Leisure Suit Larry: In The Land of the Lounge Lizards (in HD)

Looks like Larry Laffer is getting another touch up. (You know those Hollywood stars, always going under to touch up their chins and noses!) Well Larry’s getting an entire touch up – from head to toe! Looks like Larry Laffer is coming back to the world in gaming, in HD!

Joystiq: Leisure Suit Larry Coming in HD Next Year:

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards returns in HD for the series’ 25th anniversary in Q4 2012. This will be the second update of the bawdy 1987 Sierra adventure game classic, which went from 16-color EGA art and a keyboard interface to stunning VGA graphics and mouse controls in 1991.

EGM reports the update will be handled by Replay Games, with the assistance and blessing of series creator Al Lowe — something that the most recent entries in the series didn’t have. The game is planned for almost every PC, console and mobile digital distribution platform.

“I’m overjoyed to see Larry released from his digital dungeon after all this time, and be placed in the hands of someone who understands him and wants to see him, brought back to the forefront by people who love him and understand him,” Lowe told EGM.

If successful, Replay Games plans to keep on doing the HD updates, and doing them well, working its way through the series’ original seven installments (Leisure Suite Larry 4: The Missing Floppies will remain missing). Replay is also planning on new adventures for Larry Laffer in the internet age.

EGM Reports Leisure Suit Larry 1 In HD:

THE BUZZ: Replay Games has announced it obtained the rights to the Leisure Suit Larry franchise, and will re-release the original series, as well as commence work on all new adventures, beginning in 2012, the year that marks the series’ 25th anniversary.

Replay Games founder and CEO Paul Trowe, and series creator Al Lowe, are teaming up to re-introducing gaming’s favorite lovable loser Larry.

The first project under the agreement will be an HD re-mastered version of the original, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, on every platform Replay can figure out how to port it onto, including: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, XBLA, PSN, On-Live, Steam. We’re pretty sure if an Atari 2600 enthusiast group got enough members to sign a petition, Lowe would personally code a version for them.

Should the re-make prove successful, the team is set to tackle the rest of the original series, games two-through-seven. Sadly, EGM has confirmed that the content for game four, Leisure Suite Larry 4: The Missing Floppies remains missing. However, Lowe won’t let that keep him from re-mastering it to Leisure Suite Larry 4: The Missing Digital Download HD.

The remakes will feature upgraded visuals, sound and control, while retaining the games’ signature puzzles and sense of humor.

Also, look for original Larry games to appear at some point in the future, though Trowe and Lowe aren’t sure when they will get the rest of the team sober enough to actually do the coding.

The Leisure Suit Larry series has seen better days. Recent installments changed the focus from lovable sleazeball Larry Laffer to his more pathetic, and less excusable nephew, Larry Lovage. The newer games focused more on the titillating aspects of the series, while foregoing what make Larry so popular in the first place: personality.

Specifically, Lowe’s personality.

Lowe, Larry’s creator and wingman, worked for Sierra On-Line during the heyday of point-and-click adventure games, when the company controlled the best computer properties out there, including King’s Quest, Space Quest and Gabriel Knight.

Larry’s return comes not just with Lowe’s approval, but with his participation. Word is Replay Games’ founder and CEO Paul Trowe actually kidnapped Lowe from his retirement community, shuffleboard stick still in hand, and brought him to his new cubicle. Lowe thinks the Jello isn’t as good, but at least he now has his own window.

In an exclusive conversation with EGM, Lowe said, “I’m overjoyed to see Larry released from his digital dungeon after all this time, and be placed in the hands of someone who understands him and wants to see him, brought back to the forefront by people who love him and understand him.”

Those unwashed hands belong to Trowe who worked with Sierra On-Line from it’s early beginnings (as a child prodigy/beta tester) through its golden years. Obtaining these properties has been a long-time goal of Trowe’s. He noted, “I’ve been trying to get the Larry rights for 10 years. I grew up in the Sierra family, starting beta-testing at 12 years old. To work with such amazing talent, like Al and Robertta is one of my life-long passions. These guys were way ahead of their time, and to be a part of this magic makes me really happy.”

When not soaking up Trowe’s adoration, Lowe is busy envisioning how Larry would react to modern times. “As a software salesman, I think Larry would feel right at home [in today’s Internet age], and would stay current … at least with pornography,” Lowe said.

When asked if the Internet would make it easier for Larry to get a date, Lowe responded, “I can see Larry going on Match.com. I’d love to see that series of outtakes.”

Both Trowe and Lowe are excited about bringing the series to a whole new generation of relationship-challenged gamers. Trowe seems particularly pleased about, “…releasing Larry from the clutches of corporate America.” He elaborated, as if writing a press release, “Al and I are working very closely on this, to make sure every Larry game is the best. The remake of the original Leisure Suit Larry is going to kick so much ass, the entire world will have to play it standing up. And buy new pants. And a cushion. Seriously, we’re really excited about this.”

EGM’s TAKE: Some people think Leisure Suit Larry existed solely as an excuse to put sex and nudity in games, but the recent installments have showed that’s just not the case. We love Al Lowe’s sense of humor, and the quality of the puzzles and storytelling in the Larry series always kept us coming back. We are thrilled the series has landed back in the hands of Sierra vet Trowe and series creator Lowe, and we cannot wait to try both the remakes and any new games these guys might want to throw at us.

Additional Images:
GUI
Lefty’s Sketch
Lefty’s Painted
Lefty’s Inked
Lefty’s Finalized
Lefty’s Computerized Rough Draft
Lefty’s With More
Lefty’s
Lefty’s New Look
More of the Same
Larry Sketches
Larry Sketches
Piecing Larry Together
Larry Digitized
Larry – Strike A Pose!
Larry Poses
Larry & Dog Pencils
New Larry Character Art
Larry Interface
Larry Meet The Taxi
Larry, look both ways…

OTHER SITES REPORTING THE NEWS:
DMW Media
Touch Arace
Venture Beat
Game Pro
Game Informer
E3 2011
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Euro Gamer
The Daily What
Shack News
Worth Playing
Gameasutra