The original 40 year-old virgin, Larry Laffer, is set to return in a completely updated remake of his sleazy 1987 hit Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards. In case you weren’t lucky enough to play the first time, the Leisure Suit Larry series was a staple franchise in the point-and-click world; like Space Quest or Maniac Mansion, only for adults. While the humor was for adults, I’m sure most 12 year olds (like this one) had no trouble convincing their parents that it was just another kids game, as it looked like any other. Replay Games has turned to Kickstarter to raise money for a remake of the franchise, and hopefully those that didn’t get to enjoy it the first time will enjoy playing as the pathetic yet likable anti-hero in a recreation of his original quest for manhood.
This particular Kickstarter isn’t just for a remake of the first Leisure Suit Larry, but of all 7 of his point-and-click adventures. The new updated version will be playable on mobile devices and will support touchscreen technology. All of the game’s graphics will be updated to match the new voice work done for each of the game’s characters. They are also planning to update that token Leisure Suit Larry humor for the 21st century. They also plan on keeping fans informed about development “every step of the way.” In the event that they exceed their goal , the team has plans for translations of the game into French, Italian, German, and Spanish, and additional platform releases including XBLA, PSN, iOS, and Android.
The goal for Leisure Suit Larry’s Kickstarter is to reach $500,000, and so far with 29 days left to go, they have raised almost $30,000, although by the time I finish this it will most likely be higher (Edit: it is). They’ve managed to get over their two biggest development hurdles; getting their hands on the license for the franchise and convincing Al Low, original creator of the game, to come out of retirement and help re-envision Larry for the 21st century.
As with most Kickstarters, Leisure Suit Larry has some great rewards for those willing to pledge, including all the things you would expect; art books, signed editions of the game, and soundtracks. There are also some really amazing rewards, some too good to list on Kickstarter, these include a digital version of yourself in the game, or a trip to Las Vegas for a weekend. Regardless however, each tier will include a “We’ll send you an incredibly personal, deeply heartfelt download link” in order for players to download the game the minute it is released.
Replay Games promises to keep us up-to-date regarding development of the 25th anniversary edition. Those of us who played the original eagerly await the recreation of one of gaming’s most anti anti-heros.
