Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: Hi-Tech Expressions Release: 02/93 Genre: Action
Here is one that slipped through the cracks. Harley’s Humongous Adventure is the type of low key release that fills out the library of every successful platform. It occupies a strange middle ground: it lacks a cool hook or feature that would garner it attention and does not have the production values of the classics. Harley’s Humongous Adventure is neither exceptional nor bad. It is simply….there. My initial interest in the game was due to its Honey I shrunk the Kids style premise. My curiosity was not enough to seek it out however. Playing it now the game is exactly what I thought it would be: a slightly above average game with bursts of fun but also numerous flaws.
Harley’s Humongous Adventure is Honey I Shrunk the Kids in video game form. Harley is a young hotshot scientist who creates a shrinking machine. While testing it out however he ends up reducing to the size of an ant with the machine blowing up in the process! Now Harley must search around his house for the missing parts to reassemble it and hopefully restore himself to his normal size.
Harley is a small man in a big world and as such his weapons are every day appliances. Nails are the most plentiful of the bunch and are straightforward. Thumb tacks bounce around randomly after dropping and marbles are a bit similar. Rubber bands are the most useful and strong which is in contrast to the useless firecrackers. To assist in getting around his house Harley has a jet pack that runs on fuel. Not every level gives you the opportunity to zip around and fuel is always limited. But these sections offer a welcome break.
The game takes full advantage of its premise with its spacious levels. There are plenty of secrets hidden everywhere and it is a gas to see how they make everyday appliances like staplers and otherwise harmless insects deadly. Most levels have multiple routes to the exit allowing you to create your own path. I will give the game credit they have filled it with variety. Every few stages they switch things up. You pilot a tank in the playroom for some light shooting action. The vents allow you to play around with the rocket pack on the way outside where you deal with all new hazards. In fact every room presents its own unique set of obstacles. This is long for a platformer and they make the most of that length.
While the game itself is sound it is the little details that are not up to par. Hit detection is spotty and frustrating. This makes certain weapons worthless. It becomes a major issue later in the game when you deal with ants that multiply continuously. The controls are solid for the most part but the level design does not rise up to the same level to match it. There are blind leaps aplenty and collision issues with platforms. The maps can be confusing in their design and it is apparent that they ran out of ideas toward the end as the game feels like it ends abruptly. As I said before, it is not bad per se but despite their best efforts you will probably lose interest before the end.
The graphics are a unique combination of Claymation models for the sprites on top of traditional pixel art backgrounds. The artists have done an excellent job of making sure the two styles do not clash and it looks natural, for the most part. You notice the difference in the brighter backdrops like the toy room and bathroom. The clay models are fantastic and full of character with the rat boss being a particular standout as it looks life like. I like the pixel art/clay combo but I do find some of the environments a little boring and inconsistent. The library looks great while the attic is bland. As a first stab at this technique though it is solid and would lay the foundation for the later Claymates and Clay Fighter.
In Closing
I like Harley’s Humongous Adventure. But do I like it enough to recommend it? I do not know. There are definitely aspects of it that make it worthwhile. You do not see many games with this premise. But there are just enough flaws that make it a grating experience after a while. I do not regret the time I spent playing it. But I also know that I will probably never revisit it either. Take from that what you will.
