Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law was once a staple of Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim" lineup. In recent years, it's taken a back seat to shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which has had a game of its own released recently as well. For longtime fans of Harvey Birdman, this game is exactly what they might expect: tons of dry humor and inside jokes that allude to characters and situations from the show. But eventually, that humor starts to wears thin, and some of the jokes fall flat. When you combine that with gameplay that remains overly simple throughout the experience, non-fans of the series may find it a hard sell.

The gameplay, which is identical to the home console versions, revolves around simple puzzle solving and Phoenix Wright-style court room presentations. Like the show, each new case is presented with an introduction showing what crime has been committed. From there, Harvey must figure out who the real culprit is by using basic adventure game conventions before finally facing off in court. The stories themselves are almost all entertaining, with only one or two hitting an off note in between. For the uninitiated, the Harvey Birdman TV show was designed to feature old Hanna Barbera characters in both modern and ridiculous situations. In one section in game, for instance, the story harkens back to an old episode of the show, in which Secret Squirrel was caught flashing an unsuspecting victim (for those who do not know, the character wears a huge trench coat but no pants). It's a hilarious aside, both for those who will remember that episode and others who may simply be interested in Birdman's brand of humor. However, for everyone else, this is where things begin to go wrong.

If you've seen the show, you'll feel right at home with the game.

If you aren't a fan of the TV series, you will probably find little to do or enjoy in this game. This is largely due to the gameplay itself, which is pretty shallow. The point and click portions of the game are overly simplified, and the rest of the experience consists of watching video clips. While this isn't necessarily a negative aspect of Harvey Birdman, it's worth noting, as those expecting more control over the gameplay are in for a disappointment. On top of that, players will often automatically pick up items that may be useful as clues, yet remain entirely unused. For example, in the very first case, there are already erroneous items that hold no purpose in court or in general, past to add failed attempts at comedy into the game. In fact, while playing, little is really ever done, and the court trials are no exception. Essentially, players are given the option to either press a defendant for more information or present evidence.

Pressing means that you'll ask further questions, but no matter what, there are no negative repercussions for doing so. Also, most of the time a defendant will outright tell you what exactly you need to know, which reduces the amount of mental effort a game like this should require. If the testimony has no bearing, players will lose a "crest"; which is the item that is said to give Birdman his powers. However, with so many crests available and such effortless gameplay, failing is somewhat difficult. That's not to say that the cases are not clever, it's just that some of them, especially towards the end, are not very fun and have some incredibly slow moments. Ultimately, if you have no interest in the show or its characters, you may not be able to forgive this overly straightforward experience.

If you watch the television show, then you pretty much know what's in store in terms of the graphics. The cutscenes are animated in the same style of the show, giving fans something to enjoy while playing it. Nothing in the game is particularly mind-blowing, but one has to believe that was intentional, given the subject matter. As far as drawing the player into the world of Harvey Birdman, the graphics prove sufficient.

The sound is also spot-on in relation to the show. Most of the voice acting cast reprise their roles for the video game (sans Stephen Colbert), and their acting and delivery are on par with any episode of the show. For fans, the voice work is a definite strong point. Aside from the acting and various sound effects associated with the TV series, the requisite sound effects for menus and the like get the job done just fine.

The gameplay itself isn't very deep and probably won't keep you engaged for long.

The only noticeable difference between the Wii version of Attorney at Law and its PlayStation 2 and PSP counterparts (aside from the difference in pricing and load times) is the point and click functionality that the Wii-mote allows for; otherwise, the three titles play virtually identically. The fact that you must guide a cursor around the screen as opposed to a pointer really doesn't add to or detract from the experience whatsoever, so if you have the choice, it's probably best to save yourself the cash and go with the PS2 or PSP versions.

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. The simplistic controls and short playtime make the game feel like an interactive episode, and, as with most TV shows, only serious fans will find reason to revisit the material once it's been viewed. With Attorney at Law, only gamers looking to get a quick fix of Harvey Birdman need apply.