The Daydreamcast is looking to score this week, and we got a guest to help us succeed! Our friend Murph joins us to discuss everything we usually don’t (like Assassin’s Creed) and everything we usually do (like Kingdom Hearts and Pikmin). Meanwhile, Brogan clamours for the return of pet games as we reminisce about Nintendogs and lament what has come to replace them, as the animals gave way to the animes. The trio shows no mercy in its hot takes, sinking beloved classics and entire genres with ease. Our game of the week follows a loveable(?) loser in Larry Laffer, a mildly skeevy to downright sad little man, depending on the version you play, looking to get laid before dawn. This humourist adventure game from Sierra On-Line, Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, impresses based on the company’s trademark liberty of choice and exploratory openness which, compared to predecessors like King’s Quest, is reined in here through relatively logical and straight-forward progression and puzzle design. The question of balance in design and writing guides us not only through the deep-dive into the game itself but alsoits remakes and the text adventure it is based on. We guarantee no one else has talked about Leisure Suit Larry for almost an hour in the entire month of November, so please drop us a ‘magna cum laude’ review on your podcast service of choice.
Timestamps:
Whatcha Playing
00:00 Murph’s joke
01:26 Assassin’s Creed Unity (2014) and the series as a whole
17:10 Murph introduces himself; Kingdom Hearts series (reprise)
29:48 Pikmin 3 Deluxe (2020)
33:50 Pet games: a lost genre?
39:49 Hot Take Central (also known as The Hot Take Minute)
Featured Game
59:25 Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards