Back in the day when text
adventures were quite the popular genre on the PC, Sierra ruled supreme with
incredible titles such as the King’s Quest series and Space Quest. Before the
ESRB rating there were even mature-minded titles such as the violent Police
Quest games and, of course, the naughty Leisure Suit Larry series. The Leisure
Suit Larry series claim to fame was its risqué humor and adult situations that
often resulted in some pretty hysterical outcomes of the American Pie variety.
So it came as a surprise that Sierra not only released Leisure Suit Larry: Magna
Cum Laude on the PC but also on the PS2. Is this Larry still able to produce
some decent laughs to make this the funniest game you’ll enjoy slipping into our
favorite console?
It’s doubtful that many
gamers will remember Leisure Suit Larry and the Land of the Lounge Lizards (yes,
that’s the game‘s title in its entirety) and I must admit that I was introduced
to the series through a friend of mine . . . a very lonely friend, I might add.
Yet it was funny enough that I asked to borrow the rest of the Larry collection
until I found myself somewhat of a fan of the short fellow with a knack for
getting into trouble and failing spectacularly in the art of wooing beautiful
women.
Magna Cum Laude revolves
around college student Larry Lovage, nephew of the series main character Larry
Laffer. The college-bound Larry finds himself enjoying all of what college life
has to offer–alcohol, gorgeous girls and parties. Yet there’s one thing that
Larry wants more and that’s to be a contestant on the show Swingles, which so
happens to be looking for said contestants on campus. Before he could secure a
spot on the show, he must prove to the show’s producers that he’s a swinging
lover boy that can score with the best of them. So Larry sets off on a quest to
win the affection of the finest girls ever to set foot on Walnut Log Community
College.
Yet winning a girl’s
affection isn’t going to be very easy, especially since our likeable hero has
set his sights on the most attractive women he encounters and the campus seems
to be swarming with quite a lot of them. Players are given the freedom to
wander about the campus freely and this, of course, is how you come across the
ladies Larry will attempt to woo and eventually “score” with to collect a
personal item Larry uses as proof. Fans of the original PC games will feel a
sting of nostalgia during Wander Mode–it feels much like the old
point-and-click adventure. However, things drastically change the minute Larry
attempts to, how shall I say it, pitch his woo to the girl he fancies.
Suddenly a small window
appears in the lower half of the screen and Larry’s conversation falls entirely
upon your ability to move a–how shall I put this?–a cartoon version of a
sperm. Navigating it through a series of icons either produces good results and
results that will get you nowhere with the girl. The mini-game produces some
wildly humorous bits of conversations and pick-up lines–actually many of these
conversations and pick-up lines are the heart of the game and worth listening to
since much of what Larry says can be pretty funny and sometimes a bit dumb.
When you successfully complete this mini-game, another mini-game begins. Yes,
Magna Cum Laude, as you might have already guessed, is simply a collection of
mini-games with a good story wedged in between.
The mini-games to complete
a conquest vary from girl to girl, although much of what you’ll do will begin to
seem familiar and eventually grow tiresome. When wooing Sally Mae, for example,
Larry must win her heart by successfully doing what Sally Mae does best . . .
line dance. It’s much like PaRappa the Rapper and it’s all about the timing so
whenever the button icons appear you have to press them on time. Challenging,
yes. Fun, just slightly. There are other mini-games such as playing a
drinking game that requires you to toss a quarter into a glass (apparently this
is the only way to win a girl‘s heart) and the familiar game of Slap (where you
remove your hand before it’s slapped and vice versa). You’ll even find
yourself bartending, a job that produces a mini-game that resembles the
old-school game Tapper.
In order to complete the
package, though, Larry must have money in his pocket and, of course, the right
clothes. Clothing does make the man so Larry can use money to buy himself some
cool or some pretty lame clothes. Larry will find himself venturing outside of
campus to visit some seedy hangouts such as a strip club and perform some duties
for the local pimp. You’ll even go as far as participating in a wet t-shirt
contest where Larry takes control of a soaker in first-person fashion. If you
want to earn money, Larry can find money hidden in objects but you’ll have to
also earn it the hard way (e.g. selling photographs of girls or helping the
attractive animal rights crusader on campus).
The trouble with Magna Cum
Laude–despite its witty humor–is that many of the mini-games are just the same
rhythm-based actions that hardly ever change. After having danced with everyone
from a stripper to a wino, the button pressing will grow tiresome. Even the
game of quarters loses its allure by the third game. Had there been more
interactive sequences or a better variety of mini-games, Larry’s quest could
have been more tolerable. Even those seeking the naughty innuendo will feel let
down by the game’s less-than-sexy appeal. It is, however, a hilarious look at
the college lifestyle.
Graphically speaking,
Magna Cum Laude’s cartoon visuals make things all the more hilarious. Larry
Lovage is a more likeable guy visually than when he opens his mouth–not that
what he says isn’t engaging. The environments in particular are nicely
detailed, as are the many ladies that our hero encounters throughout the game.
Larry himself is a laugh-riot with his huge melon of a head and the way he skips
through campus like a child in a toy store. Overall, the sight gags and
animation really do the series justice.
Larry’s corny pick-up
lines are the kind that will make you roll your eyes but when he starts his
awkward rap you’ll be so engrossed in the dialogue that you’ll wish there wasn’t
a conversational mini-game to distract you. While the other voices are
performed well enough, the profanity this game throws at you is quite excessive.
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna
Cum Laude oversteps the boundaries to bring us a raunchy, comical and overly
repetitive game that’s worth playing at least once. Mind you, the truly
tasteless sexual tones aren’t what will attract you, rather it’s the amusing
story filled with clever dialogue that will hook you long enough to see this one
through to the end. This one is purely a weekend rental . . . unless profanity
and nudity offend you, of course.
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#Review |
Gameplay: 6.5
The mini-games will seem fresh and
fun early in the game but after awhile it begins to become a cycle of
repetitiveness. Following Larry through his numerous blunders, though, is well
worth playing the rhythmic trampoline mini-games for the fifth time.
Graphics: 8.0
The game’s cartoon-ish visuals make
the sight gags all the more funny and the detailed environments won’t fail to
impress. There’s nudity but only partial so it never really gets too graphic
since CENSORED signs cover all the real naughtiness.
Sound: 8.0
Forget the flatulence sound effects,
it’s the dialogue that will win you over. Larry isn’t great at coming up with
some original pick-up lines but his conversation with the ladies he’s attempting
to woo is downright hysterical. The music in the game–such as Right Said
Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy for My Shirt”–play at all the right moments.
Difficulty: Easy
There’s no real challenge found in
the various mini-games or puzzle that will have you completely stumped since
there are several hints that basically point you in all the right directions.
That having been said, Magna Cum Laude is a game that gamers will zip through
pretty quickly.
Concept: 7.5
There are plenty of secrets to
uncover throughout the games and a wide variety of girls to attract (and, in
many cases, repel). You’ll wish there were more things Larry can interact with
but it’s fun watching him suffer everything from a mob beating to getting caught
for urinating in public.
Overall: 7.0
Magna Cum Laude might become too
repetitive way too quickly but those looking for a funny look at the college
life, this game will not fail to provide some truly genuine laughs. This is a
Mature rated game that gets just a tad raunchy without going all the way. If
you’re mature enough to handle the immature antics, do rent this one.
