Leisure Suit Larry
Encyclopedia
Leisure Suit Larry is a series of adventure game
s written by Al Lowe
and published by Sierra
from 1987 to 2009. The main 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. The games follow him as he spends much of his life trying (usually unsuccessfully) to seduce attractive women.
created by designer Chuck Benton, the "Larry" games were one of Sierra's most popular game series during the genre's heyday when it was first released in the mid 1980s. As such, they remain well-known among fans of the type today. The series stands out among Sierra's catalog in that they are the only games the company produced that contain significant sexual themes.
In general, the games follow Larry's escapades as he attempts (and mostly fails) to convince a variety of young nubile women (rendered with increasing sophistication throughout the series) to have sex with him. A common link between the games are Larry's explorations of luxurious and cosmopolitan hotels, ships, beaches, resorts and, more commonly, casinos. One of Larry's trademarks is his manner of introducing himself: "Hi, my name is Larry; Larry Laffer", a reference to James Bond's introduction style, "My name is Bond; James Bond."
Because of the nature of the games, the first and third episodes of the series featured an age verification system, which consisted of a series of questions to which the authors reasoned only adults would know the answer. However, many of the questions were U.S.-centric and this frustrated some non-United States
gamers. Also, the multiple-choice questions did little to deter adolescents
with some patience and a notepad. (The verification system could be skipped by pressing Alt-X in episode one, or Ctrl-Alt-X in episode three.)
After the gleefully seedy first game, the series - despite becoming infamous for its saucy content - gained something of a reputation for not actually featuring all that much raunchy material when analyzed, particularly the mid-entries to the series. This became even more evident in later years, when more genuinely racy games appeared in the market, like Cobra Mission. At most, the raunchier moments were usually hidden as Easter eggs. Things began to become racier again toward the end of the series, particularly in the (original) final installment, Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!.
In Shape up or Slip Out!
, Love For Sail!, Casino, and Magna Cum Laude
, Larry is voiced by Jan Rabson
. Larry Lovage, the protagonist of Magna Cum Laude, is voiced by Tim Dadabo
.
In March 2007, Vivendi announced Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail! for the mobile phone. This version will be a remake of the previous game where the player plays Larry from the Magna Cum Laude game. It is also announced that parts of this game will take place in a plane.
On the Howard Stern radio show on November 27, 2007, comedian Artie Lange
mentioned that he had recorded dialogue for a character named "Big Al" in a new Leisure Suit Larry game. On May 20, 2008, Lange confirmed that he had completed recording dialogue for the game. His salary was thirty thousand dollars for work which took "about an hour and a half," amazing Howard and his staff. On July 29, 2009, Artie again referenced doing this work on Leisure Suit Larry but said that he made twenty five thousand dollars.
On January 17, 2008, Sierra Entertainment announced Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and mobile phones.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust was developed by Team 17 and the publishing rights were offered to Codemasters who published the game in March 2009.
, Sierra On-line
staff had to decide the character's name. They agreed that he should be named after Al Lowe's friend, Jerry (Lowe never made his last name known to the public), who had visited him at work and became well known in the Sierra studios. Jerry thought of himself as a great lover. He became an infamous point of comical reference among the staff, so the game creators agreed that since Jerry's character suited the game's "hero", they should jokingly tribute him.
However, since they thought it would cause the real Jerry offense or possibly provoke litigation, "Jerry" was then altered to "Larry", a similar name, in honor of famed injury attorney Larry H. Parker, Al Lowe's childhood friend. Lowe had to find a new surname, and having in mind the many L-words of the title
, skimmed through the "L" volume of an encyclopedia in order to find a suitable word or name. He fell on the entry of Arthur Laffer
, and the name caught his attention due to its phonetic resemblance to "laughter".
Arthur Laffer for years had no idea about the existence of the games until much later when Al Lowe sent a letter asking his permission for the publication of a program under the title Laffer Utilities, a Larry spin-off which could potentially confuse the public due to the ambiguous title. Laffer asked his secretary if she knew about the games and she told him that she had played them for years, but never made a connection. Laffer gave the permission and also paid a visit to the Sierra studios.
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s written by Al Lowe
Al Lowe
Al Lowe is an American musician and game designer/programmer who developed several adventure games, mostly for Sierra On-Line. He is best known for his creation of Leisure Suit Larry and the long-running series it spawned....
and published by Sierra
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
from 1987 to 2009. The main character, whose full name is Larry Laffer
Larry Laffer
Larry Laffer is a fictional character and the main character of the Leisure Suit Larry series of games. He was created by game programmer Al Lowe.-Biography:...
, is a balding
Baldness
Baldness implies partial or complete lack of hair and can be understood as part of the wider topic of "hair thinning". The degree and pattern of baldness can vary greatly, but its most common cause is male and female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, alopecia androgenetica or...
, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure suit
Leisure suit
A leisure suit is a casual suit consisting of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers, often associated with American-influenced fashion and fads of the 1970s.-History:...
-wearing (but still somewhat lovable) "loser" in his 40s. The games follow him as he spends much of his life trying (usually unsuccessfully) to seduce attractive women.
Overview
Originally stemmed from ideas of Sierra's adventure game Softporn AdventureSoftporn Adventure
Softporn Adventure was a comedic, adult-oriented text adventure game produced for the Apple II in 1981. The game was created by Charles Benton and released by On-Line Systems....
created by designer Chuck Benton, the "Larry" games were one of Sierra's most popular game series during the genre's heyday when it was first released in the mid 1980s. As such, they remain well-known among fans of the type today. The series stands out among Sierra's catalog in that they are the only games the company produced that contain significant sexual themes.
In general, the games follow Larry's escapades as he attempts (and mostly fails) to convince a variety of young nubile women (rendered with increasing sophistication throughout the series) to have sex with him. A common link between the games are Larry's explorations of luxurious and cosmopolitan hotels, ships, beaches, resorts and, more commonly, casinos. One of Larry's trademarks is his manner of introducing himself: "Hi, my name is Larry; Larry Laffer", a reference to James Bond's introduction style, "My name is Bond; James Bond."
Because of the nature of the games, the first and third episodes of the series featured an age verification system, which consisted of a series of questions to which the authors reasoned only adults would know the answer. However, many of the questions were U.S.-centric and this frustrated some non-United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gamers. Also, the multiple-choice questions did little to deter adolescents
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
with some patience and a notepad. (The verification system could be skipped by pressing Alt-X in episode one, or Ctrl-Alt-X in episode three.)
After the gleefully seedy first game, the series - despite becoming infamous for its saucy content - gained something of a reputation for not actually featuring all that much raunchy material when analyzed, particularly the mid-entries to the series. This became even more evident in later years, when more genuinely racy games appeared in the market, like Cobra Mission. At most, the raunchier moments were usually hidden as Easter eggs. Things began to become racier again toward the end of the series, particularly in the (original) final installment, Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!.
In Shape up or Slip Out!
Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!
Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! is the fifth entry in the Leisure Suit Larry series of graphical adventure games published by Sierra Entertainment. Originally developed for DOS, a remake was produced in CD-ROM format a year after its release. The enhanced version of the game offers...
, Love For Sail!, Casino, and Magna Cum Laude
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 video game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.-Gameplay:...
, Larry is voiced by Jan Rabson
Jan Rabson
Jan Rabson is an American actor and voice actor.Rabson was born in East Meadow, New York. Jan's voice has been heard on thousands of commercials, films, TV shows and animated films and series...
. Larry Lovage, the protagonist of Magna Cum Laude, is voiced by Tim Dadabo
Tim Dadabo
Tim Dadabo is a voice actor and singer who has appeared in several video game roles including the popular Halo series as the Forerunner Monitor 343 Guilty Spark. He will star in the upcoming animated sitcom Two Dreadful Children on Fox.-Roles:...
.
In March 2007, Vivendi announced Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail! for the mobile phone. This version will be a remake of the previous game where the player plays Larry from the Magna Cum Laude game. It is also announced that parts of this game will take place in a plane.
On the Howard Stern radio show on November 27, 2007, comedian Artie Lange
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
mentioned that he had recorded dialogue for a character named "Big Al" in a new Leisure Suit Larry game. On May 20, 2008, Lange confirmed that he had completed recording dialogue for the game. His salary was thirty thousand dollars for work which took "about an hour and a half," amazing Howard and his staff. On July 29, 2009, Artie again referenced doing this work on Leisure Suit Larry but said that he made twenty five thousand dollars.
On January 17, 2008, Sierra Entertainment announced Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is a video game published by Codemasters for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows and Mobile phone which was released on 27 March, 2009. It is the first Leisure Suit Larry game to be released for seventh generation consoles. It was announced on January 17,...
for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and mobile phones.
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust was developed by Team 17 and the publishing rights were offered to Codemasters who published the game in March 2009.
Development
While making In the Land of the Lounge LizardsLeisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is the alliterative title to an adventure computer game first released in 1987, the first part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. It was a completely graphical adventure game with 16 color EGA graphics. It utilizes the Adventure Game Interpreter ...
, Sierra On-line
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
staff had to decide the character's name. They agreed that he should be named after Al Lowe's friend, Jerry (Lowe never made his last name known to the public), who had visited him at work and became well known in the Sierra studios. Jerry thought of himself as a great lover. He became an infamous point of comical reference among the staff, so the game creators agreed that since Jerry's character suited the game's "hero", they should jokingly tribute him.
However, since they thought it would cause the real Jerry offense or possibly provoke litigation, "Jerry" was then altered to "Larry", a similar name, in honor of famed injury attorney Larry H. Parker, Al Lowe's childhood friend. Lowe had to find a new surname, and having in mind the many L-words of the title
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
, skimmed through the "L" volume of an encyclopedia in order to find a suitable word or name. He fell on the entry of Arthur Laffer
Arthur Laffer
Arthur Betz Laffer is an American economist who first gained prominence during the Reagan administration as a member of Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board . Laffer is best known for the Laffer curve, an illustration of the theory that there exists some tax rate between 0% and 100% that will...
, and the name caught his attention due to its phonetic resemblance to "laughter".
Arthur Laffer for years had no idea about the existence of the games until much later when Al Lowe sent a letter asking his permission for the publication of a program under the title Laffer Utilities, a Larry spin-off which could potentially confuse the public due to the ambiguous title. Laffer asked his secretary if she knew about the games and she told him that she had played them for years, but never made a connection. Laffer gave the permission and also paid a visit to the Sierra studios.
Adventure games
- Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge LizardsLeisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge LizardsLeisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is the alliterative title to an adventure computer game first released in 1987, the first part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. It was a completely graphical adventure game with 16 color EGA graphics. It utilizes the Adventure Game Interpreter ...
(1987 - remade 1991) - Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places)Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places)Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love is the second game in the Leisure Suit Larry series of graphical adventure games by Sierra On Line. Like its predecessor, it was developed for multiple platforms, including DOS, Atari ST and Amiga...
or Leisure Suit Larry 2 (1988) - Leisure Suit Larry III: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals (1989)
- Leisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover WorkLeisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover WorkLeisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work is the fourth entry in the Leisure Suit Larry series of graphical adventure games published by Sierra Entertainment. It is the first title in the series available for play on Macintosh, as well as to have 256-color graphics and a...
(1991) - Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out!Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! is the fifth entry in the Leisure Suit Larry series of graphical adventure games published by Sierra Entertainment. Originally developed for DOS, a remake was produced in CD-ROM format a year after its release. The enhanced version of the game offers...
(1993 - CD version in 1994) - Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail! or Leisure Suit Larry 7 (1996)
- Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum LaudeLeisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum LaudeLeisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 video game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.-Gameplay:...
(2004) (Without involvement of Al Lowe) - Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office BustLeisure Suit Larry: Box Office BustLeisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is a video game published by Codemasters for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows and Mobile phone which was released on 27 March, 2009. It is the first Leisure Suit Larry game to be released for seventh generation consoles. It was announced on January 17,...
(2009) (Without involvement of Al Lowe)
Canceled games
- Leisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing FloppiesLeisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing FloppiesThe fourth installment of the Leisure Suit Larry series was officially Larry 5. The actual fourth part of the scenario was never made for various reasons, but it is jokingly referred to by both Sierra and fans under the subtitle of The Missing Floppies...
(This non-existent 4th game was skipped and is an often jokingly referenced in-game for the series.) - Leisure Suit Larry 8: Lust in SpaceLeisure Suit Larry 8: Lust in SpaceLeisure Suit Larry 8, tentatively subtitled Lust in Space , was a computer game part of the Leisure Suit Larry series, which was in full development in 1998 until funding was cut. Shortly afterwards, Sierra's adventure games department was disbanded and Al Lowe left Sierra on February 22, 1999...
- Leisure Suit Larry: Pocket PartyLeisure Suit Larry: Pocket PartyLeisure Suit Larry: Pocket Party is a canceled video game, designed for the N-Gage, featuring a character named Larry Lovage, nephew of the original Larry Laffer and his misadventures in the pursuit of having sex with attractive women....
- Leisure Suit Larry: Cocoa Butter
Collections
Several Larry collections have also been compiled:- Larry 3-Pack (1991): this collection included the first three games that were available at the time.
- Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits & Misses (1994): this 1-CD collection included all the Larry games up to #6, including both versions of Larry 1, the VGA version of Larry 6, the Hill Utilities, and the original Softporn game. A limited edition print of the Leisure Suit Larry book was also included called "My Scrapbook".
- Leisure Suit Larry: Collection Series (1997): this 2-CD collection included everything the previous collection contained, plus the SVGA talkie version of Larry 6, a Larry 7 preview, and Larry's Big Score: Pinball.
- Leisure Suit Larry: The Ultimate Pleasure Pack (2000): this 4-CD collection was, again, otherwise identical to the one before it except that it also included the 1998 Larry's Casino and the full version of Larry: Love for Sail.
- Leisure Suit Larry Collection (2006): This barebones collection only contains the 1-6 Larrys originally released on floppies (Substituting the remake of Larry 1 for the EGA original, and excluding the full-talkie CD edition of Larry 6). According to www.Allowe.com, Vivendi excluded Larry 7 from the collection in fear that the hidden easter egg ending would give the collection an Adults Only rating. It is not known why the EGA version of Larry 1 is missing from the collection. Unlike previous collections, this does not come with any printed documentation (instead including PDF files containing the original manuals for copy protectionCopy protectionCopy protection, also known as content protection, copy obstruction, copy prevention and copy restriction, refer to techniques used for preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media, usually for copyright reasons.- Terminology :Media corporations have always used the term...
purposes), and the "Runs on Windows XP" blurb on the box is justified by an included copy of freeware application DOSBoxDOSBoxDOSBox is emulator software that emulates an IBM PC compatible computer running MS-DOS. It is intended especially for use with old PC games. DOSBox is free software....
, leaving many to see this edition (And the simultaneous releases of the Police QuestPolice QuestPolice Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
, King's QuestKing's QuestKing's Quest is an adventure game series created by the American software company Sierra Entertainment. It is widely considered a classic series from the golden era of adventure games. Following the success of its first installment, the series was primarily responsible for building the reputation...
, and Space QuestSpace QuestSpace Quest is a series of six comedic science fiction computer games that follow the adventures of a hapless janitor named Roger Wilco, as he campaigns through the galaxy for "truth, justice and really clean floors"....
collections) as a cash-in to measure the viability of future games in the series.
Other software
- The Laffer Utilities (1992) (A parody of the Norton UtilitiesNorton UtilitiesNorton Utilities is a utility software suite designed to help analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer. The current version 15 of Norton Utilities Premier Edition for Windows XP/Vista/7 was released December 27, 2010....
package)
- Leisure Suit Larry's Datebook (1992) (Mentioned in a 1992 Sierra Catalogue as "Larry speaks! Custom Larry screens pop on to tell you about meetings, birthdays, work habits, and hard-drive hygiene! Let Larry organize your life. Scary, huh?" Never released. In fact, according to Al Lowe, he did not know it existed and had no plans to make it.)
- Leisure Suit Larry's Casino (part of the Crazy Nick's Software Picks line of games, includes slot machine, blackjack, and poker taken from the LSL1 vga remake and LSL5)
- Leisure Suit Larry's Casino (1998) (Larry Laffer, the protagonist of the Leisure Suit Larry adventure series, is running a casino. Leisure Suit Larry's Casino offers 5 casino games, 3 party games, a full gift shop, 3 restaurants, 3 bars, and a few surprises. Also featured an online component which allowed for players to upgrade their hotel room, and participate in other online-only activities.)
- Leisure Suit Larry's Sexy Pinball (2005) A pinball game for mobile phones.
- Leisure Suit Larry Bikini Beach Volley (2006) A beach volley game for mobile phones.
- Leisure Suit Larry Love for Sail (2007) - A Mobile game based on Leisure Suit Larry 7, Love for Sail.
- Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude (2008). A game based on Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude for mobiles showing some mini games to play with the number pad.
Other products
- The Official Book Of Leisure Suit Larry (1990) (Written by Al Lowe and Ralph Roberts, containing background information and hint guides). The book was revised and edited so that there was a second (1991), a third (1993), and a fourth (1997) edition, and Special Edition (released with a Larry Collection).
- The Authorized Uncensored Leisure Suit Larry Bedside Companion (1990) (Written by Peter Spear, it contains the stories of the first three Leisure Suit Larry games, as well as detailed walkthroughs, point lists and maps) The second edition covered Larry V. The book, like other Sierra books by Peter Spear such as The King's Quest Companion, was revised and edited so that there was a second (1991) covering Larry V.
External links
- Al Lowe's Leisure Suit Larry Troubleshooting page
- Al Lowe (creator) Interview - Adventure Classic Gaming
- Al Lowe's Leisure Suit Larry page
- The only remaining preliminary test video for 3-D Larry in Leisure Suit Larry 8
- New Statesman article on Leisure Suit Larry's age verification system
- Extensive Interview with Al Lowe
- The Dot Eaters article featuring a history of Leisure Suit Larry and Sierra.
- LarryLaffer.net Leisure Suit Larry Website.
- Play Leisure Suit Larry online Play the original game in your browser