Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Redux Recap: Dull Review of Harvey Birdman's Ace Attorney Game? I'll Take the Case!

… You know, it’s been a while since Bores has done anything worth covering. Last video he made was a contest, and he says his next video will be an HD revision of History of Video Games Part 2 (which I’ve already covered when the original came out in 2009). I should dust off another old video and do a redux recap.

Last time I did his E.T. video. So… movie review, movie review, ah here we go. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. I barely remember anything about this review. Let’s roll.

Intro: Man, I forgot about this intro. Wonder why Bores abandoned it for the shorter one that just shows his logo. Maybe he was too lazy to keep adding games to it?

0:18 - 0:35: We open on IG holding the game and giving a look that I think was supposed to be excitement, but comes off as incredibly dopey. Mouth hanging open like it‘s waiting for flies.
He mentions that Harvey Birdman is one of his favorite Adult Swim shows, and that’s because of the dry humor. He then claims that his show is mostly composed of dry humor. … I don’t think you know what dry humor is Chris, because it’s certainly not you! Your show is more nonsensical and surreal, and not in a good way. You rely on cutaways or references, that’s not dry humor.

And to show an example of this, he’s watching his Q*Bert review on TV and shows the “What do think this is, an Escher painting” joke. See, that’s more observational humor, not dry humor.
IG laughs at his own joke, then claims he doesn’t get it. I get it, but if he wants the answer, he’ll have to pay me for it.

0:35 - 0:59: IG brings up it’s based on the cartoon and that it’s set up the same way. But then retracts that and says it’s more like “Law & Order on acid”. I was thinking the Ace Attorney series but I doubt you know what that is.
He then explains the gameplay, which is very much like Ace Attorney. You go through dialogue/animated cutscenes until you’re prompted to enter a command. While the game was developed by High Voltage Software (people behind The Conduit), it was published by Capcom America. So excuse my many Ace Attorney comparisons.

1:00 - 1:28: He brings up that he wondered how they would get all these characters into the game, but realizes Hanna-Barbara owns the licenses to them. Well, it’s more Williams Street than Hanna-Barbara. Plus, considering the game has the more obscure characters like Secret Squirrel and Inch-High Private Eye, it’s likely they got the cheaper ones. Certainly wouldn’t see the Dabba Don in this game.

IG then begins listing off the characters that appear in the game.
“Harvey, Peanut, X, Vulturo, Reducto” Stop! That’s not Reducto, that’s Freezoid. This is Reducto (http://images.wikia.com/harveybirdman/images/1/13/Birdman-reducto.gif) and this is Freezoid (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081205163858/harveybirdman/images/0/05/Freezoid.JPG)
They don’t even look similar. For someone that claims to be a fan of the show, this is a rather massive mistake to make. Especially when Reducto has appeared in more episodes (from what I remember).
“The goofy hippo thing” That’s Peter Potamus.
“The slut” That’s Gigi. Come on, take the time to learn the character’s names if you claim to be such a fan. I know the show was finished by the time he made the review, but that’s not an excuse.

He also points out that the snowman from Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer shows up, then realizes it’s not him. Okay, then who is it? I don’t know, he just leaves this joke hanging and never follows up on it for the rest of the review.
Also, note that he says “Rudolf the Red-Noised Reindeer show”, like it’s an actual series and not a handful of TV specials. That would be like calling The Day After or Duel “TV shows”.

1:29 - 1:49: He explains a little bit more of the game, going on about how you have to solve the case.
It cuts back to him and he deduces it was… Professor Plum with the wrench in the game room. That’s the wrong game dumbass! This isn’t Clue, it’s nothing like Clue.
Oh wait, seems there‘s a reason he made that comment. Bores appears dressed as Professor Plum, lets out a cliché “curses, foiled again” and runs off. Christopher Lloyd you are not.
Also, there isn’t even a game room in Clue.  The closest is the billiard room.

1:49 - 2:24: More explanation. Going on about how there’s strategy involved (REALLY?) and you only have 5 chances. Then he makes another ultra-obvious comment about the game getting harder in later cases, and to pay attention to details.
He then shows a scene of Harvey unzipping his fly and Inch-High Private Eye popping out. Leading Bores to widen his eyes in… something. Shock? Surprise? Exhaustion?

2:25 - End: IG says the downside is that it gets boring, as outside the courtroom you go around collecting evidence and talking to people. He claims it gets boring after 20 minutes. Yeah he wouldn’t last 5 minutes in Ace Attorney.
He says it’s for fans of the show and the video ends.

I’m starting remember why I forgot about this review, it’s just 3 minutes of nothing. The review part is really dull, even though it has quite a few errors. The only stand-out part was that lame Professor Plum bit, and that didn’t make a lick of sense. Also, it showed us that Bores has no idea what dry humor is.

I apologize for the weak redux, but it was a weak video. Next one should be a lot better *checks* Oh yeah, it will be a lot better.

18 comments:

  1. Glad to see a new post after 2 and a half weeks of nothing since the last post on Skylanders Giants. Man, Chris is just plain lazy. (What else is new?)
    Anyway, I never bothered to watch this review in the past and I am glad I didn't. I would not have understood the game at all (since I am not a fan of the cartoon characters or games like Ace Attorney) and I probably would have gotten bored from watching this video.
    Like I said, it's nice to see another post, even if it is short. Keep up the good work BatDan!

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  2. BatDan gives Bores too much credit: wearing a brown suit is not "dressed as Professor Plum."

    Also: Bores says the game is is "based off" the TV show. It's either "based on" or "spun off from."

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    1. Eh, we've got much bigger targets than little grammatical flubs.

      It's kinda like fixating on how the Twilight books don't fit the definition of a "saga," when there's all the asshole characters, droning narrative and predictable plot twists to talk about.

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  3. What a nice guy Irate gamer is. He lets good games like Aladdin and Zombies ate my neighbors go straight to hell while shovel-ware games like Harvey Birdman's cash in get to walk out in the "its got someone who'll like it" excuse pile.

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    1. Doesn't he say that about a lot of licensed games, though? Or even franchises that have been around a long time? That he didn't like it but people who like the show or liked the previous games will?

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    2. No he seems to like destroying certain games that take skill or he just doesn't understand. Like that battalion wars or Tekken 5. Any game that takes skill, he hates. My sarcastic complaint is that he is inconsistent on what games get passed with the excuse and what games just get obliterated by the hatorade train.

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  4. Chris has added some new footage to HOVG Part 2 in his HD remake.

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    1. In fact he seems to have spent quite some time redoing and updating his Odyssey Review...

      Which ISN'T what you should be spending your time when you haven't even finished the series!

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    2. Oh boy now batdan's gonna have to redo an entire review just because he changed 5 seconds of the video. Let me guess, did he change a joke so its more obvious?

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    3. Is Bores becoming the new Alexander Badr? Good lord... *facepalms*

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  5. Yeah, this whole review seemed unmemorable. I watched a couple episodes of Harvey Birdman, and I concluded it's not for me. I personally can't imagine Bores with an Ace Attorney game at all. It'd just end up like Tekken 6 or Ninja Gaiden 3. And this thing with him redoing his HOVG on the Odyssey just gives me more justification to put him on my candidates for the next Ed Wood.

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  6. It seems that the Clue(do) reference was going for the lowest common denominator. Anyone not surprised that Bores isn't a fan of Harvey Birdman, or Hanna-Barbera in general?

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    1. Given that Bore's is a major fan of NEW family guy, I'd say no its no surprise. The day and age where adult cartoons are only considered funny because they have loud noises, flashing colors and moving pictures was the day I quit watching TV. I still can't believe that show is still going. Maybe its because it explains its jokes to the point or ruining it for people who like subtlety.

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    2. I believe everyone make fun of their lack of directivity. South Park, for one instance, did that.

      Also, fuck, Bores should learn what dry humor means. Sure he needs to learn what a lot of stuff means, mainly criticism, but dry humor is also something he should learn.

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  7. Not exactly shocked that he wouldn't like the game. I rather enjoyed it for the price I got it at. 9 bucks for a few funny Harvey Birdman episodes with Ace Attorney-lite gameplay.

    Nowhere near as good as a Phoenix Wright game but still fun.

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  8. are you gonna make a blog on his hd odyssey rifle video

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    Replies
    1. He did, it's the first post for December 2012.

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    2. The blog-post was probably made 2 hours or so after his comment. Regardless of whether TTburger made it before or after the posting of the review, I'm sure TTburger has figured out by now that the review has been posted.

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