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Lagomorph · 12-10-2010, 03:52 PM

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987)

Despite all of their technical and design innovations, Sierra games up until this point all met a certain limitation. They all took place in some far off fantasy world and involved epic quests in pursuit of some grand objective. That’s when Sierra got an inspired idea. Remake the game Softporn into a humorous graphic adventure set in the real world with a fairly ordinary objective—to get laid.

Leisure Suit Larry is a rather brilliant game for its time and may have been one of the key games in bringing about the golden age of adventure games (which is roughly 1987-1994 in my mind). Compared to the earlier King’s Quest and Space Quest protagonists, Larry Laffer is a much more fleshed out character who we can sympathize with. Larry also helps make the game funnier than any of its Sierra predecessors.

The graphics of Larry 1 generally aren’t anything special, perhaps even a step down from its contemporaries. However, it does contain some wonderful close-ups, a first for Sierra, I believe. These are important to conveying the beauty of the women that Larry pursues. Without them, much of the motivation would be lost. The sound, though minimal, is very good. The main musical theme is among the most iconic in adventure history.

The game is pretty short and easy, but that only plays into the game’s less ambitious appeal. I understand that Larry 1 was the first adventure game many people played (it was my first Sierra game when I played it a year ago). It probably would make the best entry point into Sierra’s AGI period. The puzzle’s are pretty straightforward and the dead ends less numerous than in other games. There is one major annoyance that returns from Space Quest I: gambling. You need to make money at a casino which requires constant saving and restoring.

Leisure Suit Larry is the most original idea Sierra has had yet. I can’t wait to how this series evolves.

Additional Notes

Hardest puzzle:

Spoiler:
Finding the wine—Being my first Sierra game, I wasn’t aware that you had too look at each spot. Now I know better. Overall though, it’s perhaps Sierra’s easiest game thus far.

Dead ends:

None that I can remember.

Best part:

Spoiler:
Buying the condom. Getting in the bathtub with Eve.

Worst part:

Gambling.

My final score: 197/222

12-10-2010, 03:52 PM	#20
Lagomorph Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 51	Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987) Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987) Despite all of their technical and design innovations, Sierra games up until this point all met a certain limitation. They all took place in some far off fantasy world and involved epic quests in pursuit of some grand objective. That’s when Sierra got an inspired idea. Remake the game Softporn into a humorous graphic adventure set in the real world with a fairly ordinary objective—to get laid. Leisure Suit Larry is a rather brilliant game for its time and may have been one of the key games in bringing about the golden age of adventure games (which is roughly 1987-1994 in my mind). Compared to the earlier King’s Quest and Space Quest protagonists, Larry Laffer is a much more fleshed out character who we can sympathize with. Larry also helps make the game funnier than any of its Sierra predecessors. The graphics of Larry 1 generally aren’t anything special, perhaps even a step down from its contemporaries. However, it does contain some wonderful close-ups, a first for Sierra, I believe. These are important to conveying the beauty of the women that Larry pursues. Without them, much of the motivation would be lost. The sound, though minimal, is very good. The main musical theme is among the most iconic in adventure history. The game is pretty short and easy, but that only plays into the game’s less ambitious appeal. I understand that Larry 1 was the first adventure game many people played (it was my first Sierra game when I played it a year ago). It probably would make the best entry point into Sierra’s AGI period. The puzzle’s are pretty straightforward and the dead ends less numerous than in other games. There is one major annoyance that returns from Space Quest I: gambling. You need to make money at a casino which requires constant saving and restoring. Leisure Suit Larry is the most original idea Sierra has had yet. I can’t wait to how this series evolves. Additional Notes Hardest puzzle: Spoiler: Finding the wine—Being my first Sierra game, I wasn’t aware that you had too look at each spot. Now I know better. Overall though, it’s perhaps Sierra’s easiest game thus far. Dead ends: None that I can remember. Best part: Spoiler: Buying the condom. Getting in the bathtub with Eve. Worst part: Gambling. My final score: 197/222 Last edited by Lagomorph; 12-11-2010 at 08:45 AM.