New in
theaters and now on nearly every console available, join Harry Potter in his
fourth adventure: The Goblet of Fire. Based on the Game Boy Advance mold, the
DS version includes extra content that takes advantage of the system’s unique
capabilities. Help raise a magical creature and cast spells by drawing lines,
circles and other shapes on the screen. Though the DS and GBA versions are
similar in other respects, these bonuses will win over anyone who’s got a DS.
The larger, clearer screen is also a plus.
Before the
developers could get into any of that they had to have a good base for their
gameplay. Players get to choose who they want to control – Harry, Ron, or
Hermione – at the start of each level. That’s always cool, but what made it
special is that each character has a short list of strengths and weaknesses.
Harry excel in attacks and has an above average speed rating, but lacks a
significant defense.
Ron, on the
other hand, has a weak attack rating. His speed compensates, though you might
find Potter easier to control during boss battles. Ron’s defense is better
than Potter’s, which helps keep him alive until he’s dealt enough attacks to
win.
Hermione is
the defense queen of the bunch. Her attack power is better than Ron’s. As I’m
sure you could guess, that means her speed rating stinks.
Character
movement is very smooth. I liked the controls a lot more in this version than
in the GBA version. Technically you only have eight ways that the directional
pad can be utilized (up, down, left, right and all four corners). In an
adventure like this eight degrees is satisfactory.
The
backgrounds are two-dimensional but look very sharp. I’m impressed with the
level design and the interesting puzzles that the developers came up with.
Most of them revolve around the accessibility of a level. If you can’t seem to
pass a level or explore a certain part of it, chances are you have to solve a
puzzle. These puzzles relate to navigation – your ability to get from point A
to point B.
Solving
puzzles means waving your magic wand. The stylus comes into play, but not yet.
You’ll cast the majority of your spells by pressing the A and B buttons.
First-rung spells let you open chests, stun enemies, push them away from you,
and levitate objects! Levitation is the most fun and most frequently
exercised. Many of the puzzles require you to lift an object out of the way,
or place an object in a slot or on top of a sturdy switch. The switch removes
a gate; if the object was placed in a slot, you’ll be able to climb on it to
reach a higher area or use it as a platform to cross a dangerous path.
Team
up with your in-game pals for three times the levitation power.
Game
construction is a little like Zelda in that the levels are broken up into
screens. In this case when I talk about multiple screens I’m referring to a
shift from one part of the environment to the next. The bottom screen provides
data; gameplay does not appear on the bottom of the screen except during 3D
battles.
Back to the
topic at hand, when you reach the end of one screen the camera stops moving.
Walk off the screen wherever possible and the game moves into the next part of
the environment. It’s the same level the whole time, the screens merely
represent different portions of it.
There are 2D
boss battles and several mini-bosses to take down, but I’m sure most of you
will anxiously wait for what the game calls 3D Magical Encounters. These
encounters are much more graphically complex than everything you’ll see in the
game. As the monster gets ready to attack it’s up to you to wield your stylus
and create the proper defense. You might have to draw a circle on the screen
to get a shield to appear, blocking incoming attacks. The shield is unstable
and will disappear if its size maximum size is exceeded, leaving Harry, Ron
and Hermione vulnerable to attacks.
To attack
you can choose to follow a spontaneous path, draw a set path
(copy whatever image is displayed), or touch specific parts of the
screen. These increase in difficulty with every stage. The paths become harder
to draw, and the spell icons are harder to touch. The game is good at
detecting flaws and will pick up some mistakes, though like most titles it
ignore major ones. Part of the challenge is being able to react quickly,
whether it’s a button that has to be pressed or a stylus and a touch screen.
This
3D encounter is so…magical!
Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire surprised me at every turn. The gameplay, the level
design, the memorable music and clear sound – every piece necessary to build a
great game is here. Don’t miss it.
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Gameplay: 8.1
Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire is a highly entertaining puzzle-solving adventure. The
smooth controls and enjoyable levels complement the magic system. There’s
nothing more fun than levitating objects – except for levitating enemies! Boss
battles are fairly difficult, but even the easier ones are fun. This is a rare
exception for me. I don’t usually enjoy games that don’t have at least one
insanely challenging aspect. But good is good. Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire is, as Mario would say, “Just what I needed!”
Graphics: 7.0
The 3D
touch-screen battles are dark and gloomy (in a good way). Initially you’ll be
impressed by the colorful spells and multiple camera angles. Though I’m glad
the developers chose to go with an isometric view for this game, it
unfortunately means that most of the gameplay visuals are on the same level as
a Game Boy Advance game.
Sound: 8.5
If this music
didn’t come from the film then EA might have finally found someone that can
flawlessly bring the sound of a movie to a game. These powerfully written
compositions have that special, magical sound that we associate with the
series. They’re some of the best heard in a Harry Potter game, and thanks to
the Nintendo DS’s high-quality audio, every note comes out clear.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
This isn’t the
most challenging game on the planet, however, it is a bit more difficult than
the average DS release. Most of you will think it’s easy, but there are a few
points in the game where you’ll step back and say, “I didn’t see that coming!”
Nothing too extreme, and certainly not something that kids can’t handle.
Concept: 7.5
The touch-screen
features are fun but fail to introduce anything new to the platform. Overlap
(games with similar mechanics/features) is inevitable on any console. In the
end, however, the developers came through with an entertaining game that will
satisfy the needs of Harry Potter fans everywhere.
Multiplayer: 6.0
Not too
impressive. The mini games are rather simplistic and play nothing like the
single-player game. I wasn’t overly enthused by the creature-raising feature
either. Thankfully those are optional.
Overall: 8.0
Isometric view,
third-person-quality gameplay. The eight-way direction of the controls are
much smoother than other comparable titles. Players will be able to jump into
this game with zero hassle. There are times when the level layout and
unchangeable camera interfere and make it hard to pick up an item or pass
through an area. This nuisance – as well as any other you encounter – is a
trait of isometric adventures and should not deter fans from playing a game
that’s great first and a licensed property second. If you have a DS, make sure
this game’s added to your “games-to-play” list.
