...Let us leave the confusion and all this illusion behind / Like birds of a feather on a rainbow together we'll find....

And another game has been cast down from the Hall of Shame: Pack your bags Leisure Suit Larry 7 Love for Sail!. You're outta here!

Original image located here. Accessed 9th October 2015

I find some interesting parallels between Leisure Suit Larry 7 and Final Fantasy 7. Namely:

• Both are are the seventh installment of their respective franchises (well.....maybe not Larry). 
• Both came out at roughly the same time (Larry 7 in October 1996, FF7 in January 1997)
• Larry got a significant graphical upgrade with it's animation and art style. FF7 drummed up a lot of buzz with it's use of cinematics.
• Both games took a successful formula and added a whole of new features on top
• And both are largely regarded as being the pinnacle of the franchises

Of course, I'm only pointing out these parallels because I find it funny. Let's talk about Leisure Suit Larry 7:
Really, the mid-to-late nineties was a strange time for Adventure games. Generally it was a given that for the past decade the genre had gotten by on the notion that solid, and humorous, writing would overcome any technical limitations. However by this time, the technology had advanced to a point where it could match the writing on equal terms. So whilst we have games like Larry 7, Curse of Monkey Island, and excellent Grim Fandango, they arrived at a point where the genre was dying off. Still, one can't refute the satisfaction of seeing a genre end on a high note. And Larry 7 certainly belongs as one of best adventure games made.

When playing this game, one thing struck me is that this is game that, clearly, has been made with passion. It's as if Al Lowe and his team realized the tools they had at their disposal and put in all their effort to making the best game they could - and it shows considerably.
Firstly, the design of the game works a treat: It is easy to move around the ship setting and never once is it possible to die or end up in in an unwinnable situation - and coming from Sierra that's saying a lot. Secondly there's the graphics: The animation and art direction is superb and, for the first time, really fits the mood of the series. Thirdly the music is great: the midi music is finally ditched and in it's place are some really snappy jazz tunes. Fourthly the voice again keeps the pace set by the previous game and never once slips up. Larry is still pathetic, the narrator is still in scene-stealing form but credit must go to the hilarious Peg (seriously, she needs her own game). Fifthly, the humor is great: there are jokes that are laugh-out funny and there are various allusions to The Simpsons and Looney Tunes. And finally there are the additional features. Gimmicky I know but they had some amusement value.

In a way, perhaps it is fitting that this be the last Larry game that Al Lowe worked on. Larry 7 does everything so right, that it a followup may be near impossible to achieve. True there was that teaser at the end of the credits of Larry 7 but such a game has yet to emerge - even when Al has suggested he's still keen to make it happen. But if Larry 8 never shows, I'm not bothered. In fact, maybe it;s better that the series end at Larry 7 (of course, there are the bastardized sequels but we don't talk about them...)

So yeah Larry 7's reputation as the pinnacle of the series is justified and it's easily one of the best entrants in the adventure game genre. It's aged remarkably well and certainly worth a go.

....We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of / Where lovers enjoy peace of mind....

And yet another game has been given the boot from the Hall of Shame. Clean up your desk Leisure Suit Larry 6, you're outta here!

Original image located here. Accessed 28th August 2015

Compare to the other Larry games, this represents unfamiliar territory for me: I'd seen the other games whether being played or witnessing the box art. This however completely escaped my notice at the time. Why, I wasn't aware there was a Leisure Suit Larry 6 until I saw Leisure Suit Larry 7 in a game store! (and considering that this is a series that lacks a fourth entrant, that's saying something).

Anywho, having played Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3, I can safely say that this game is a definite improvement. The character designs are superb, the locales are interesting and the voice acting is superb. Maybe it was case of the technology having advanced enough to make a decent game. Or maybe it was a simple case of having better writing then the preceding games.

I did call out Larry 3 for being ambitious but in Larry 6, the general goal is more scaled back (ie, attempt to sleep with as many women as possible). And that in turn provides a sense of focus. As a result, the jokes are great, the problems are solved through logical means and there is a clear beginning, middle and end. Leisure Suit Larry 2 and 3 may have been meandering but that doesn't seem to be the case here - and Leisure Suit Larry 6 is all the better for it.

And it's good to see that the unwinnable situations are less in number. True, I fell foul of two of them when playing this game and had to start over, but it's good to see that Sierra at this stage were starting to realize this flaw and were taking steps to correct it. True one could suggest that the games LucasArts were churning out may have made Sierra nervous but 'A' for Effort.

In addition, special mention must go the voice acting. Larry sounds pathetic and the ladies certainly have plenty of character that stretches beyond a character portrait. But the real star is the narrator, sounding smug, snarky and taking great delight in commenting on Larry's pathetic existence. Indeed, seeing as so many voices are spot on, it makes a fascinating contrast to the likes of Metroid Other M and the outrage it inspired when the previously silent character of Samus Aran was given a voice. 

All in all, Leisure Suit Larry 6 may have completely escaped my interest first time around - so it;s funny to see it turn out to be a such a superb game. And then, from Leisure Suit Larry 6 comes Leisure Suit Larry 7....

...Let's fly way up to the clouds / Away from the maddening crowds....

And the hot streak continues with another game cast down from the Hall of Shame - yep, after something of a lull for the first half of the year, I'm on fire! And who is out on their arse this time around? Why, it would be Leisure Suit Larry 3!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th July 2015

Having played the first three Leisure Suit Larry games in order, it is interesting to observe the progression the series has taken. While the first game has this nasty reputation of being 'the game with sex in it', I however understand the satire that was being put in place: Larry is, no matter how you look at it, is a loser and his attempts to get laid always end both successful and with him being humiliated. Therefore it's funny how this satire is often missed by most people - still, the first Larry game sold enough to warrant several sequels (along with a more recent revamp) so more than enough people may have noticed.

But it would seem that that the Larry in the sequels is a different one from the first game. It would seem that Larry(s) in 2 and 3 is less a sleazeball and more a bumbling-yet-lovable loser. In Larry 2, Larry was looking for love (as the title suggests) and he does succeed in Larry 3 with Passionate Patti. Okay sure Patti comes at the end of several conquests but the conquests in question are handled in a more lighter manner with Larry's acts being interrupted by pure happenstance.
And as for Patti, I'm not sold on her. She comes across as beautiful, flirtatious and having been 'around', so why would she have an instant attraction to Larry? It would make sense for Larry to have an instant attraction to any woman who gave him the time of day as he's been established as a loser. So what did he do to win the attention of a woman who's made out to be sexy, confident and self-assured? I can see the argument that Patti was included to add some balance but I don't know: if anything, her presence seems a more no-win situation. Why, imagine how much outrage would've occurred if Patti was a mirror of Larry: A horny but hopeless nerd abused by the men she tries to hit on.

Beyond the writing though, there are still some glaring design flaws. While the parts controlling Patti were different, it was however dull compared to the rest of the game. And whilst the timed puzzles from the previous are gone, they are however replaced with an intruding arcade sequence (ergh!). And the controls are still as disagreeable as ever - funny how many of the Sierra games in the eighties tend not to age well. 

Some say that Leisure Suit Larry 3 was an improvement over the misstep that was Leisure Suit Larry 2. But I'm not convinced: If anything, I found the humor of two far better than three.
I don't know if the changes Al Lowe brought about in 3 was through the outrage caused by 1 and 2 but I guess you can't please everyone

.....Cantare, Whoa oh oh oh....

And yet another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame. Pack your bags, Leisure Suit Larry 2, you're outta here!

 Original image located here. Accessed 27th July 2015

And much like it's predecessor, this was a game I originally encountered through witnessing it being played by my friend at the time. And once again, it is interesting to play this game myself given the distance of two decades worth of time.

Compared to it's predecessor, this game does indeed feel like a step down. Indeed, it is here that many of the criticisms associated with Sierra Adventure games rear their heads: Timed puzzles, situations that leave the game unbeatable and working towards a goal that is never made clear (thus making puzzles being overcome largely through trial and error). 
Furthermore I'm not sold on the graphics. One might say that they were a product of their time but the sprite of Larry looks nothing like the dude on the box art. Indeed, Larry looks more like a creep than the lovable loser he eventually grew into. Granted that was kind of the point in the original game but it is jarring to see how this character evolution started from. Moreso when Larry's character portrait makes him look like he's in his fifties.

Grumbling aside however, the jokes are still funny and the writing is still top-notch - even with the passage of time. It's just a shame that the writing has to share room with some glaring design flaws.
I often hear how people grumble how modern games play like the design team and the writing team were operating in separate rooms, segregated from each other. Funny how I got that same impression from a game made in 1988...

Volare, Ooooh Ohhh...

Another game has been struck down from my Hall of Shame: Goodbye Leisure Suit Larry 1!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd July 2015

This is not the first time I have encountered this game: I recall watching a friend play it back in the early nineties in glorious EGA graphics and both us giggling at the smut like any other easily-amused eleven year old boy. And even then this series had a reputation of that 'game with sex in it' - which would guarantee interest from any eleven year old boy.

So it therefore becomes interesting to view this game from the perspective of an adult. And once you get past the sex it becomes clear: This game is actually really funny. It has great jokes, lots of fourth-wall breaking, jabs at Sierra (among others) and some truly absurd moments (the convenience store scene is still funny years later). I myself was fortunate to play in the enhanced VGA mode and the graphics were full of character that add considerably to the lunacy.
And that's really the strength of the game. It's really funny. In fact this really seems like a great bait and switch: offer sex and deliver something of actual substance.
Beyond that however the game does show some wrinkles with it's design: It's short, there's only five locations, there's a timer attached with certain puzzles and there are situations that can result in an instant loss. I guess that's par for the course when playing a Sierra game but really it shouldn't be.

Grumbling aside this game was a right laugh. Sure the design's dated but the humor hasn't - and that is saying a lot in gaming.

Fit for a King

Another post, another game struck down from my Hall of Shame. Once again, it was something I played over my Christmas break: Kings Quest 6.

Once upon a time, Sierra had a substantial reputation for their Adventure games. They had several series that featured over numerous installments and enjoyed much success during their heyday. I myself never really bothered much with them. Yes I played about two installments of the Leisure Suit Larry (keep in mind I was ten/eleven at the time), and I had seen the first Police Quest being played but was largely unfamiliar with the Sierra adventure games.
In the years since, time has not been kind to the Sierra adventure games with most of them being dismissed for obnoxious difficulty, game-killing puzzles (one slightest slip up and it's game over), cheap deaths and solutions to problems that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Still I was interested to take a look so I may as well try one of the best: King's Quest 6.

Now coming into Kings Quest 6 I had absolutely zero knowledge about the series beforehand - thus leaving me with little idea as to what to expect. And the first thing that struck me about this game was that it was genuine attempt to build a fairy tale within game - something that doesn't happen very often. Okay so the Super Mario and Zelda games may have taken their inspiration from fairy tales whilst Braid and Shadow the Colossus seek to deconstruct them, but for me King's Quest 6 feels genuine in it's attempt to present a prince going around a fantasy world to rescue a princess.
But at the same time, one feels this was trying to deconstruct the fairy tale genre whilst celebrating it. Thus the prince, Alexander, comes across as committed to his quest to the point of tunnel-vision that one starts questioning his mental state. Likewise the princess, Cassima, is revealed to be practical and hardly the type to sit around waiting to be rescued.

In fact a lot has to said for the writing: The characters are well written and likeable, there are some interesting allusions to other fairy tales, the puzzles actually make sense, the humor is well handled (ie the Chess Piece queens) and the climax is actually really exciting.Okay the amount of deaths were stupid but the setting and characters that inhabited it were compelling enough to see me through.
Also, I particularly enjoyed the voice acting - I'm still trying to wrap my head around Alexander being voiced by the same guy with did the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. And special mention must go to that guy who voices Saladin - He's great!
But I'm not quite sure what to make of the ending theme though ("Girl in the ToWAAAAHHH!!!").

Now considering Sierra's reputation this game didn't cause an epiphany to inspire me to check out more Sierra games. Still, I enjoyed it a lot and its fun to see a genuine fairy tale in gaming - I mean you can't keep shooting zombies forever....

Simon Says

On the weekend I had the satisfaction of striking another game from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Simon the Sorcerer.

Looking back at my previous post about Simon the Sorcerer, there's not really much more I can add: The writing's great, the voice acting is all top-notch and there are moments of hilarity abound (the Woodworm scene had me rolling). And special mention must go to the gorgeous backgrounds  which, in all honesty, are the kind that makes me want to frame them and put them up on my wall.

Having lived through the supposed 'Golden Era of Gaming' - that would be the early to mid-nineties - I did recall Adventure games being something of a big deal. I knew little of this as I was a Commodore 64 user and my experience with adventure games were those of the text base variety (Zork anyone?). Yet I knew that people who regarded the likes of Kings Quest and Monkey Island with a sense of awe. Having grown accustomed to the aforementioned text games, I was puzzled how actual gaming graphics could work within an adventure game context but I did manage to play the Leisure Suit Larry games and was surprised how it worked so well.
Other than that, my experience with graphic Adventure Games has been minimal to say the least. I've played through the Dig and found it a fascinating gem - even if the Dig is the least regarded of the LucasArts canon. Yet it is only recently I've manged to finally play some forgotten classics - both through collecting and GOG.

Needless to say, Simon the Sorcerer is only the beginning - seems there's a whole lot more Adventure games waiting to be explored......

Adventure Time!

Wanting to try something new, I reconnected with my friend Good Old Games and downloaded some Adventure games! I will admit i had something off a soft spot for Adventure games when I was a kid. Whilst most of the ones I played were text adventures on the Commodore 64, I did appreciate the fact that these games were something else from the action games I enjoyed: Adventure games were built around problems that required imaginative thinking, they told awesome stories and they required patience to a point where a lot of thought was placed within the setting and they could build worlds unseen in other other gaming genre.

So here's what I downloaded recently:

Kings Quest VI
I remember the Sierra graphic adventures when I was a kid. At the time I was used to text adventures so seeing the same thing being transplanted into a genuine graphical environment was mind-blowing to say the least. Although I recall the Leisure Suit Larry series (I doubt few who have played it have ever forgotten it), I never played the Kings Quest series so this is a new experience for me.
Needless to say, I had no idea what to expect: I knew no.6 was the best of the lot but that was it. And so far I'm liking what I've seen. Sure some of the puzzles may be a bit absurd and some of the character animations looking wonky now but on all other fronts, this is game that has aged quite well. The voice acting is pretty good (I'm still astonished that the voice actor of Alexander is the same one who did the Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast) and I LOVE the backgrounds. Seriously, some of these are a work of art and proof that sometimes hand-drawn graphics can trump anything more recent.
So in summary, Kings Quest no.6 is turning out rather well and certainly a game that warrants further playing.

Simon the Sorcerer
I recall this game from my days as an Amiga owner. Sure I never played it but I was aware of it and it certainly looked interesting. So what do I think of it eighteen years later?
It's brilliant. And I think it's down to three factors: Firstly, the writing is hilarious and I really enjoy the various fairy-tale/fantasy tropes that this game is messing around with. Simon is a great character and whilst a sarcastic git would make for a dis-likeable character, here it works.
Secondly, the voice acting is fantastic. Simon is voiced by Chris Barrie (Rimmer from Red Dwarf) and it helps considerably. I love the one-liners and fourth wall breaking Simon does. And the other voice acting is pretty good too - special mention must go to the scene involving the tree stump.
And thirdly, the backgrounds are gorgeous to behold. Above I mentioned the beauty of hand-drawn graphics - it certainly applies here and many of the backgrounds still hold up nearly two decades later. It really adds so much to the world and proves that, for many years, when to came to world building adventure games were miles ahead of everyone else.

So yeah, I've played these games and enjoyed them insofar. Say what you like about the Adventure game genre but when it got it all right, the results were nothing short of magnificent.

Suit yourself

As I was working on my list of My Favorite Gaming Heroes I heard that the Leisure Suit Larry IP has been dusted off and is set to make a return. And unlike the debacles that were Magna Cum Laude and Box Office Bust, Larry creator Al Lowe has returned and in full creative control.

And whilst I would rather new IPs being developed I do find something to like in the way that this is going: With the man who created Larry in charge it seems a welcome opportunity to erase the aforementioned duds from history. The idea that Larry is back in the hands of the man who made him and away from the people who made the terrible games is also a triumph of IP everywhere.
In addition to this announcement comes the news that the previous Larry titles will be remade and a new Larry title will be on it's way. Now normally, I would frown at the idea of remakes but here I don't mind... just as long as they:
a) take the opportunity to fix some of the errors and problems from the originals
b) maintain a degree of graphical/animation quality akin to LSL7 and
c) retain the LSL4 joke.

But there does arise a potential problem: Larry is essentially a product of his time. In the late eighties and the early nineties, anyone who was going out of their way to get laid was seen as creepy, pitiful, pathetic and a loser. Thus much of the fun from the games stemmed from Larry's efforts failing in various ways and the character himself getting his just desserts.
Nowadays, that idea has been challenged with both the arrival of the nerd/geek subculture and the notion that anyone trying to get laid isn't a loser but more along the lines of a diamond in the rough (ie American Pie). Thus the Larry of yesterday is going to come across as being completely unlikable in the era of today.
There may be a way around this problem with Larry being rewritten from a smarmy perv to a lovable, luckless, 'tomorrow's another day'-esque character. But will it work? How much can one tamper with a workable formula before the potential buyers start smelling BS?

Personally I would like to see what becomes of this plan: I can hope that some of the flaws in the original games be fixed (seriously, some of the puzzles tend to kill the gameplay horribly) but it would be interesting to see a character get a new lease of life in an industry where such things are rare. Has there ever been a character from a previous generation go under a dramatic revamp and work in a completely new generation?


















Okay, apart from this guy....

Wooden Spoon

Whew, what a job writing that Best Gaming Heroes post was. That folks, was the end result of hours of effort: Deciding what to say, reaching into the heart to say it and agonizing who will make the cut and who wouldn't. It wasn't an easy job - and indeed it was a lot harder than writing the Best Gaming Heroines list but it's finally done! And I'm really pleased with the end result.

So were there any characters that didn't make the cut? Funny you should ask: One of the more challenging decisions was Leisure Suit Larry. Whilst his more recent games have been total crap I did have fond memories of planning his previous games but there did lie the question of whether he belonged in the list. Sure I liked him but not exactly for the right reasons. And I clearly stated that this was, more or less, the dudes I'd call when trouble rears it's ugly head - thus it became increasingly clear that Larry was terribly out of place.

Eventually I gave in and dropped Larry from the list (thus making way for Leon) - it was, more or less, a twelfth hour decision and not one taken lightly. I did however a write up about Larry planned so what the hey: May as well give it a home here:

10 - Leisure Suit Larry (Leisure Suit Larry series)
These days, protagonists in games are usually out for killing a large number of dudes. Sure they claim they’re fighting for freedom/preventing global destruction/saving some clueless wench but really they’re not fooling anyone: They’re only in the game to have a big gun and kill anything dumb enough to get in their way. That being said, the Leisure Suit Larry games in this day still remain a shining beacon in a sea of blood.
I played these games when I was a kid (didn’t we all?) and some of them still hold up years later. Primarily because Larry has one goal: Getting laid. He’s not hiding it and he’s prepared to go to bizarre lengths to make it happen. But the way the narrative is written that makes it a treat: Larry is a pathetic loser whom nothing seems to go right for and endlessly mocked by an unseen narrator commenting on his miserable life. And thus Larry is an everyman: Someone defying the odds stacked against him even when he is an obnoxious prat who deserves all the disasters and misfortune lumped upon him.
Indeed, it is the lengths that Larry is prepared to go to get laid that still maintains appeal to me (Wander has nothing on this guy!) – In a way he’s kind of like Kratos. But whereas the latter is determined to undo his mistakes at any cost, Larry wants to get laid and will stop at nothing to do so. Sure Larry is, at the end of the day, a jerk but very few game heroes can boast getting caught in comedic situations that would do Benny Hill proud.
In fact you know what? Forget Lara Croft – Larry is one game character that needs his own movie series.

And you R?

It's happened. Approval has been given to have the R18+ game rating down here in Australia.

So to celebrate this momentous occasion, a cartoon I drew:



That pretty much says it all.
Prior to this announcement, I recently learned the game Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude was never released in Australia due to sexual content and nudity.

But personally, I would've preferred that it was never released in Australia becuase the game itself was TOTAL CRAP.

This is what bothers me about the introduction of the R18+: Sure we may have 'adult' games finally released in this country but what if they turn out the utter shit? Surely we want an outcome worth fighting for yes?

Reach Out

So Halo Reach is, reportedly, the last Halo game from Bungie? I sure hope so. I think it's fair to say that everyone is pretty sick of Halo, it's devoted-to-the-point-of-downright-weird fans and the over-saturation of it all. I personally don't mind Halo but I find it interesting that Bungie decided to move on.

You hear so many people complaining about how gaming franchises are run into the ground and no one seems keen to try something new. I personally find it interesting that anyone who has the balls to genuinely try something new is swallowed by gamers and shat out as yet another franchise. Case in point: God of War. It came when action games were running out of puff and presented a compelling anti-hero along with a deconstruction of Greek mythology. Also, it presented a proper story with a well-realised resolution. As such, I have no idea why the God of War sequels exist or there is any need: Sure the action is still there but the plot just gets silly plays off of Kratos being a total jerk - thus ruining a lot of what originally made him so interesting.

So I give Bungie credit: They are obviously closing the book on successful franchise and moving onto something different. You don't see that much in the gaming these days becuase such a move requires a large amount of balls to do so. I can only think of only one other case where a franchise was deliberately put to rest and that was Phantasy Star 4 on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive.
Indeed, I'm interested to see what Bungie does next, and whether they will stick to their guns in the face of greedy business types and fans who will eat up anything with Halo written on it. It takes balls to do unconventional things with an established franchise (Leisure Suit Larry 4 comes to mind) so yay to Bungie.

Of course there is talk of doing ANOTHER Halo game only this time by fans but to me, in this franchise-driven, fan-pandering era, there's nothing sadder.