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How Metascores Are Calculated
60
Adventure Island: The Beginning
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is a fully animated interactive adventure game that merges the fun and mayhem of the popular Adult Swim TV show with Capcom's unique style of gameplay. Players step into the shiny wingtips of Harvey Birdman, a third-rate superhero turned third-rate defense attorney charged with exonerating parodied classic cartoon characters. Over the course of the game, players must guide Harvey through a series of odd and comical cases. Each of the game's five interactive stories takes the winged crusader of justice to familiar locations from the TV show. In order to prove his client's innocence, Harvey must peruse the scene of the crime, gather evidence, talk with other cartoon characters, occasionally have drinks with opposing council, and of course, tear holes – no matter how ridiculous – in the testimony provided by the witness for the prosecution. Harvey must bring the whole story together to defend his client in a court where anything can happen... including a confrontation with the prosecution who brandishes a Shrink Ray Gun. [Capcom]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 88
Cheat Code Central
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law will teach you as much about law as a cartoon will teach you about the laws of physics. Don't take it too seriously, and you'll have a blast.
 75
GameZone
If this game cost $20, it would be an absolute must-buy. As it stands, only true series fans are going to get their money’s worth.
70
Kombo
Wait for it to drop down to about $20, then grab it with both hands. Fans of Phoenix Wright or Harvey Birdman, this is a decent buy.
70
IGN
Did I have fun playing Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law? Yes, a lot of fun, but I can't recommend it as strongly as I did in my PlayStation reviews of the title.
70
Zentendo
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law for the Wii is simply an interactive series of brand new episodes. Nothing has changed in the slightest, and that's a damn good thing.
70
GotNext
If you're willing to overlook the length and price issues though, then Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law becomes a fun extension of the series.
65
Nintendojo
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is an incredibly enjoyable experience, but paying full price for only a few hours of laughter should only be reserved for hardcore fans of the show.
65
GameTrailers
If it’s a game you want, the Birdman may not be the best video game attorney for the job, but when it comes to cracking cases to go with funny bones Harv is a class act.
65
GameSpot
It nails the show's insanely enjoyable brand of humor, but can't quite pull out a gameplay design to match.
65
Nintendo Power
While Harvey Birdman looks and sounds authentic, and the game's bizarrely offbeat stories (custome made for the game) will keep you entertained, there's not much happening in the gameplay department. [Jan 2008, p.89]
64
Game Positive
Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law will appeal to fans of the Cartoon Network show, but those not enamored of the humor and art style will probably end up bored.
60
Gamervision
In reality, it is fun and entertaining… for a little while. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is actually the perfect definition of a rental game.
60
Cubed3
Whilst Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law proves to be a laugh-a-minute experience, sadly the gameplay itself proves to either be too basic in places or frustrating in others and just lacks the overall quality of the Ace Attorney series.
60
games(TM)
Think long and hard about whether four hours of hilarious gaming is as valuable as 15 hours of the humourless equivalent. Games TM’s verdict lies in Birdman’s favour, though it’s far from a unanimous decision. [Mar 2008, p.132]
60
Game Informer
If you’re already a fan of Harvey and the craziness that surrounds him, you’ll love how this game nails the feeling of the series. If you’re just a regular gamer looking for a solid legal adventure, other attorneys will represent your interests better.
60
GameSpy
It's faithfully done, easy to play, and a showcase of pop-culture references and parody. You won't get many hours of game for your 40 dollars, but you will get some laughs.
60
GameTap
You're doomed if you try to take this game seriously; it doesn't even take itself seriously. Moreover, you pay full price; and the game is short, so you'd better like Harvey Birdman. If you have doubts, catch the show on the Cartoon Network before you make the call.
60
Games Radar
But after blazing through the episodes in less than five hours, we've modified our original query to: Where's the gameplay? Call it Phoenix Wright for dummies - the formula has been streamlined and simplified so much that the resulting point-and-click experience is largely devoid of challenge.
58
GameShark
Die hard fans of the show will enjoy it, however with no replay value whatsoever and an extremely short play time, there’s not much justification for buying it. Those that aren’t into the show’s scatological sense of humor, or those looking for a deep courtroom experience won’t find much here.
58
Electronic Gaming Monthly
No way would I recommend this game to legal eagles with the superior "Phoenix Wright" titles already out there. [Feb 2008, p.78]
56
Gamer 2.0
Either way, at a measly four hours or less, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is barely an okay rental.
55
1UP
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 $40, either.
50
Just Adventure
While it is great to see games like this made available to such a mass audience on the Wii, the game’s brevity combined with its limited participation make it a must play only for hardcore fans of the television series.
50
The Wiire
Should the developers decide to pursue a sequel, they will need to make an important design decision: either change the gameplay to differentiate the game from the show enough to justify the price; or include far more content to grant value comparable to the DVD sets.
46
Game Almighty
Because there is barely any game here, you feel like you are just sitting in a chair with a Wiimote, pressing the A button to continually advance to the next scene of the amusing TV show.
40
Worth Playing
This is a train wreck of a production, a demonstration of how not to handle a license, and a good example to developers on how not to rip off your own most popular works with any kind of success. I can't recommend this to anyone, at any price.
35
The New York Times
The game design, however, is just plain bad.
16
Game Revolution
This just feels like one of those movies where you push a button to decide what scene should come next (and we all know how great those movies are). That’s just not enough to justify what is essentially five slow moving episodes of Harvey Birdman.
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