Title: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure
Platform: DS
ESRB Rating: E
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Tiburon
Rating: 
Review by: Dan Braun
Good show! Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a puzzler/platformer that is engrossing and entertaining, guaranteeing hours of fun (and considerable frustration) to gamers young and old. Although its difficulty can be daunting, this is a rewarding and adorable game that deftly combines classic platforming elements from iconic games with a puzzle system that is heavily influenced by Tetris Attack and Bejeweled.
Aging adventurer and gentlemanly socialite Henry Hatsworth is on a mission – seek out the legendary, magical pieces of the Golden Suit, complete with a golden moustache, of course. This unimaginably powerful and dapper ensemble is the key to The Puzzle Realm, home to gobs and gobs of boundless treasure. With his sycophantic assistant, Cole, providing 
priceless inventory assistance, Henry navigates multiple worlds on the top DS screen, performing fairly standard platforming techniques while facing an impressive ensemble of enemies in order to progress.
The catch is that enemies defeated on the top screen don’t simply fade into oblivion. Instead, they are transported to the bottom screen where a puzzle game awaits. The puzzle component is a combination of the aforementioned titles, requiring colored boxes be lined up in threes to be eliminated. Enemies get scattered within the puzzle, along with an assortment of power-ups, which can be used when switching back to the platforming portion of game. It isn’t as complicated as it sounds, as the game does a very fluid job of keeping the two styles separate enough, while still forcing gamers to consider that success on one screen directly translates to success on the other. For instance, defeating enemies on the top screen fills Henry’s “Puzzle Meter” on the bottom screen, while successfully matching pieces on the bottom screen translates into more health, upgraded weapons, and a temporary invincibility mode when transferred back to the platformer up top. While each individual piece doesn’t really do anything new, their combination is remarkably fresh and enjoyable.
The art direction and script are both top notch, with enough wry humor to satisfy the high-brow, and enough slapstick tomfoolery to engage those whose humor is more suited to watching steampunk robots beating up old men in wheelchairs.
The game does have its flaws. Its dubious difficulty is comparable to some classic platformers like the original Mega Man. Some boss fights just feel cheap and will require seemingly endless retries. The inclusion of “arena fights,” where hordes of enemies spill at Henry for a determined amount of time, is a nice addition to the game’s pacing, but these can be awfully cruel when failed, forcing replays though the entire level in some cases. Additionally, some of the jumping segments of the game are unforgiving and tiresome, particularly because Henry gets knocked back indiscriminately when taking any damage.
Despite its difficulty, Henry Hatsworth’s first adventure is a classy, yet kitschy hybrid of a game that should be anyone’s cup of tea.
For more info, www.henryhatsworth.com
May 19th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I totally agree with this review.
I went in VERY skeptical of this game, being it’s by EA, and it’s a totally new IP. I was really surprised by how much fun it is, and how well both screens are used actively throughout the game, not to mention the funny and over-the-top stereotyping. Great music too. My favorite is the “Tea Time” button.
Either way, awesome game, I LOVE IT.
May 26th, 2009 at 11:29 am
The difficulty level worries me. I can tolerate difficulty in relative amounts, especially if the price is right (like ‘Megaman 9′ for $10). However, if this game is on par with ‘Viewtiful Joe’ (which whooped me good) then I will probably wait for the price to come wayyy down.
Still, I am glad that EA is backing more creative titles.