Developed by none other than Les Manley himself with Manley Associates, Les Manley 2: Lost in L.A. is the much awaited sequel to Les Manley: Search for the Kings. Lost in L.A. was released in the very early nineties and published by Accolade.
In Les Manley 2: Lost in L.A., the protagonist of the game is in for a real shock. All around Los Angeles, Hollywood’s celebrity personalities keep disappearing. Les’s friend Helmut the Human Bean is the latest Hollywood sensation. Because of his unbelievable small size (the smallest man in the world), he has become a super star.
He believes that his alarm system and guard dog will keep him safe from the Hollywood kidnapper, and is not a bit worried about the problems of other stars. Helmut and his girlfriend, LaFonda Turner, have underestimated the threat. One evening, shortly after inviting Les to come to California for a visit and a bask in the warm sun, Les and LaFonda are assaulted by a strange, dark figure who approached them near the pool in their home. When Les finally arrives for his visit, neither Helmut nor LaFonda Turner are anywhere to be found. And so, Les Manley takes it upon himself to solve the strange case of the missing Hollywood stars in an effort to rescue his buddy, and his buddy’s girl
friend.
All of this background information is given to the user via a movie at the game’s introduction. It can be skipped, but it is somewhat entertaining. Les begins on a boulevard near the beach and has to navigate between several locations when seeking clues and items that will help him solve this case. The game is entirely mouse driven. When the mouse looks like a pair of little feet, Les can be navigated around his environment. If the cursor is moved over something noteworthy, it will change into a specific icon that will give the user directions as to what can be done with the item. All of the menu options, such as saving and loading games or accessing the inventory, can be reached through a tool bar at the bottom of the screen.
Overall, Les Manley 2: Lost in L.A. is a decent point and click puzzle adventure. It is in the spirit of Sierra’s Leisure Suit Larry series, and contains some of the same sorts of humour. It features a more substantial plot, not that Larry’s goals weren’t substantial, since finding love was definitely life or death for him. This second instalment of Les Manley is recommended for download. It is perhaps not as good as its predecessor, but is still humorous and deserves a look.
