Unfortunately Harvey Birdman -- despite its comedic value -- fails to produce much of a game at all.
Adult Swim's late night block of programming on Cartoon Network is ripe with original shows and diamonds in the rough. Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law is a prime example of exactly what is right with comedic writhing today. The recent PS2 adaptation of this series takes the show premise and builds in some lackluster game mechanics in an attempt to capitalize on Capcom's popular Ace Attorney series. Unfortunately Harvey Birdman -- despite its comedic value -- fails to produce much of a game at all.
First things first, let's talk about the game's name sake Harvey Birdman. Harvey is an ex-superhero that has turned in his hero card in favor of law degree. He happily defends old Hanna Barbara cartoon characters from erroneous charges such as petty theft and even flashing. Assisting Birdman in his adventures are his sidekicks the smart-aleck Peanut and the over enthusiastic Birdgirl. Also along for the ride are Peter Potamus his coworker and Phil Sebben his boss. One thing to note is that originally the character Phil Sebben was voiced by none other then the fantastic Stephen Colbert. However since the starting his own show, the Colbert Report, the character is now voiced by a sound alike. The person who now voices the character does a decent enough job, but fans of the series will be able to spot the subtle differences between the two.
These characters are thrown together in bazaar situations that lead to Harvey defending them in a court of law. This is par for the course for the T.V. episodes and translates rather well to the game. Each of the game's 5 episodes is exactly that; a T.V. show. There is so little user interaction that one can easily for get they are actually playing a game. The episodes play out starting with a short cut scene showing a crime being committed by a shadowy figure. Your goal is to guide Harvey though the game's still scene areas collecting clues about the crime that you can use to help you in court. Like the Ace Attorney games you will be given a scene to examine which consist of a still image with various objects strewn about investigate. Here is where the game starts to differ from the others like it. One of the major differences is that you don't actually hunt for any clues. The cursor only moves between the intractable objects on the screen and does not allow you to scan the scene for clues your-self. You're practically told exactly where each clue is because you can't do anything but cycle between them.
Once enough clues have been gathered you will proceed to court. The court room antics play out much like the other games of this ilk. The defendant will take the stand and produce their testimony. After which their testimony is displayed at the bottom and broken up in to sentences. You can cycle though each sentient and choose to either press for more information or to present a piece of evidence. Pressing for more information on the correct sentences will compel the defendant to elaborate on what has been said. Presenting a piece of evidence can have this effect as well, but if you present the wrong piece for a portion of the testimony you lose a life. When the case has concluded you will be shown an ending scene similar to the way each of the T.V. show's episodes end.
Something that does take away from the experience is the game's relatively short length. Completing the game's five episodes only takes around four and a half hours. Speaking form a value stand point you're paying around ten dollars and hour. That's a five dollar premium to play a shorter game on the PS2 vs. the Ace Attorney titles that debut at 35 dollars for the DS.
It's not all bad however because the game does have its high points. Harvey Birdman really nails the visual style of the series; this is mainly due to the fact that it basically is an extension of the T.V. show. The voice acting benefits form this parallel as well; being that every character, save for the two voiced by Stephen Colbert, is voiced by the same actors that made the show the hit it is today. The zany events that Harvey and his cohorts are thrust into fit the shows off the wall comedy and are excellently written.
In the end Harvey Birdman is a decent experience. Its comedic value is exactly what fans of the series have come to love, and each episode is full of laugh out loud moments. However the incredibly shallow game play and short length could leave you feeling that the episodes might as well have been on an interactive DVD.