Full Review

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NOTE:

Somehow I accidentally had this posted in the Playstation area. Here is my edit with repairs and apologies.
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I guess I am first up to offer a review to all of you nerdy gamers and curious mothers out there. The question currently is: Is this game riding on the coattails of the franchise or is it actually worth buying?

This is an excellent question considering that most games that are based on movies, or other pop culture icons are excrement.

My answer: Sure, just don't expect the messiah of video games here.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was a natural game for me to buy. I had just watched the movie and was impressed with it (No I haven't read the books yet). This game starts out as a top down view with kind of a 3 dimensional look to it. It was very much like the previous Zelda games that have been released for Gameboy. As Harry, you must solve the puzzle mazes in the game. As far as that goes, if you enjoyed the dungeon scenes of Zelda, this is pretty much the same engine, but with way better graphics and wonderful sound samples that sound like they might have been taken directly from the movie.

The game strayed little from the story of the movie, but the dialog was off from the script and I found this a little annoying. It didn't detract from the story of the game at all, but kids are not stupid and will not be fooled. I get the feeling that the plot from the game is more like the book than the movie as my wife has revealed some of the books secrets to me. While this accounts for the discrepancies I can not personally verify this as truth. Remember, I still haven't read the book

I got stumped for a few hours on a level in Haggared's garden. The screen was too dark for me to see what the hay was going on and I got very frustrated. I realize a kid would probably figure it out much faster than I, but if you have an impatient kid be prepared for fits (maybe I am just daft). The garden is very detailed and the killer plants and bugs make the level a challenge, and a fun one at that.

It was all fun and games for me up until the Quiddich (sp?) match. I was looking forward to my first quasi-sport game. The directional controller was all over the place and I didn't know what I was doing. This part WILL make a kid angry because it is confusing and tedious. Like in the movie, Harry has to follow a very small ball with wings and catch it. Just as impossible as it seems in the movie is just as impossible as it is in this game. The game tries to be 3 dimensional and it is difficult to ascertain the depth of the players below you. One second you are flying over the others and the next they are checking you and screwing up your already difficult task of getting that stupid ball.
After the match you want to play again because you were so terrible at it, but you do not get another chance unless you save before the game and repeat it. I didn't think this part was fun.

Good thing there are only 2 levels of Quiddich. I lost the first game and spent hours trying to win the second game just so I wouldn't let down Griffindore or scare Hermione away (She's whiny, but still a cutie).

After that rough game was a super cool level where you must sneak out of your dorm and stir up trouble in the school and the Slytherin kid, Malfoy (Richie Rich or Macaulay Culkin?) tries to frame you. Escaping from the teacher was fun. I felt like I was back in my Elementary school hiding from that fuddy-duddy principal, Mr. Mock. (ahem) This level will take hours to get through without losing any class points. This level more than made up for the embarassing levels of Quiddich. For me this was the climax of the game.

Just as the movie flows, the game does too with the exception that you learn extra spells and you must collect ingredients for a potion for class. You can also collect trading cards, but it is ambigous what they do to benefit your character. As in all things Harry Potter there are Bertie Bot's everything flavored beans. In the game there are such wonderful flavors as vomit and lemon tart. Good or bad the beans restore your health. Ironic candy can do that, no?

The game comes to a head just as the movies does. You must Quiddich by your Nimbus 2000 the proper key, play a likeness of Wizard's Chess, and defeat Ganon...ahem, sorry, Voldermort 2 times.

Ah, I can finally put this game down.

To sum it up: This game has 3 basic styles of game play. 1. The top down look of Zelda
2. The nasty Quiddich levels that are unique to this game.
3. A few copycat levels where you do Simon says after Hermione or your teachers to learn new magic. (ala Britney Spears's Dance Beat).

This game has multiple languages (not that it will matter to most Americans). I just thought it was cool to mention because it even differentiates between UK English and US English. Off of the top of my head it has French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Norsk, and 2 types of Portugese. How social conscience is that?

In conclusion, this was a fun and challenging game. I think that kids will love it and gamers will be split on it. It is a cheesy license game, but I think that EA did a super job at making a fun game. I'd play it again on my Super Nintendo if I could. It is well put together and by playing it I could see that it was made with great care.

The Bad:

It was hard to see the screen in many places, but such is the nature of many Gameboy Advance games thusfar.