Sam is a six-foot canine detective with a love of justice. Max is a hyperkinetic rabbity-thing with a taste for mayhem. Together, they're the Freelance Police. And they're about to save the world.

Good to have you back, little buddy!

In 2006, the comic book crime-fighting duo Sam & Max starred in the first full-fledged episodic game from Telltale, the studio that went on to make The Walking Dead and Batman: The Enemy Within.

Now everyone's favorite dog and rabbity-thing are back in Sam & Max Save the World Remastered, a new version of their first season of episodic games that has been lovingly updated by a small group of the original developers with the blessing of Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell.

Skunkape Games, a small indie developer made up of former Telltale Games employees, will release a remastered version of Telltale's first episodic series, Sam & Max Save the World, for Nintendo Switch and PC on December 2.

The game can be preordered starting today on Steam, GOG.com or Nintendo eShop for $19.99 USD or the equivalent in local currency. European Nintendo Switch preorders will start on Wednesday.

Originally released in 2006 and 2007 as Sam & Max Season One, this six-part adventure was widely considered the first successful episodic game. Skunkape acquired the rights after Telltale closed down in 2018.

While the episodes were highly reviewed and won several awards, the series was a product of its time -- a 3D game made with an early version of Telltale's engine, that was created for download before high speed internet and platforms like Steam were commonplace. Compressed graphics and sound and the technical limitations of the day made for a game that shows its age in 2020.

Sam & Max Save the World Remastered addresses these issues and more with overhauled graphics, gamepad support, restored audio, and numerous additions and tweaks made possible by the evolution of the development tools and the team's subsequent experience. For more details about what has changed in the remaster (and what hasn't), check out the Sam & Max Save the World Remastered FAQ.

50% discount for previous customers: Through December 31, anyone who owns the original Sam & Max Season One on Steam or GOG will receive 50% off Sam & Max Save the World Remastered. People who originally purchased the game from Telltale's website can claim a Steam or GOG key through the Skunkape website to take advantage of this offer.

Return to the adventure game that was once called "gaming's first sitcom" and is today known as "the remaster you didn't know you were waiting for." With enhanced graphics, new widescreen and gamepad support, five new musical tracks, and the same brain-tickling puzzles and offbeat humor that won it IGN's Best Adventure GOTY award back in the day, Sam & Max Save the World Remastered is a modern classic that you'll love to play—or play again.

Now, let's go save the world...

It's just another day at the office for the self-proclaimed Freelance Police when the Commissioner calls in with a disturbing report: former child stars are running amok in the street! What starts as an open-and-shut case of idiotic vandalism balloons into an all-out conspiracy as Sam and Max encounter one miscreant after another who have been mysteriously hypnotized. (You can tell from the "spinny thing" they do with their eyes.)

Who's the source of this malfeasance, and what is their dastardly plan? Cracking this case will require Sam's nose for detective work, Max's lack of conscience, an assortment of inventory items, and a little help from neighbors Sybil Pandemik, Bosco, and Jimmy Two-Teeth. From Sam & Max's street to the White House lawn, inside the internet, and all the way to the moon, this baffling mystery gets weirder and funnier as it unfolds.

Sam & Max Save the World is coming to Nintendo Switch (eShop) and PC (Steam/GOG.com) on December 2, 2020.