If only being an executive was really this fun
Once you get over the name, which could have been the title of a movie in the 60s, you'll see that Harry the Handsome Executive is another finely crafted Ambrosia production. The plot and concept of Harry are so ridiculous and wacky that it falls into it's own subcategory as an action/arcade combo.
The Wonderful World of Harry Inc. The goal in Harry is to guide him through a number of floors and basements in his office building, all in the comfort of his very own swivel chair. As you progress through the game, you're corporate rating slowly increases with the ultimate goal being to save the company and perhaps one day even run it. But fear not; Harry is an exceptional executive and his tasks are a lot more interesting than board meetings and paperwork.
Because Harry's buttocks is fixed to his chair, you have to control him as if your's was too. There are a few waves of getting Harry to move: first, you can have him inch forward by having him face forward and use his legs to crawl with the chair; next, you can have him face backwards and push off from the ground with his feet (I know we've all tried that one before); and finally you can have him push off a wall with his feet, which is the fastest way to go from 0 to 60. Friction is also taken into account with movement. For example, Harry flies across those plastic boards that some people place their chair on top of while the carpet proves to slow him down considerably faster. There's even a "surface traction" gauge so you'll always know how much slippery a surface is.
Armed and Dangerous Once you've mastered the art of moving, which the first three levels get you accustomed to, it's time to arm yourself, stop interacting with fellow employees, and take on the robots who are running amuck all over the building. Harry has a wide variety of interesting weapons. That staple gun that you love to use can now shoot a staple all across the room instead a few feet, and opening a can of shaken soda can be an explosive experience. Standard weapons are also improved on as the game progresses. For instance, when that civilian staple gun seems a little sluggish, why not upgrade to the Bi-Angualar Directional Accelerater Staple System (B.A.D.A.S.S.)?
Harry's energy, or comfort as the game calls with, can be depleted in a variety of ways, from being hit by a mail cart, to being shot by a robot, or even rolling over that pile of spilt tacks that no one ever bothered to clean up. Fortunately, Harry can gain life by eating the industry standard corporate food: coffee and donuts.
You control Harry from a bird's-eye view which means that you'll spend the entire time staring at the top of his head (but what a fine head it is, indeed :). This allows you to see a good distance in all directions, which isn't entirely realistic, but will is an enormous help when it comes to guiding Harry.
Harry and all his fellow sprites are relatively well-rendered. Their movements could be a little more fluid but they're adequate the way they currently are. As for the music and sound effects, they're nothing to really write home about. The music repeats itself too frequently and the sound effects are nothing more than your usual office noises, small explosions (Harry even dies gracefully in a large explosion), and Harry's witty comments that he throws into the game every now and then.
Crippleware? Aw, nuts! Harry marks a milestone for Ambrosia Software: it's their first release ever of a cripple-ware program. Unlike past Ambrosia games which allowed you to play the entire game complete with all the features at the cost of having to click "not yet" at the register screen, Harry only allows the unregistered user to play the first five levels.
However, Ambrosia justifies their use of "crippleware" for Harry due to the fact that unlike past Ambrosia releases (which never really had an ending) it is very possible for a user to finish the game within the normal 30-day evaluation period. This, therefore, would give the user virtually no reason to register the game, especially since they had no "legal" duty to do so.
The five levels included in the non-registered version of Harry levels are challenging enough to keep you busy while introducing you to the basics and concept of Harry. Ambrosia's prices are generally fair considering you get commercial-quality games, and this hasn't changed with Harry. The $20 price tag is far less than the average commercial game.
Harry the Handsome Executive immerses the player in a unique and entertaining experience, one that almost anyone will love. The game leaves but one question unanswered: what kind of swivels chairs do the folks at Ambrosia use?
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 Shareware Fee: $20 |