pretty damn close.

I agree, they've made some wonderful games that has stolen many hours from me :D

And prehaps they can use another cities than the ones in GF. That would also help seperate the games.

Ok i just had another idea this ones pretty good as well
the ninth underworld is not in fact the last frontier as was thought in the 8th but is a ramshackle world full of deadly gangs and street thugs(still skeletons of course) nobody knows theres a way out and nobody cares there are great deserts ala lawrence of arabia and things are just about to boil over. to finally complete the great fandango manny must stop a great unnoticible dark evil that can reveal the truth to his past and his punishment a noticeble switch from the noir genre to the horror. Manny and meche will both be contollable but in accordance to my last idea they could be separated when they are robbed at the train station and she is kidnapped (it could also be a kind of western with them riding into the sunset at the end) manny would stay in the city and meet the fast talking mafioso gang and go to the old fashioned salloon. while meche would travel the desert with a gang of cutthroat nomads

oh yeah sorry for the long post i like the sound of my own thoughts .and all cursing can be sent to my e_mail adress okay!

Fun idea with lots of potential! I think, however, that the writers are somewhat limited by actual Mexican mythology. One of the greatest parts of GF for me was the involvement in actual Mexican and Mayan folklore. The little details like taking a train to the 9th underworld are up to the writers, but I dont think they'd want to rewrite mythology for the sake of a game. It'd kinda be like making a game where you play Jesus, and just when you're about to be crusified, you whip out your super strength powers, pull up the cross, and go through town whacking centurions on the head with it.

Well, recently, Gabez posted a scan on The Scumm Bar (http://www.scummbar.com) which involved EXTREMELY JUICY DETAILS on the upcoming Grim Fandango 2.

The details being that it is a possibility, but it's completely and totally, utterly and certainly unconfirmed, it was a mere hint that there possibly might just be maybe a chance that sequel could potentially be thought about.

The juice part being the Ribena spilled upon the magazine. Although that was after it was scanned. And it might not have happened... yet.

Personally, I'm happy with just the one Grim Fandango, and I would rather Lucas Arts explore new folklore, myths and legend in a new exciting adventure that adds another character to the adventurin' gang.

A sequel could only tarnish.

Gosh no! BRING ON THE SEQUEL! Oh please! Did MK2 tarnish MK1? No! did MK3 tarnish MK2? no!

Originally posted by Bogart
BRING ON THE SEQUEL! Oh please! Did MK2 tarnish MK1? No! did MK3 tarnish MK2? no!

First of all, there is a possibility of a sequel. Not a sequel.

Secondly, one might argue that MI3 did tarnish MI2; and MI4 certainly tarnished the other MI's.

Finally, you have to look at the games individually. Manuel's journey has ended. Therefore a sequel would be a bad idea, with or without new characters. We've already explored the land of the dead and the mexican culture themes. Why does everyone always have to beg for a sequel? It would almost be the video game equivalent of making a sequel to 'Casablanca'.

Originally posted by scabb
First of all, there is a possibilityFinally, you have to look at the games individually. Manuel's journey has ended. Therefore a sequel would be a bad idea, with or without new characters. We've already explored the land of the dead and the mexican culture themes.
I disagree, the land of the dead could concievabley take up a huge amount of area, probably as big as (if not bigger) the world we live in now. With imagination, there is an infinite variety of strange species and lifestyles which might exist when people die.

Remember that although GF spanned 4 years, we only saw 4 days worth of the Land of the Dead in between each 'one year later' cut scene.

What did meche contend with in the petrified forest for a year, what cities and ports might manny and glottis have come across during their sailing adventures?

I think that to bring back the original characters would be foolish, but certainly the Land of the Dead is full of rich and fertile soil on which to build further stories and legends.

Yes, but the interesting part about Grim Fandango was learning about the land of the dead - how the ticket system works, the corruption, the perilous journey to the train station of 'fun'.

Plus, what made Grim Fandango was the batch of characters at hand, the unique afterlivian theories, and more importantly, Mr Schafer and his team of monkeys.

I am against a sequel, although I would still buy it, play it, and nitpick if it came out ;)

I know, I agree with everything you say, but my point is that with all that variation we only saw a tiny part of what is very probably a massive planet (of sorts). Think how much more there is to be discovered

I think that I might actually repeal my earlier opinion and agree with scabb on this one. What I do think though is that it would be a great idea with new characters to explore the afterlife in another religion. That would make a great sequel to Grim Fandango. WIth different characters and maybe doing a journey through purgatory. Eh? How about "Dante's Fandango". How do you like that?

All i know is i dont want a prequel cause that would really limit the storyline besides the whole lure of Grim Fandango were the amazing characters

A re-release of the official soundtrack would be good enough for me.

A re-release of the official soundtrack would be cool but I really would like a sequel. You're right, it shouldn't be connected at all to the original Grim Fandango, the characters are too classic to further use, it would just be milking the cow so much that the milk turns sour. The story and the game was so perfect that I'm afraid a sequel using the same premise and characters would blemish the beautifully polished surface.

What I do think however is once again using my ideas from my last post, LucasArts should make another game using a religious afterlife. Obviously not the same characters, the same territory, the same land or the same anything. Just the idea that the game is a story based on a religious afterlife. As I said, Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven would be awesome and then again, so would the idea of crossing the river Styx and having to deal with Hades.

It wouldn't have to be connected with Grim Fandango at all, it would just be using the same idea of the game. New characters, new style, new religion. I think it would be awesome.

Yes, I think your ideas are very interesting, but once they're not even about mxican afterlife, it can't really be considered a sequel. Such a game would be great though.:)

I do want a real sequel with the same chars(some of them), with a small possibility of playing Meche(though I still prefer Manny).
My idea is that for the first time in history, when Manny is on the train, it breaks down somehow.(How typical, lol).
Then Manny has to get out of the train and back to the 8th underworld, and find Glottis who is the only one who can fix it(quite approriate, don't you think?;)).
Then you need to find Glottis and on your way you discover that something teriblle is about to happen and you need to prevent.
I don't know why, but I imagined Manny looking for Glottis on an island or something.

Maximino as the villan who is controlled by someone else is a good idea.
Also, after GF2 is completed, Manny could possibly be getting into the 9th underworld in a different way, and in GF3(:p:rolleyes:) you could meet Lola and some other people who were sprouted, and help them get into the 9th underworld. Btw, is the sprouting idea from Mexican folklore or is it just made up?
And is there any belief of what the 9th underworld is like in the folklore?
All these ideas, if carefully polished and editd(if only Tim would come back to LucasArts!), could make a great sequel taht doesn't necceserilly ruin the first one.
And btw, MI3 ruined MI1 and 2 because it wasn't developed by Ron Gilbert like they were.

So to conclude, I have always wanted a sequel, and I don't think I'll change my mind soom.;)

P.s. I'm sorry if I'm flooding the forum by accident, but I just signed up and I've wantd to reply to all these threads for a long time.:)

I thought it would be quite cool to do a Third Man sort of thing - Glottis sends a message to Manny asking him to come and visit, but when manny gets there, he finds that Glottis is dead....

As far as resurrecting old characters goes - how about Domino? He was never actually sprouted, and Hector survived a fall from the top of a tall building. I think there's room for a creepy, fragments of bone reassembling themselves on the ocean floor scene there...

I don't think there's a very big chance of Tim Schafer coming back to LucasArts. The ideas for a sequel are great and a there is a possibility that there could be a wonderful sequel, but the possibility that it would put on blemish on the first one is great that I wouldn't put my money on it. I know that we all long to play with those characters once again....but if they're ruined then....the magic would be gone. I think it's better to leave a lot of Grim Fandango's mysteries unsolved.

In response to BriteWhiteLight, I think that the reassembling bone fragments is a bit too much but Glottis being dead could lead onto some interesting trails.

What about Gf2 is like more of a spiritual journey for manny than a physical one you know like he is rejected from the ninth underworld and is left ion a vast pugatory like place

But the first game is all about redemption. Wouldn't doing it all over again be kind of redundant? It would cheapen the GF concept.

If think the hardest thing about making gf2 would be that u cant change the scenario, beacause it would loose the grim enviroment,it wouldnt feel like grim fandango, and it would be hard because u cant use manny in this sequeal after he`s gone to heaven, but again it wont seem like grim fandango without manny and his mexican acsent; but we have always to remember about something, the guys that work at lucas arts get paid a lot of money to think about those things, yes, they have to be very careful or they will do to gf, the same thing they did to monkey island, the first 3 games were great, but escape from monkey island was horrible, the transition from 2d to 3d made the characters lose they`re caracteristcs, ok that wont happen to gf, it was originally made in 3d, but what if they change the soundtrack style, or the "mexican" enviroment, it just wont seem like gf.
To finish this long thread, i hope they make gf2 soon, but i prefer they think a lot before making it, or they will ruin it.

What if you just made some kind of "invasion" happen in heaven... you know, how like, in the old Doom game, there was "hell on earth" where all the demons from hell invaded earth and you had to save the earth.. heh. Make Manny have to save heaven somehow! Heh.

Hoooooooooooooray for Doom! I'm sure I said summit like that on one thread once, though.

Don't forget, all the Underworlds and that are all from Aztec and Mayan religion, so there's different versions of Hell and Heaven.

ha...Doom is a funny idea. It would be kind of weird though...because how do you lose? You can't...die...heh

A few days ago I re-installed Grim Fandango. A couple of hours ago I completed it. Wow. What. A. Game.

Needless to say I was left wanting more.

Now I don't know if a sequel would work, firstly because of the nature of the GF universe, and secondly because of the risk of a lesser-quality sequel tarnishing the Grim Fandango name. *Cough* Home Alone *cough*. ;)

But if a sequel was to go ahead, I have a few thoughts.

I think that it has to be set in the GF world as we know it. It is such a rich, detailed and original environment that I fear nothing else would compare.

Now this leaves us with three options.

1) The game carries on from where GF left off.

2) The game is a 'prequel' to GF.

3) The game runs 'parallel' to GF, perhaps focusing on one of Manny's Four years dealing with what he did inside that year (we only saw what he was getting up to on each 'Day of the Dead')

Let's start with the 'traditional' sequel idea. The situation is this. Hector LeMans and his evil empire has been destroyed. El Marrow, however, still bears the signs of his rule. This could be an interesting setting for a sequel. Lots of opportunity for moulding a new environment (the theatre and casino would be a good place to start), yet still has the backbone of GF, allowing for lots of interesting designs and jokes.

Rubacava was left largely untouched by the LeMans empire. Not necessarily a bad thing, as it was by far (in my opinion) the best location in the game. We have no idea what happened to the Calavera Cafй after Manny's departure, this could be exploited by the developers. The Blue Casket (one of my favourite parts) is without an owner, again more opportunities. Plus, a lot of brilliant characters are still there. As far as we know, Terry the sea-bee is a revolutionary Marxist: I'd like to see him (and his followers) feature. Bogen and Carla (of the police department) are still there, as is Membrillo the morgue worker and Toto the tattooist. Both are excellent, in their own little ways. I'd like to see Membrillo undergo a change of character, and perhaps finally set off for the Ninth Underworld. I think it would also be a nice touch to sea Seaman Naranja (the one who Manny conned out of a place on the boat) still there, perhaps all bitter and twisted about his experiences. The boat captain has set off to find the SS Lamacha (I think), it'd be nice to see how he gets on. Chowchilla Charlie is also still around, as is that sprout-gun manufacturing guy (Bowsley or something). Finally, Maximino (or Del Boy, as I like to call him) is still there with his cat races (minus a lawyer, however)-these, along with the Blimp, could be used far more, in my opinion.

Salvador died valiantly, but the revolution still exists, with Eva at its head. I loved all parts of GF involving Sal and his organisation. It could feature heavily in a sequel, and there are so many possible jokes and clever parallels to be drawn (think of all modern resistance movements that fun could be poked at).

The underwater coral production plant was liberated by Manny, but it is still in place. This could be implemented in a sequel, but I wouldn't be bothered if it wasn't-I think that this area was one of the game's few weak points. But it is cetainly a spectacular structure with lots of opportunities.

And finally (and perhaps most importantly) Glottis is still there! He has a new job working with his little followers. He would HAVE to be part of a sequel, preferably as a major character.

So, the opportunities are certainly there. But what about a story? This is more difficult. First of all, who could you be, and what would you do? Maybe an existing character from GF? If so, it would have to be a good, likeable one.

-Glottis? You would start working on the mountain with the little guys, but then something could happen to you. Perhaps be summoned by someone else, somewhere else? Maybe the mysterious guy with the funny hat who decides who enters the 9th Underworld would have a task for you. Being in such a crucial position in the world, you might hear (by other means) of a new scandal taking place. Maybe one of the LSA's pigeons might contact you.

-Eva? You're in charge of the LSA-any number of things could happen. One of your agents unearths a new scandal. You discover a mole in the organisation. There's a mutiny, perhaps. If the LSA was involved, I'd like to see a lengthy tribute to Salvador-he always put the cause before himself, and died as a result. He deserves credit for what he did.

-Terry? One of the beatnicks in the blue casket? Toto? Membrillo? There are a number of opportunites, however I don't think any of them are really suitable. Personally I like the idea of Glottis-pitching him as the new protagonist of the game would certainly ensure sales (everyone loves Glottis!), and his personality and good-nature make him an excellent and original hero. Although a brand new character could also work. They'd have to be memorable, and have a good nature, but probably also a bit of mystery or weakness (we still don't know what Manny did to end up working for the DoD). The possibilities for a new character are endless, but here are a few ideas:

-A new recruit of the LSA who stumbles upon a conspiracy.

-A new, enthusiastic lawyer for Maximino who learns, first-hand of some dodgy dealings going on.

-A new policeman/woman to work for Bogen in Rubacava. You'd find out about what's going on via 'traditional' methods. In your spare time you'd rip the pнss out of Bogen with your fellow workers.

-A new boss. You might have taken over the DoD building in El Marrow from Don Copel, or thee Calavera Cafй, or the Blue Casket. You enter the scene naive, and gradually learn about how everything works (and you might not like it).

Bloody hell, I'm going on a bit, aren't I. If you're still reading, respect.

Like I say, there are many possibilities. But, with any good story we need a bad guy(s). Possibly:

-The sprout-gun manufacturing guy. We know he's pretty harmless, but he's got the technology, he could get carried away-perhaps create a 'super sprout gun'.

-The LSA? After Sal's demise, things get out of control. The LSA gets out of hand, turns into a renegade terrorist group. (I quite like this idea)

-Maximino. He's got the cash (and with his blimp, access to the land of the living). And he's obviously a pretty dodgy character. Could be a good villain.

-Chowchilla Charlie. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye. Maybe he's progressed from small-time crime to the big-time, filling LeMans's void.

-Or maybe someone new. I'm getting a little bit tired out now, so feel free to contribute your own possibilities.

I'm still not sure if a sequel should go ahead, but if it did, hopefully I've helped illustrate the kind of opportunites that exist if GF2 continued directly from GF. I'll try and get round to the 'prequel' and 'paralell' aspects another time.

I had a dream... It was that I was in England. Maybe London, and there I was in the main train station and saw the number nine train! Maybe if Grim Fandango 2 would set England as the land of the dead.

You've got some interesting sequel ideas, but why not..
*drumroll*
A PREQUEL!!!
Yes, it could work! We could see Hector as a minor character moving into the big-leagues, Manny as a side character in the glory days, a whole new struggle with a new main character... but with back story for the original. A new character making his/her way across the Land of the Dead.
I haven't got all my ideas ironed out yet, but I think it could work. You could show new parts of the cities to make it more interesting.
Just a thought.
~~Sal

I seem to remember the idea of a prequel being tossed around in a thread quite a while back. Not a bad idea. If you're any good with creative writing, maybe you could write your ideas up as a piece of fanfiction? I know I'd read it.

i like the idea of a prequel - mainly because we know manny dies, i like the idea of knowing the end of a story before i've finished it - it forces the writer to make something of the lead up to it.

Fanfiction eh?? I might do that. Hmmm.... maybe include how Max got set up in Rubacava??? I'll come up with a main character.
^_^
~~Sal

Hmm...a prequel...the idea has merit except the "Grim" in "Grim Fandango" doesn't fit quite as well. Here's my idea.

As stated in that oh-so Grim(if you'll excuse my little bon mot) post, who says the ninth heaven is Shangri-la crossed with Justin Timberlake's bedroom when Brittney's paying him a little visit? I'm thinking something along the lines of Manny and Meche arriving in the ninth underworld, only to find Don Copal, Hector LeMans and Domino Hurley waiting for them with expressions so smug that the New York Yankees would think it's over arrogant. We don't know what happens to people after they're sprouted. For all we know it could be a way to the ninth underworld. That or there is some kind of gateway which they have to pass in order to reach true heaven and in order to do that, Manny must uncover his past.

-Hector

OK, my prequel fanfic. This is my summer fanfic project. What I will tell you, at least for now, the main character's name is Raquel Garcia and she will undertake her journey one year prior to the start of Grim Fandango (yes, her story will take place most of the same time as Manny's). It will include Eva's being recruited by Salvador, Chowchilla Charlie and Hector LeMans working together, how Lupe got to Rubacava, etc. The main locals will be El Marrow, Rubacava, Puerto Zapato, and the Gateway. I don't know if I'll include any place else. I've got up to the third year planned out. :)

~~Sal

maybe a story line that explains why manny worked for DoD... that's always puzzled me.

No, sorry, Manny's included only in that he's the one who reaps Raquel, and through that Raquel hears things about his escapades in Rubacava while she's in Zapato.
Included characters (so far):
Manny
Hector LeMans
Eva
Chowchilla Charlie
Salvador Limones
Maximino (reference only)
Membrillo
Olivia Ofrenda
The Clown (yes! Seriously! The Clown! :b )
Lupe
Domino Hurley (reference only)

... and some new characters. I hope to have Year 1 up by the end of the month/early July. When I get through exams. :(
~~Sal