Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Sean W. Gibson / Oct 13th, 2004 No Comments
Back in the 1980s when gaming was something that only “nerds” did there was one title above all others, Leisure Suit Larry that defined sexual comedy. Yes, I “illegally” played the game with my friends, and found it hilarious (although I didn’t get some of the jokes at the time!). With fond memories of buying a condom in a convenience store fresh in my head from the original title, we now turn our attention to Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude where this time, it’s the original Larry’s nephew (aptly named Larry) who goes to college in an attempt to get an education …. and score with the ladies.
into the game we go
The game revolves around you, Larry, a never-gets-laid loser who is attending community college. Depressed, sad, and sexually inert, Larry finally sees a commercial on TV for Swingles, a television show that lets you “date” some of the hottest women Larry has ever seen. When Larry goes to try out for the show, the buxom host says the only way Larry could ever appear on the show is if he demonstrates his ability to get a girl in bed.
From here, Larry must go all around campus and town to meet all sorts of bizarre women (all of whom are hot) to try to coax/trick them into doing “the deed” with little Larry. On the way, you’ll meet Larry’s best friend (a homeless guy) and The Porno Fairy (naturally!). The host of characters might be the game’s best feature, as there are so many jokes that reference hilarious movies like Animal House and American Pie that many 18+ players should get the jokes without any problem. This is your run-of-the-mill immature male adult oriented humor at its finest – from fart jokes (a few too many actually) to some really hilarious situations that Larry puts himself into (streaking at a bar to impress a woman he turned lesbian).
gameplay
The gameplay is pretty straight-forward and right out of any adventure game on the PC. In fact, this genre is a pretty lost art these days, so it was with some nostalgia that I was able to run around, get the item, play the minigame, and solve the quest in this game. The controls are standard, and on the PC the load times are negligible if you have anything close to a decent processor (I’ve heard there’s some tough load times on the PS2). The minigames are usually a little tedious and not all that entertaining, and talking to women and keeping them interested involves you navigating a sperm to the happy face (you just have to see it to understand). Anyways, the gameplay itself of this title is pretty solid and fun.
Graphics & Sound
The graphics of LSL: Magna Cum Laude are fairly impressive and the women (naturally the most important part of the graphics) are all rendered pretty well. The graphics are of course a little cartoonish, but that’s for the better. With an Intel P4 2.53GHz chip and an ATI X800Pro video card, there’s no stopping the graphics of this title, who max out at a video card below the one I used to play the game. The sounds are done well, but don’t really come into play for the game experience.
longevity
As far as how long you’ll be playing LSL: Magna Cum Laude the game isn’t terribly long but long enough to justify the price tag. Since the game is highly entertaining, it might be one that you pull out a year or two from now and play over.
overall impressions
If you’re an immature-at-heart male who loves his share of raunchy and irreverent humor, then LSL: Magna Cum Laude is definitely for you. I found it impossible not to laugh at some of the hilarious characters in the game, which easily proved to be the high point of title. The situations and experiences of Larry are pretty funny, and the gameplay itself is pretty solid as well.
The longevity and originality of the game get decent marks, as there aren’t too many games like this out on the market, and after you’ve been through it all, you might want to play it through again at a later time …. or even buy the “X Rated Edition” from the online website.
Overall, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is the perfect game of the sexually repressed immature male in your life … and in other words, I thought it was pretty darn funny. It’s a game that is rated “M” for Mature for a reason, so make sure it’s an 18+ year old you buy the title for. It’s great for a laugh and a pretty solid title overall.
OVERALL SCORE: 84%
Sean W. Gibson
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