Leisure Suit Larry Bundle (PC) Review

The Leisure Suit Larry titles are your basic Sierra-esque, point-and-click adventures, but with girls to have sex with instead of fantasy lands to save - a noble purpose if there ever was one. No videogame porn here, however; dirty humour is definitely at the spotlight, yet it's mostly in the form of puns, double entendres, and innuendos. Yes, pixelated nudity is in no shortage, but it's handled in such a way that, rather than naughty and tasteless, it comes off as funny, and, one might say, even cute! Concerning the overall quality of it all… it's a mess, to be honest, as instalments range from flawed cult classics and mediocre escapades, to downright terrible trips of aggravation.

Those who will look past the flaws will definitely get plenty of (guilty) old school fun here. As for what's included: all main titles, along with the wretched "revival" of the franchise, Magna Cum Laude. Finally, both CGA and EGA/VGA versions have been included for the older episodes. Now, starting with the first of the bunch, Land of the Lounge Lizards (here's a deeper analysis); although nice and all, it's also tiny, with the only reason to replay it being the text-based command line with which you control Larry, and with which you also explore the world around him.

The second in line is the black sheep of the original sex… err, sixtology, as it was the developer's attempt of avoiding controversy, as, instead of 'hubba-hubba,' Larry is in search of true love… while he is also being chased by the KGB(?!?). Furthermore, while the command line still exists, don't expect much fun to be had from it. Oh, sure, as a game it's much, much longer, but size isn't everything… according to… research… The series returns to form with number three, and especially five and six (more on the fourth one later on), as these offer a more "traditional" Leisure Suit experience… but with mixed results.

Visually, the CGA graphics are pushed to their limit, with the fifth game finally making the leap to VGA. Gameplay-wise, all constantly run from average-to-great, as long as you can stomach the fact that, apart from being able to die, it's also easy to screw up (pun intended) by, let's say, forgetting an item in an area that you can't revisit. Another problem is the overly convoluted plot of these titles; plots that pale in comparison to those LSL games where the mission is all about having sex. Finally, these introduce the buzzkill known as Passionate Patti, a playable character who, instead of being a likeable loser, is a perfect female specimen, something that almost destroys the comedic aspect of it all.

…and, at last, there is the seventh title; the final Leisure Suit Larry game designed by the creator of the series and the final one with Larry Laffer being the main hero. This is the one that is widely considered to be the best of the bunch, minus a couple of flaws here and there; flaws that are not enough to ruin the enjoyment this provides, however - not only because this looks like a naughty, SVGA-fuelled version of a Saturday morning cartoon, but also because it's much more fun to play. After all, this episode takes place in a luxury cruise ship with a Johnson that serves Gigantic Erections, and lots of Beavers that like being milked - the ones with the teeth, you pervs!

Now, for some strange reason, Magna Cum Laude has also been included in the collection, although the heart and soul of the series is nowhere to be seen in here, not to mention Larry Laffer himself, as the hero in here is Larry Lovage, a moron who could very well be a character in those brain infestations known as college comedies, as witty innuendos have been replaced with big boobs, and old school point-and-click gameplay is no more, as this is all about playing stupid and repetitive mini-games in order to - what else? - have some sexy sex time. This is surely the worst in the collection, even when compared to the second game in line.

Forget about the fact that none of the titles available are perfect, though, as the biggest problem lies elsewhere. This collection is the best way to play the first seven instalments, and with a price to match, however the publisher probably hasn't spent much time in polishing its product, with many bugs and compatibility issues still alive and kicking. Without any exaggeration, while a fine collection, it feels a lot as if it's a bundle of emulators, rather than an updated version of the originals for modern systems, which is, obviously, a bit of a shame, and feels somewhat unprofessional.

It doesn't matter, though. Why? Well, because of Leisure Suit Larry 4: The Missing Floppies. This is it folks! The Holy Grail; the gold at the end of the rainbow - the one that takes the cake, icing, cherry-on-top, and all! Besides being the best point-and-click adventure ever made, it's also one of the best videogames, full stop. Is it truly a piece of software with a lack of flaws? Well, to be perfectly honest, there's only one... it doesn't exist…