GAMEGUIDEDOG.COM IS PROUD to be able to provide the most complete and best online walkthrough strategy game guide for HARVEY BIRDMAN: ATTORNEY AT LAW. This precise WALKTHROUGH GAME STRATEGY GUIDE is/will be available for you right in your members area and compatable for the SONY PLASTATION PORTABLE, PS2, AND Nintendo Wii Platforms.
It seems like a can't-miss formula: Take the hilarious courtroom drama of Phoenix Wright, extract its somewhat morbid undertones, and inject the irreverent, hysterical antics of Harvey Birdman's whacked-out cast of classic Hanna-Barbera toons. For those unfamiliar with the Adult Swim hit, the show stars Harvey Birdman, an obscure '60s superhero from Birdman and the Galaxy Trio, who's gone from spandex-clad crimefighter to spandex-clad attorney, defending old-school Hanna-Barbera characters from crimes that, quite frankly, we all suspected them of to begin with! He's defended '60s superspy Morocco Mole from terrorism charges (and internment in Gitmole), anthropomorphic car Speed Buggy in a reckless-driving case, and Shaggy and Scooby-Doo from...well, given the duo's penchant for the munchies, perpetual cackling, and that ever-present smoke wafting from the Mystery Machine, do I really have to elaborate?
If you've played any Phoenix Wright game, you'll be right at home with Harvey Birdman, as the similarities between the two would be strong enough to inspire some real courtroom drama...if they weren't both Capcom properties, at least. Each of the five episodes revolve around Harvey's bumbling attempts to defend his clients from crimes they didn't commit...probably. You'll start by scouring places like Harvey's office, the Javalux coffee shop, and the Sebben & Sebben law offices for clues that could exonerate your clients. Once in the courtroom, you use the available evidence to point out inconsistencies in the witness testimony...and since the humor of Harvey Birdman revolves around bizarre antics and hilarious non sequiturs, prepare to be confused. The Wii version features point-and-click functionality, but I actually found the quick, responsive D-pad controls of the PS2 and PSP versions to be far superior.
Gameplay aside, in a lighthearted adventure like this, the biggest crime is not being consistently funny...an offense of which Harvey Birdman is regrettably guilty. The script, penned by two of the show's creators, feels like slapped-together B material, and the rare laugh-out-loud moments -- such as trench coat-clad spy Secret Squirrel's penchant for flashing -- are recycled from funnier capers on the original series. Also, Harvey's investigations outside the courtroom unfold via text only (and poorly punctuated text, at that!), so lines that could elicit snickers with the right delivery fall flat. And with only five short cases that you can breeze through in a few hours, the game's value would be called into question even if its humor were up to the show's standards.
While the jokes don't always work, the delivery and interaction between the characters is as strong as ever. Nearly the entire cast reprises their respective roles from the show: Gary Cole as Harvey, Paget Brewster as his neurotic assistant, Birdgirl, John Michael Higgins as flamboyant judge Mentok the Mindtaker, and Lewis Black as the scheming Deadly Duplicator. Fans will notice just one no-show, but it's a big one: Harvey's boss, Phil Ken Sebben, and his shrinktastic courtroom adversary, Myron Reducto, are both present and accounted for, but Stephen Colbert, who voices both characters on the show, is not. It's unclear whether Colbert didn't think the subpar material merited his presence or whether he was just out of Capcom's price range (given the massive success of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central and Colbert's newfound tax bracket, my guess is the latter). But Colbert's got such a distinctive presence as a performer that the segments featuring Phil and Reducto almost feel like insults to the characters, frankly. The fill-in actors do an admirable job trying to imitate Colbert's trademark cadence, but it's just not the same -- and one wonders whether these characters should've been left out entirely if they couldn't meet fans' expectations.
Harvey Birdman's last original episode wrapped this past July, so this is really the last hurrah for the series -- and one of the funniest shows in the history of Adult Swim deserves a better send-off than this. If you're a longtime fan or just looking to get into the show, check out the DVDs instead. Or hell, just go on the Adult Swim website and search for free clips from the show -- you're guaranteed to laugh more, and you won't have to plonk down $30, either.
Click here for Our Walkthrough Guide Website:
Other great new video game walk throughs and strategy game guides available from GAMEGUIDEDOG.COM (A Wonderdog Software Company):
Visitor's Comments !
