"I'll take the case!" With a misplaced sense of confidence and a somewhat dunderheaded brain covered by a cowl and a royal crest, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law arrives on the PlayStation 2.

The game has a set-up similar to the Phoenix Wright games. You'll cross-examine witness statements; keep track of character profiles and evidence; visit locales to gather new clues; and eventually find the truth to set your client free. It's not easy, however. Your clients range from the brainless Manilla Gorilla to the shady Secret Squirrel to the raspy-voiced Yakky Doodle (who has since undergone two name changes to Chemical Castration and Nailgun – just because "it sounds cool"). In addition, working against you is a series of ridiculous prosecuting attorneys, including an insult hurling robot and a mumbling hawk-man.

This gameplay consists of point-and-click stuff, as you merely select the right piece of evidence or press a client for more information. It lacks some of the deeper complexities of Phoenix Wright, such as the power of objection or being able to retrace every step of the crime. However, there's no sense stockpiling a game with useless gameplay segments since what's here works.

All the shenanigans and characters will make sense if you're a big fan of the show. Even if you're not, however, it's easy to notice Attorney At Law's twisted sense of humor. There are numerous memorable characters, including Birdman, voiced perfectly by Gary Cole. Other actors from the show also present, including John Michael Higgins as Mentok the Mindtaker (complete with "oo-wee-oo" music compositions) and Peter MacNicol as X the Eliminator, a quirky villain that lives in his mother's basement.

You won't find much in the game's presentation. Attorney At Law runs on pre-animated sequences. You don't directly take control of Harvey. Instead, you choose his actions and let them unfold on-screen. Select the wrong evidence or profile and you receive a scathing insult – and a removal of one of your "power crests". You'll also find a variety of cast members from the show, as well as cameo appearances from Street Fighter characters. As a bonus, you'll also unlock five "secret movies".

What really stinks about Attorney At Law is it's incredibly short, with just five cases. It took about four hours to find everything, with nothing left to do but rerun through it all to see everything. Sadly, that places this game firmly in the "rental" category. It lacks any kind of long-term replay value.

With more cases and the inclusion of more interactive segments, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law would've been a cult classic. Instead, it's best suited for avid fans of the show, and a solid rental for everyone else.