Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude

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Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
PAL cover for the uncut Xbox version of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Developer(s) High Voltage Software
Publisher(s) Sierra Entertainment
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox
Release date October 5, 2004
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Rating(s) BBFC: 18
ESRB: M
ESRB: AO (uncut)
PEGI: 18+ (uncut)
OFLC: RC
OFLC (NZ): R16 (uncut)
USK: 18
Media CD-ROM, DVD-ROM (PlayStation 2 and Xbox)

Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 computer game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Like many other current games, Magna Cum Laude has a free exploration mode where Larry can walk about campus and interact with students and personnel on the premises. In this mode, Larry can search for hidden money or tokens, strike poses to impress girls, and take photos which can later be sold to collectors. At several locations on campus a minigame can be entered, usually by "activating" an object or a person (starting a conversation). The player must win most of the minigames in order to advance. Minigames started by a conversation usually increase the affection of one of the girls; other minigames can provide money or increase "confidence".

There are several different minigames, and variations on them:

  • Chat: the player must steer a sperm icon through a course of "hot spots." Green hot spots result in a good conversation, whereas red spots result in inappropriate and humiliating (but amusing) topics.
  • Dancing: a rhythm game similar to Dance Dance Revolution where the player must press the right buttons on time
  • Trampoline: a variation of dancing, where Larry is bouncing on a trampoline
  • Serve: a variation of the classic arcade game Tapper, where food or other items must be passed to each row before the queue reaches Larry
  • Quarters: a drinking game where coins must be tipped in a glass to get the other player drunk

Other minigames included are panty raids and evasion, where Larry must escape other people by running along a set course. Typically in order to "win" a girl, multiple of these games must be played in succession.

The game originally received an "Adults Only" rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board and was subsequently edited to receive a more commercial "Mature" rating in the USA and Canada. In Europe, the game was released unedited on all three systems and featured a disclaimer on the packaging highlighting that it was "uncut". The unedited version was eventually released in North America under the title Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude--Uncut and Uncensored!. The major difference between the two North American releases is that the uncut and uncensored version contains full frontal nudity and graphic sex scenes.

Reviews of the game were mixed, with most praising the game for its humor but panning it for its gameplay (Al Lowe denounced Magna Cum Laude vigorously, emphasizing on his website that he took no part of its creation after being promised so[1]).

Game character "Luba Licious", the bustiest of the girls, appeared nude in the October 2004 U.S. edition of Playboy magazine as part of a feature called "Gaming Grows Up".

[edit] The girls

  • Ione – A naive, bookish introvert who goes to the same college as Larry. She is a plain girl with large glasses and a green sweater with a cat on it. She is the Dean's niece.
  • Charlotte - An activist who protests the science department experimenting on live animals.
  • Harriet – An enthusiastic blonde with a lisp who plays in the university band. Harriet is very big on school spirit.
  • Analisa – A feisty, outspoken Sicilian girl with possible Mafia ties.
  • Bilzarbra – This name-dropping waitress is an aspiring actress. She would never have anything to do with Larry without a healthy dose of deception.
  • Luba Licious – A popular funloving lush, Luba is known for being extremely promiscuous and occasionally bisexual. She is also Ione's roommate.
  • Beatrice – Larry's science professor at the college. Currently performing experiments involving live animals.
  • Barbara Jo – The archetypal dumb blonde cheerleader.
  • Zena – A stripper with pigtails, known for being the second bustiest of the girls and her nickname "Zena Zeppelins" because of same.
  • Suzi – A punk rocker with a taste for pain.
  • Zanna – A large Russian foreign-exchange student (and possible spy) with a thick accent.
  • Koko – The campus mime with a troubled past.
  • Sally Mae – A down-home southern girl with a cowboy hat and Daisy Dukes, she's a big fan of country music.
  • Morgan – A geeky girl who enjoys Dungeons & Dragons and spends a lot of time in the Library.
  • Tilly – A snobby British woman with fiery red hair who heads the sorority. She has a resemblance to actress Haviland Morris.
  • Uma – The host of the television show "Swingles." She often ridicules Larry.

[edit] Development

In 2003, a surprising announcement was made by Sierra Entertainment, now a division of Vivendi Universal Games: the Leisure Suit Larry franchise was being revived with an eighth game, called Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude. This is the first game in which Al Lowe is not involved in any way, as this game was created by game developer High Voltage Software, Inc.

The new Larry game does not star Larry Laffer, but a new character: his nephew, Larry Lovage. There are numerous homages to the earlier Larry games: Larry Laffer is the tutorial guide and giver of questionable advice for Larry Lovage; Larry's computer is playing Leisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing Floppies ("the best game of its time"); and secret tokens featuring the likeness of the Where's Dildo? character from Larry 7 can be collected. The loose storyline of the game is that Larry wants to appear on a dating TV show called Swingles, but he must prove his worth before he is allowed on air.

[edit] Sequel

In late 2005, Target department stores (through online vendor Amazon.com) began accepting pre-orders for a sequel to Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude entitled Leisure Suit Larry: Cocoa Butter. This new game was being developed for personal computer, Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and Sony Playstation Portable systems. However, it has since been cancelled in development.

On January 17, 2007, Sierra Entertainment announced that Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust would be released in 2008 as the sequel to Magna Cum Laude.

[edit] References

  1. ^ A new Larry game?

[edit] External links

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