Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust
Encyclopedia
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is a video game published by Codemasters
for Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, Microsoft Windows
and Mobile phone
which was released on 27 March, 2009. It is the first Leisure Suit Larry
game to be released for seventh generation consoles
. It was announced on January 17, 2008 in a press release. The official debut trailer was released on February 16, 2008 via Gametrailers.com.
, this game does not contain nudity and sexual content despite its appeal for adult audiences. This was a decision championed by Executive Producer John Melchior, who believed that the writing and comedy were of such high caliber, the game did not require cheap gimmicks like nudity to boost sales. However, Box Office Bust contains more swearing than its predecessors.
, whose uncle Larry, the original Larry Laffer
calls upon his assistance at his movie studio (Laffer Studios), doing odd jobs and trying to uncover a mole from a rival studio who is attempting to sabotage Laffer Studios.
The storyline was written by Allen Covert
of Happy Madison Productions, and the voiceover cast includes Josh Keaton
as Larry Lovage, Jeffrey Tambor
as Larry Laffer, Jay Mohr
, Patrick Warburton
, Shannon Elizabeth
and Carmen Electra
. Artie Lange
and Dave Attell
were also featured as voice characters.
, though the character Big Al is a homage to Lowe.
Artie Lange, who voiced Big Al, said he was paid for his brief contribution. He has also stated that this installment has a higher budget than all the predecessors.
described the game as "Mindless, repetitive gameplay and a truly atrocious sense of humor help Leisure Suit Larry live up to its name—it's a total bust" while Charles Onyett expressed his opinion on his review of the game on IGN
as "The lowest rating numbers here at IGN are reserved for games with nearly no redeeming qualities or interesting ideas, with next to nothing enjoyable to offer players, and which under no circumstances should be purchased by anyone. Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is, without a doubt, one of those games". Gametrailers.com gave the game a 2.3 out of 10, making it the lowest rated game on the website. Official Xbox Magazine
gave it a 1.0, calling it an "astroturd" of a game. OXM also stated it was their worst rated game of the year so far, as well as going as far to say that it was the worst game on the Xbox 360 console thus far. Al Lowe
thanked VU Games on his website for keeping him away from what he called "the latest disaster". In PlayStation: The Official Magazine
's September 2009 issue, PTOM joked about punishing a PS3 owner's dog by making it play the Leisure Suit Larry game. The dog had urinated on his owner's PS3, which surprisingly still works. Gamespot
nominated the game for "Flat Out Worst Game of the Year" in 2009. It "lost" to Stalin vs. Martians
. Giant Bomb
gave the game the Worst Game of the Year Award in 2009. Australian television show Good Game
awarded it to be the Worst Game of 2009. Screwattack.com gave the game a SAGY award for the Worst Multiconsole game of 2009. On Amazon
, most (if not all) reviews condemn the game as the worst Larry ever produced.
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
which was released on 27 March, 2009. It is the first Leisure Suit Larry
Leisure Suit Larry (series)
Leisure Suit Larry is a series of adventure games written by Al Lowe and published by Sierra from 1987 to 2009. The main character, whose full name is Larry Laffer, is a balding, dorky, double entendre-speaking, leisure suit-wearing "loser" in his 40s...
game to be released for seventh generation consoles
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
. It was announced on January 17, 2008 in a press release. The official debut trailer was released on February 16, 2008 via Gametrailers.com.
Gameplay
Box Office Bust has open-world sand-box gameplay including exploration, platforming, racing and puzzle-solving. As with other games in the series, it features humor, attractive women, and suggestive themes, although, unlike Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum LaudeLeisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 video game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.-Gameplay:...
, this game does not contain nudity and sexual content despite its appeal for adult audiences. This was a decision championed by Executive Producer John Melchior, who believed that the writing and comedy were of such high caliber, the game did not require cheap gimmicks like nudity to boost sales. However, Box Office Bust contains more swearing than its predecessors.
Plot
Box Office Bust features Larry Lovage, the main character of Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum LaudeLeisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude is a 2004 video game, part of the Leisure Suit Larry series. The game introduces a new main character, 'Larry Lovage', as Larry Laffer's nephew.-Gameplay:...
, whose uncle Larry, the original Larry Laffer
Larry Laffer
Larry Laffer is a fictional character and the main character of the Leisure Suit Larry series of games. He was created by game programmer Al Lowe.-Biography:...
calls upon his assistance at his movie studio (Laffer Studios), doing odd jobs and trying to uncover a mole from a rival studio who is attempting to sabotage Laffer Studios.
The storyline was written by Allen Covert
Allen Covert
Allen Stephen Covert is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Adam Sandler.-Personal life:...
of Happy Madison Productions, and the voiceover cast includes Josh Keaton
Josh Keaton
Joshua "Josh" Keaton is an American actor, voice actor, singer and music producer.-Early life:Keaton was born Joshua Luis Wiener in Hacienda Heights, California. He has three sisters: Danielle, Alitzah , and Sabrina...
as Larry Lovage, Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
as Larry Laffer, Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr
Jay Mohr is an American actor and stand up comedian. He is known for his role as Professor Rick Payne in the TV series Ghost Whisperer, the title role in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried, which ran from 2008 to 2010, and the back-stabbing sports agent Bob Sugar in Jerry Maguire.-Early life:Mohr was...
, Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton
Patrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
, Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...
and Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
. Artie Lange
Artie Lange
Arthur Steven "Artie" Lange, Jr. is an American actor, comedian and radio personality best known for his tenures with the The Howard Stern Show and the comedy sketch series MADtv....
and Dave Attell
Dave Attell
Dave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
were also featured as voice characters.
Development
On July 29, Activision Blizzard announced that as part of a business consolidation strategy following the completion in July 2008 of a merger with Vivendi Games, a number of games under development, including Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, would not be published at this time. This is the second Larry game that was created entirely without any input from original Larry game designer and developer Al LoweAl Lowe
Al Lowe is an American musician and game designer/programmer who developed several adventure games, mostly for Sierra On-Line. He is best known for his creation of Leisure Suit Larry and the long-running series it spawned....
, though the character Big Al is a homage to Lowe.
Artie Lange, who voiced Big Al, said he was paid for his brief contribution. He has also stated that this installment has a higher budget than all the predecessors.
Reception
Following its release on March 27, 2009, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust was universally panned by critics. Chris Watters of GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
described the game as "Mindless, repetitive gameplay and a truly atrocious sense of humor help Leisure Suit Larry live up to its name—it's a total bust" while Charles Onyett expressed his opinion on his review of the game on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
as "The lowest rating numbers here at IGN are reserved for games with nearly no redeeming qualities or interesting ideas, with next to nothing enjoyable to offer players, and which under no circumstances should be purchased by anyone. Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is, without a doubt, one of those games". Gametrailers.com gave the game a 2.3 out of 10, making it the lowest rated game on the website. Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Xbox Magazine is a monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released for E3 2001, with another preview issue for November 2001. The magazine is bundled with a disc that includes game demos, preview videos and...
gave it a 1.0, calling it an "astroturd" of a game. OXM also stated it was their worst rated game of the year so far, as well as going as far to say that it was the worst game on the Xbox 360 console thus far. Al Lowe
Al Lowe
Al Lowe is an American musician and game designer/programmer who developed several adventure games, mostly for Sierra On-Line. He is best known for his creation of Leisure Suit Larry and the long-running series it spawned....
thanked VU Games on his website for keeping him away from what he called "the latest disaster". In PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"...
's September 2009 issue, PTOM joked about punishing a PS3 owner's dog by making it play the Leisure Suit Larry game. The dog had urinated on his owner's PS3, which surprisingly still works. Gamespot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
nominated the game for "Flat Out Worst Game of the Year" in 2009. It "lost" to Stalin vs. Martians
Stalin vs. Martians
Stalin vs. Martians is a parody real-time strategy video game developed by Black Wing Foundation, Dreamlore and N-Game, released on April 29, 2009. Described as "trashy and over-the-top" by its creators, the game mocks World War II strategy games and utilizes pythonesque humor. The developers state...
. Giant Bomb
Giant Bomb
Giant Bomb is an American video game website and wiki that includes gaming news, reviews, commentary, and video, created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media...
gave the game the Worst Game of the Year Award in 2009. Australian television show Good Game
Good Game
Good Game is an Australian video gaming talk show television programme created by Janet Carr and Jeremy Ray currently on ABC2. It premiered on ABC on 19 September 2006...
awarded it to be the Worst Game of 2009. Screwattack.com gave the game a SAGY award for the Worst Multiconsole game of 2009. On Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, most (if not all) reviews condemn the game as the worst Larry ever produced.