Game characters have run the gamut from aliens to zombies. Yet while just about every character type has been created or mimicked over and over again through numerous games, few have focused upon the ladies man. When I say this, I don’t mean the dashing rogue character with a sly smile and roguish wit that’s always a hit with the women around him. I mean the seemingly common everyday man whose brash, often offensive comments get him frequently slapped. Sierra’s Leisure Suit Larry series was such a game, with a hero that was much more Leon Phelps than James Bond. Although it’s been almost a decade since Larry’s delightful suit and smile graced our screens, he and his series have received an overhaul for the latest systems. So boys and girls, pull out a pen, borrow a sheet of paper and prepare to take some notes, because we’re going back to school with Vivendi Universal’s latest title, Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude. We managed to get our hands on the demo code shown at E3, and while the game is slated for release later this year, the developers essentially have the basis for a new bawdy game classic on their hands. Fans of the American Pie/Animal House/Porky’s flavored series will be interested to know that Larry Laffer himself is not the main focus this time around. That honor goes to his nephew Larry Lovage, a randy college student whose sole goal of his college career is to bed as many women as he can come across before graduating. Owning up to his infamous uncle’s reputation is somewhat tricky, but as his namesake, Larry wants to make his uncle proud. Unfortunately, this is somewhat of a tall order, as he’s barely been up to the plate, much less been walked to “First Base.” Fortunately for Larry, the dating show Swingles has decided to film at his college campus, giving our “suave” hero ample opportunities to prove just how pimp he can be. But before he can get on camera, he has to prove that he’s one of the Big Men On Campus by seducing and winning the hearts of the hottest ladies in the school. The demo ran us through a quick tutorial, explaining not only the basics of navigating Larry around the campus but also writing the book of love, starting with Sally Mae Beauregard (incidentally, the first lady within the game). Trying to woo the ladies breaks the game out into a number of situational mini-games, many of which have hilarious results and consequences attached to them. For example, trying to get Sally interested in Larry involves the chat game, a small window where you control a sperm icon (yes, I said sperm icon) back and forth while a number of chat responses scroll towards you. Some of them, such as the green hearts and smiling faces, provide just the responses that Sally wants to hear. Others, such as the orange gas clouds or red shock balloons, result in Larry stupidly gazing at her breasts or making a poorly timed remark that turns her off. Other mini-games include rhythm-flavored dance sections a la Space Channel Five, where Larry tries to follow Sally’s line dancing instructions, whack-a-mole inspired button sequences to mix Sally a drink, and the perennial college drinking game, Quarters. High Voltage has gone to lengths to include a number of the stereotypical characters within the game, including your typical frat boy, environmental girl, hacky sack slacker and many more. The best part about it is that you can pretty much guess who’s who simply by looking at them. Larry’s character model really imparts a sense of the average Joe, especially with his large head and expressive facial animations. In fact, many of Larry’s reactions are perfectly synced up with the numerous lines of dialogue within the game, including his cheesy pick-up lines. Believe me, if you’ve heard them in real life, they’ve probably been included in the game. (In case you couldn’t guess, this will easily be a Mature title, with rather choice language, but cleverly and humorously delivered.) Even better, Larry will start to roll out more and more lines as he starts feeling confident with the ladies, and while he’ll typically have a number of comments on just about any interactive item, when he’s feeling like a mack, he’ll start cracking a lot of different wisecracks. It was an impressive demo at the show, and now that we’ve spent extra time with it, we really can’t wait to play the final version later this year. Keep checking back for further information on this hilarious title! Download Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude: Trial | Buy Now Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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