Leisure Suit Larry

The year was 1983. I had just completed my Master’s degree in urban planning after publishing my thesis. The text was entirely written and printed out using the university’s main frame computer. This was the Pre-PC era and the most advanced piece of hardware to hit the market till then was the scientific calculator. I don’t quite remember how it came about but I was fascinated by a new gadget, a small computer called the Sinclair. It measured about 25x20X4 cm and had a membrane keyboard. Well the whole thing was a membrane keyboard really with an external AC adapter and a cable to connect to a black & white TV. Oh yeah, there’s one more thing I forgot to mention, a regular cassette player was needed to load the programs before the Sinclair can run them. There were no floppy drives yet, let alone hard disks. The reason I bought this peculiar piece of electronics was to play a game. Not any game but one in particular, a flight simulator. I was fascinated by flying then, as I still am, although I was actually working as a commercial pilot and a flight instructor. Still, I would’ve not wanted to spend any time on the ground without my primeval flight simulator. Come to think of it now, it was a piece of shit, but I loved every minute I’ve spent fiddling with the damn thing and pushing desperately against the un-responding membrane to avoid that inevitable fatal crash.
In 1986, I climbed my way up the ladder and bought a Commodore 64, attached yet to another cassette recorder before the blessing/curse of God and Bill Gates brought us MS-DOS and eventually Windows 3.11. Whatever your age might be you must know the rest, Windows and the PC became the most prevalent software/hardware IT combination. I followed the herd and remained an obedient and faithful user of this platform since I bought my first real PC, a Compaq Pentium 90 in 1994.
I’ve done my fair share of work on computers but was never a keen gamer per say. I was obsessed briefly with a few games over the years. They were mostly flight simulators, and in particular those involved with the aerial warfare and aircraft of the Second World War. I remember another extremely absorbing game by the name of Commando. It, too, evolved around WWII. I played it for a few months until I completed all 20 missions. That’s about it; I mean my PC gaming experience… except for Larry.

“Leisure Suit Larry is the [cartoon] title character of a series of adult adventure games written by Al Lowe and published by Sierra On-Line from the 1980s to the present. The character, whose full name is Larry Laffer, is a balding, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure suit-wearing (but still somewhat lovable) "loser" in his 40s who spends much of his life trying (usually unsuccessfully) to seduce attractive women.” * Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards first appeared in 1987 (DOS) and was later remade in 1991. It was the first commercially successful sex video game to be ever produced. It was followed by 5 more titles before the bona fide masterpiece finally appeared in 1996 under the title of Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail!. This was the first one I was introduced to in the series. I later returned to the roots and played the older versions, but nothing, absolutely nothing, ever compares to Love for Sail. As far as I, and millions of other players, are concerned, this is the best video game of all ages. I, role-playing Larry Laffer, have managed over months of total absorption and perseverance to a hilariously funny and wittingly sexy video game to get all the women on board the cruise ship in the sack, culminating my fornicating frenzy by screwing Captain Thighs herself.

The general line of the game is to live the adventures of Larry as he fails but keep trying to convince gorgeous women to have sex with him. It’s very tricky to do so if you have Larry Laffer’s looks and manners. You have to depend entirely on your cunning, patience and luck to get women to simply take a second look at you. When you finally score you have all the right in the world to celebrate. I used to do just that, celebrate the occasion by placing the picture of my trophy on my desktop.
3 years ago, a friend of mine who knows about my affinity to Larry and who lives on the other side of the world sent me the perfect gift. The “still” latest edition: Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude. The main character’s name is still Larry, but it’s Larry Lovage this time, Laffer’s nephew. Here is what it says on the 4-CD box. “Help Larry Earn a BA in T&A. With gorgeous coeds everywhere, college dweeb Larry Lovage is chasing around more than his diploma. He’s trying to live up to the legend of his uncle Larry Laffer, everyone’s favorite polyester playboy.” Now here’s the funny part, I have this game for 3 years and I haven’t played or even installed it yet. I feel a little down that it’s the nephew rather than the uncle. I’m also wondering where I will find the free time to play it. As I’m traveling a couple of times per month and staying overnight in lonely hotel rooms, I’m planning on giving myself and Larry a chance. With a wife and three kids, all armed with mobile phones and an insatiable appetite to know all the details of my life away from home, Larry is my only chance to wag my tail and have some forbidden fun.
Guys, if you like gaming, fun and sex, and even if you’re having the real thing… Give Larry a chance. I can’t yet recommend Larry 8 and would rather wait until I give it a shot. But, Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail!. is the best adult video game ever produced. Don’t let the fact that it’s 12 years old fool you. Like a classic Charlie Chaplin, Larry is forever funny.

* Wikepedia