Leisure Suite Larry: Magna Cum Laude
By Vivendi Universal
Rated M for Mature
Review by: Tuxxer
Ah, the old college days. Nubile young coeds as far as the eye can see. Everybody busy. The assistant dean glowering over your shoulder, ready to expel you at the drop of a hat (Robot Houuuse!!). As a staff member of MPb.com, the opportunity to review games comes across my nonexistent desk. Recently, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude arrived. It's a dirty job; but what the heck, I'll do it.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention this is my first time playing a Leisure Suit Larry game. Oh, sure, there were times in elementary school where we'd go over to our neighbor's house who's dad had a copy, but we could never answer those bloody trivia questions for age confirmation. LSL is pretty much the definition of a guilty pleasure. Adults disapprove of it, but they buy it anyway. I'm not sure I'm supposed to admit that I've played it, but in lieu of absolutely anything better to do, it killed a few hours.
The game stars the nephew of the original Larry Laffer, named Larry Lovage. Young Larry is in college (Walnut Log Community College, to be precise) and dreams of popularity, money, and getting with da ladies. Real life, however, is not so kind to Larry. Thus, our noble saga begins. The premise of the game is claiming Tokens of Affection from a dozen different women, to qualify for the dating TV show Swingles. The Tokens will prove Larry has spoken with actual females. And we're off!
Every opportunity to talk with women (you know who to talk to because they're in your Black Book, along with their location on campus) is met with some brief game to test your dexterity. You can control a conversation by aiming your, uh, your little guy with a tail...through obstacles. Every green thing you hit is a suave remark. Every red one is a fart, something obscene, or the opportunity to ogle. Or, you can play a game of quarters (I got pretty good at this), or have a dance competition with the lady du jour. It's a lot like Simon, in this respect.
The mini-games, thankfully, are not the high point of the game. I found them a bit annoying as time wore on. The sense of humor is distinct in the game, smacking heavily of Animal House and any number of other college flicks. Meet a pretty girl, convince her to come back to your room (a few drinks are necessary in Larry's case), and watch the wacky results. If he hit a home run every time, then what would be the point? Better luck next time, Larry became a trademark in my head, after certain chapters of the game.
Let's get to the good stuff. Secret Tokens, and Cash. They're your currency for buying anything from the vendors around campus and the surrounding town. Secret Tokens and Cash can be found anywhere, you just have to keep pressing the look button. With them, you can buy costumes you'll need to seduce certain ladies, as well as accessories (like coffee to sober up or beer to muster up the courage to talk to Luba). The Secret Tokens, on the other hand, are used for bonus stuff. This is a Leisure Suit Larry game, after all. You can purchase naughty versions of games you've already played (strip quarters, and strip ho-down for a start), as well as scantily clad versions of ladies you've met. Rather than showing up in their outfits, they wear skimpy lingerie.
There are nifty side-quests you can pursue. Larry has a camera, for instance, and snapshots of certain things will earn him extra cash. Also, you can endeavor to join the local fraternity (Which ends up being a complete waste of time. You get no reward, or any special bonuses for doing the frat chores). [Ed note: so this game is educational too!]
Okay. The game is decent. It's not without its problems, however. It's only one-player, so you'll likely be playing by yourself (ha, ha, ha. Oy...). I can't imagine anybody inviting the guys over for some beers and the chance to watch someone play it. High School kids would probably get more out of seeing pixilated boobies than someone already in college, or graduates. It picks fun at the college things you should go out and do, rather than sit and play in the game.
There are upsides. As you get further into the game, the mini-games become increasingly harder. After three consecutive failures (happened to me a few times, stupid fingers!) at any mini-game, the game offers to make it easier on you. Also, you can spend your secret tokens on Wimping Out, which skips the mini-game entirely. I used this a few times myself, as one of the mini-games involved running around like a drunken Pac-Man&153;, trying to avoid getting caught by the security guards. It was just stupid.
There's plenty of adult language, toilet humor (literally), and bad pick-up lines. A cameo by the original Larry is one of the higher points. Still, the game is funny, and a good way to kill some hours with mindless fun. Time flew when I was playing it, waiting for my girlfriend to get home. I give it a 7 out of 10. I'd suggest a rental rather than buying it, assuming the local video store carries it. With a Mature rating, that may not be the case.
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