Maniac Mansion - Reception

Maniac Mansion was well received by critics, and several reviewers likened the game to films. Commodore User's Bill Scolding and Zzap!64's three reviewers – Paul Summer, Julian Rignall, and Steve Jarratt – compared it to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Other comparisons were drawn to Psycho, Friday the 13th, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Addams Family, and Scooby-Doo. COMPUTE!'s Gazette's Keith Farrell cited Maniac Mansion's similarity to films, particularly with its use of cutscenes to add "information or urgency". He lauded the game's high level of detail along with its graphics and animation, writing, "Each of the teenagers is fully realized, with features and wardrobe that are wholly in character." Commodore Magazine's Russ Ceccola praised its cutscenes as creative and high-quality. He called the ending "unforgettable" and praised the game's audio-visuals; Ceccola noted that the "characters are distinctively Lucasfilm's, bringing facial expressions and personality to each individual character". He ended by recommending readers to buy Maniac Mansion, as it would please fans of the genre.

Zzap!64's reviewers praised the game's humor and called its point-and-click control "tremendous"; they concluded by describing the game as "innovative and polished". ACE magazine's reviewer enjoyed the game's animation, multi-character gameplay, and depth, and called it "one of the better pics n' action games on the market". The reviewer enjoyed the game but commented that "traditional adventurers" wouldn't as much. Scolding noted Maniac Mansion's "flash graphics and black humour" and finished by calling the game one of the best of its kind. German magazine Happy-Computer compared the cinematic cutscene usage to earlier Lucasfilm titles Koronis Rift and Labyrinth: The Computer Game, and the menu system to ICOM Simulations' Uninvited. The reviewers lauded the game's user-friendly menu system, graphics, originality, and overall enjoyability; one of the reviewers called it the best adventure title at the time. The magazine later reported that it was West Germany's highest-selling video game for three straight months.

In more recent reviews, Eurogamer's Kristan Reed praised the game's "ambitious" design, citing the cast of characters, "elegant" interface, and writing. Game designer Sheri Graner Ray listed Maniac Mansion as an example of a game that challenged the "damsel in distress" concept by including female protagonists. However, writer Mark Dery commented that rescuing the kidnapped cheerleader reinforced negative gender roles. In choosing the top ten all-time games for the Commodore 64, Retro Gamer stated that Maniac Mansion and Zak McKracken were equally good, but it selected the latter because of Maniac Mansion's prominence. In another issue, editor Ashley Day listed the game as having his favorite ending – the mansion's explosion upon pressing an unexpected button. In 2009, IGN staff named Maniac Mansion one of the ten best LucasArts adventure games. Richard Cobbett of PC Gamer called it "one of the most intricate and important adventure games ever made", citing the SCUMM interface and its establishment of a legacy for Lucasfilm Games during this time.