Harvey Birdman, an interview

As previously reported, upcoming Harvey Birdman game will be hitting PSP by the end of the year. The developer - High Voltage, is working hard on the title, and we managed to find the interview that has surfaced, with the Micah Skartika, the lead designer.

Micah Skartika, lead designer
Initially, the game was completely designed around the Phoenix Wright structure. After working with Michael and Erik on the scripts, the comedy and sheer wackiness began to supersede the strict nature of the court game. Instead, what we were left with was an incredibly accurate episode of the show that was completely interactive.

[The crime scene investigation mechanic] works a lot like Phoenix Wright, in that it approaches it with an adventure-based gameplay feel. The player can rummage through the law offices of Sebben & Sebben, the Birdcage, as well as many other show locations. As Harvey Birdman, the player is collecting clues, talking to witnesses, and overall trying to gather enough ammunition to beat his opponent in court.

Well, let’s put it this way, an average show is about 20 pages of script, and we are looking at about 140 pages for the whole game. I remember the first time we submitted our scripts to the writers, and they were like, “Hey look, it’s the Harvey Birdman interactive movie!” Combine the cinemas to all the investigative gameplay, court gameplay, and the desire to watch all the “wrong” answers, and this game should satisfy fans of Harvey.