UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude ( Playstation 2 ) review:5 stars (This is a half-step below the best) - It's a little slow at first but you quickly get caught up in the storylines and challenges.5 stars (An enjoyable sexual escapade & 1 of the best games of 2004!!) - "Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude" is the first LSL game in about 8 years, and also the first to cross over from the personal computer to home video game platforms on the Playstation 2 & XBox. As a fan of old Sierra games (even though I was too young to have played the early LSL games), I was incredibly pleased to see the series resurrected and brought to new heights!

Important note: "Magna Cum Laude: Uncut & Uncensored" has now been released for the PC, and it features full frontal nudity and none of the pesky "censorship bars" that are present in this version.

Obviously, nudity is the main selling point of this game. Anyone who says otherwise is trying too hard to justify his or her purchase. The college co-eds are voluptuous, they are animated in a sexy, often provocative, ways, and the main quest of the game is to get Larry laid. Because of the time and attention put into creating realistic (though cute in an almost-anime way), this game is more titilating than any of the "Dead or Alive" series of fighting games, more fun than any of the WWE wrestling video games that feature the strip matches, and the females are more desirable than Lara Croft ever has been.

The women are mostly stereotypical "college girls" -- we have the head cheerleader Barbara Jo Bimbo (B.J. for short), the Italian castoff from "The Sopranos" Analisa, the Russian exchange student Zanna, the hot but nerdy college professor Beatrice, and so on. Chasing after each woman requires different approaches, and the result is never the same twice. And no, Larry *does not* get with all these babes. I hate to spoil it for you, but he only has actual intercourse a few times during the entire game. But every encounter is sexy, funny, and most importantly, packed full of eye candy!

The gameplay is fun. It is not very involving and has been criticized for being mostly a string of "mini-games." That is true; however, the variety of the games keeps it interesting as you progress through the storyline. The script is absolutely hilarious, and the comedy is equal to the nudity as a selling point for this game. If you are a guy, or even a gal who likes to laugh at guys, you will laugh at Larry and the things coming out of his mouth. He rambles on a lot, gets off-topic, tries horrible pickup lines, lies constantly, and even staggers around drunk and farts. If you've ever known a man who made you laugh simply because he was, to quote Steve Martin, "a wild and crazy guy," then you will enjoy the story of Magna Cum Laude. And the voice acting is wonderful; there is not a bad actor or actress in this entire game.

Now a few words on the Mature Audiences rating: This game is about sex, (...) drinking, jokes, and other things guys find enjoyable. For some people, this is disturbing. Those people need to get a life. I can play Grand Theft Auto, in which my character is able to walk down any street and at any moment cut off the head of a pedestrian with a sword. Or gun down dozens of policemen, only to enter a cheat code and get away with it all at the last possible minute. Yet somehow, the ESRB (game ratings board) finds Larry's girlfriends more offensive when they drop their shorts. Give us a break! Violence is much more detrimental to society & to teenagers than sex is, and yet we still can't get over our fear of pixelated private parts. It's ridiculous!

All in all, I give "LSL: Magna Cum Laude" a totally positive recommendation to anyone old enough to purchase it. It was definitely one of the best games of 2004 simply because it is like nothing else on the market today: a fun, sexy romp through college life. 5 stars! 2 thumbs up! Just buy it!5 stars (NAUGHTY FUN) - this game is a hoot! it is definitely the naughtiest PS2 game out there. it's terribly easy to play, but that's because it really wants you to experience it's witty (and dirty) story. you won't believe the stuff you're asked to do in this game. it's really not pornographic as in this console version "censored" bars cover up the nether regions, though the game does feature topless characters. it's about as dirty as a SI swimsuit issue. one dissappointment was that the loading screen girls, pictures of actual girls in the costumes of the game's characters, don't show as much as you might want, especially after being tittilated by the game's sex-hunt for a couple hours. but, regardless, i was cracking up the whole way through this clever, silly, no-holes-barred game. a definite rental if not a must-buy.
UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude ( Playstation 2 ) Features:
Video Games
PS2 (PSX2)
Sony Playstation (Play station) 2
Playstation2 (Play station2)
Classics (Classic)
Retro
Role Playing Games (rpg, rpgs)
Strategy (Strategic)
Havas
In this epic search for sex, you'll travel across aninteractive college campus, searching out women
Use quick thinking and romance skills to talk your way into women's pants, earning prestige and respect along the way
Keep a step ahead of the competition and earn that ultimate reality TV prize!

UNIVERSAL INTERACTIVE Leisure Suit Larry- Magna Cum Laude ( Playstation 2 ) is the CD-ROM version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 29.88USD.