Some video games have deep, enthralling storylines, and some have graphics that pull gamers into unique, realistic worlds. Leisure Suit Larry excels at producing witty dialogue, outlandish situations, and cartoonishly sexy graphics that make gamers laugh and cringe while enjoying the experience of guiding a lovable loser on his quest to seduce as many women as possible. Of the 11 Larry titles that have been released since 1987, here are a few classic games and one that didn’t quite hit the mark.
Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!
The best of the Leisure Suit Larry series takes us to a cruise ship called the P.M.S. Bouncy, where Larry tries to relax and forget about his problems from previous games. Larry quickly learns that the cruise ship’s pilot, Captain Thygh, is a gorgeous blonde who holds a contest that earns the winner an additional week on the ship, complete with access to her cabin and, suggestively, her bed.
The plot of Love for Sail offers all the laughs you expect from a Leisure Suit Larry title. What makes this one truly stand out is the extra attention paid to detailed animation and artwork, especially for a video game launched in 1996.
While this edition of Leisure Suit Larry primarily had a point-and-click interface, it also allowed gamers to type in responses—a throwback to the first three games. The game doesn’t give a reaction to everything you type in, but it’s a fun idea to try.
Many players will also enjoy the mini-games that comprise the contests aboard the cruise ship. Of course, Larry will want (and need) to cheat, as he isn’t all that bright, but that is part of what makes the game and the whole series so funny and endearing.
Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don’t Dry
The second-best game in the Leisure Suit Larry series arrived in 2018. Before 2018, the series experienced some letdowns, with some games suffering serious issues with storylines and dialogue that seemed too crude and out of place. Wet Dreams Don’t Dry attempts to bring Larry into the 21st century as he finds a smartphone, which naturally leads him to Timber, a parody of the Tinder app. Much of the game’s humor revolves around poking fun at modern dating apps as Larry attempts to build his score high enough to attract the attention of the smartphone company’s executive assistant.
This version of the Larry series features a unique, hand-drawn style with lots of details, down to the signs and a phallus-shaped building representing the smartphone company PiPhone’s headquarters.
Wet Dreams Don’t Dry also stands out as one of the longer games in the series, as there are lots of items to collect and plenty to do. Some of the items are small enough that you won’t likely notice them the first time through, so expect to go back once or twice to figure out how to solve puzzles.
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Magna Cum Laude represented a change from the rest of the series in many ways, including a new character, Larry’s nephew, Larry Lovage, an open-world 3D setting at a college, and less influence from the original creator, Al Lowe.
The addition of an open world lets the player wander around, have conversations whenever they want, and have plenty of unique interactions while characters make obscure movie references.
Magna Cum Laude wasn’t the most visually striking game of 2004 when it was released, but for a game that focuses on body parts and the hilarity of background art, the game looks pretty good.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards
Sometimes, the first edition of a game stands out as one of the best. The original Leisure Suit Larry arrived in 1987 and didn’t sell many copies initially, as many video game stores wouldn’t sell the game due to its suggestive content. However, through word of mouth, gamers, young and old, learned about the hilarious new title, and many more copies were sold.
One thing to remember is that Leisure Suit Larry as a series began when Al Lowe was asked to turn a text-based game titled Softporn Adventure into something with interesting graphics. Lowe believed he couldn’t do it without making fun of the game, and the sense of humor behind the original Leisure Suit Larry was born with raunchy jokes and graphics that feel childish but remain hilarious.
The first game takes place in Lost Wages, a parody of Las Vegas, and you’ll experience casinos, pimps, and the Lost Wages Strip. The controls are pretty straightforward since we are talking about the late 1980s, but like all Leisure Suit Larry games, you’ll hopefully spend more time howling at the characters and situations and less time worrying about the interface. Graphically, the game has all the pixels one could expect from the decade, though we have to say that its use of colors certainly gives off the neon casino vibe, and Larry’s suit stands out.
There aren’t many games like it, though one could try a demo of another kind of Larry game, which might be easier than helping a middle-aged basement-dwelling loser find love.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Box Office Bust followed up Magna Cum Laude and is where we introduce the worst games of the Leisure Suit Larry series.Assess point to many factors that made Box Office Bust a bust. We’ll point out that Magna Cum Laude was the first attempt at a 3D open-world game in which camera movement and graphics matter. Unfortunately, the game does a poor job of both, with a jittery camera and a slow frame rate that is downright weird for a game that doesn’t involve much fast movement, except for the fighting system, which is strangely incorporated into a game that is about funny graphics and dialogue. Does Larry or his nephew have the same charm from the first games? Mostly. However, mechanics are the biggest problem because they make the game hard to play.
Conclusion
Leisure Suit Larry has undergone some positive and negative changes over the years. The creator’s tried-and-true method of combining visual and text-based adult humor has given the series a cult following for casual gamers looking for easy games that will make them laugh for hours. Just be glad you aren’t, Larry!
