Leisure Suit Larry 1 or Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is the first part of the Larry Laffer series, which is about picking up some nice ladies.
The beginning of Leisure Suit Larry 1
Written in 3 months and released in 1987, the game sold a disappointing 4.000 copies in its first month. Al moved on to bigger and better things only to see Larry make the top 6 just by word of mouth 10 months later. Years later, Larry has become an icon for adventure gamers.
Larry the charmer
In the game you play Larry, known as Larry Laffer in later games. You're looking for a couple of nice ladies for a night on the town who'll settle for just your charm, your good looks, and $94,00 in your pocket. It's a simple story. Part of the charm of the Leisure Suit Larry series is that he's basically just a lonely man looking for love or sex wherever he can find it.
The graphic
Leisure Suit Larry 1 was written using the AGI engine. The backgrounds are very detailed considering the 300x200 screen size and in real Sierra format they all have fun descriptions when you look at them. The only problem with the graphics in the AGI engine is that it's very easy to miss small elements that you'll need later, so make sure you always run a look command when you enter a room.
The sound
The sound is great for its time. The music is appropriately lively and suits the tone of the game. There's no way you'll finish the game without catching yourself humming the theme song at least once.
The gameplay
The gameplay is typical of other AGI games and consists of navigating Larry with the arrow keys and interacting with your surroundings using a text parser. Half the fun in Leisure Suit Larry 1 is typing in weird phrases only to see what the game says in response, and it almost always has an answer.
The puzzles
The puzzles are mostly of the captivating variety. For every woman you meet, you need something to fulfill her desires before she satisfies you. The puzzles are well done and mostly logical if you have the right mindset for the game. Just be aware that like most Sierra adventure games, you can die if you're not careful - and you can die very often.
The game length
The only downside of the game is that it is quite short and can easily be completed in a few hours by an experienced player. But in true Sierra fashion, the game is filled with elements that will make you want to come back to the game after it's been solved. The game uses a scoring system that rewards for successfully solving puzzles as well as taking actions that are outside of the main story but internal to the character, bringing a desire to explore to the otherwise static storyline.
Conclusion
All in all, this game is a classic in the adventure genre. But if you really want to experience this game in all its glory, keep an eye out for the VGA remake made in the SCI engine with 256 colors and point and click interface. You should at least have a look at the game, because it is a classic.
Comparative view: Leisure Suit Larry, Daedalic Entertainment and Runaway
Leisure Suit Larry 1, a classic of the adventure genre, stands out with its humorous, freewheeling approach while Daedalic Entertainment is known for demanding, story-based games. This contrast is also reflected in the comparison Pendulo Studios' "Runaway: A Road Adventure“, which presents a colorful, adventurous journey. All three represent different facets of the adventure genre: from Larry's daring humor to Daedalic's deep stories to Runaway's lively storytelling style. Together they demonstrate the diversity and creativity in the world of adventure games.
You can find another review in the Adventure Corner