I have been an avid follower of Aesop Rock’s music career since Labor Days first wormed its way into my earhole way back in the early aughts. With each successive album in Aesop’s deep and verbose catalogue of music, the artist has consistently found new and interesting ways to weave odd tales into some banger-ass rap songs.
One of their more recent singles, “Long Legged Larry,” spins a tale about a legendary frog and all-around nice guy. And even though Larry was originally immortalized as a stuffed animal, he has since gone digital with the recent release of the mobile game, also titled Long Legged Larry.
Long Legged Larry is available as a free download on The App Store and Goggle Play, and you can find a link to both on Aesop Rock’s webpage. Published by Rhymesayers Entertainment, Long Legged Larry is a sort of runner title, but instead of constantly sprinting towards the end of a stage, Larry instead jumps ever closer to the heavens in order to save those in need of saving.
The setup and controls are thankfully pretty simple and straightforward. After tapping the initial on-screen “Jump” prompt to get Larry going, you simply tap the left or right side of the screen in order to direct Larry’s trajectory so he’ll avoid obstacles and successfully land on nearby platforms in order to reach a specific goal.
The first level sees Larry trying to rescue a cat from a grouping of what must be the world’s largest trees. Along the way up, you have to avoid birds, which can bump you off course, but they can also be used to gain extra height if you can bounce off their heads with a correctly timed jump. You will also face somewhat more challenging minibosses, who are looking to through a wrench in Larry’s acts of heroism. This is all set an Aesop Rock-fueled soundtrack, which really keeps things funky while Larry saves the day.
Long Legged Larry is a pretty simple yet immensely charming little time-waster, but the old-school retro graphics, adorable little digital representation of Larry, and Aesop Rock’s dulcet tones go a long way toward making this project a rousing good time.
And it’s free, so why not check it out just to check the dang thing out? You can start by checking out the trailer below.
