Techtite's Macintosh Game Reviews!

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"Should I look for all those secret wizard cards...?" 

Good Question. The game tells you that the elusive card #25 is awarded to anyone who can find all 24 cards, plus 250 beans, plus defeat the evil villain in the end of the game. This rewards you with the 25th card, which isn't a big surprise when you consider the obvious person who'd deserve a card (and no, it's not JK Rowling, as I suspected myself). Of course, the quest itself for all 24 other cards opens a whole lot of added intrigue to the game. However, all it leads to are two added "pages" to the epilogue, where Ron hands Harry the 25th card as a gift. Aside from the card itself (viewable from your inventory menu), that's it. If you're not a diehard adventurer who wants to find all secrets possible, I'd say it's totally up to you if this added quest is worth the added struggle.

Ever since  E.T., The Extra-terrestrial on the Atari 2600, movie/game tie-ins have been a hard sell...up to now. The truth is, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a wonderful game-version of both the film, and in particular, the novel which both are based on. Of course, it helps that it's a fun game, plain and simple. So fun, one might be coaxed to read the book, based on the fun of the game, alone. In other words, its everything that the book series deserves in game form, and everything a fan of Harry Potter would want.

What makes this game successful is, it's not a mere retread of the film, which was based on the book itself. This would've made the game a copy of a copy, so to speak. Instead, this is yet another perspective in how to abridge the original story. Some parts edited from the film are present here, and vice-versa. What sets the game farther than the film is: you can walk freely through the halls of Hogwarts School of Wizardry, and interact with its tenants, as if you were actually there. Cool!

This is a game, however, and the programmers wisely chose a format not unlike a for-kids game series, like "Mario 64." You search for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Wizards and Witches Collector Cards. There are 24 cards to find, which include characters from the book, as well as classic magicians from old-time legends, like Morgan Le Fay (shown here). These quests are completed via the roughly half dozen spells you'll learn from your teachers throughout the game. You must use those spells to pass the "training grounds" of each class. You must also learn how to fly your broom properly through the magic rings, and yes, play a good game of Quiddich. 

The book's finest moments are nicely interwoven into the action-adventure format. You'll get to converse with popular book characters, including Hermione and Ron, and even characters seen only briefly in the movie, like Flitch. Bigger puzzles involve the more unforgettable parts of the story, like Ron and Harry's rescue of Hermione from the Troll, and Hagrid's pet dragon. Other quests may seem to be dragged in merely for a few added challenges, though so what? This is a game, after all.

I liked the spell casting best of all. Some may not like how automatic spell casting is (just aim at an item, and Harry automatically chooses the correct spell). Others may not like how you must "aim" spells with the mouse (even if right next to a magic door, you must aim the spell at the center of the door, by holding down the left button and moving your mouse). However, fans of the book will like how the spells learned are exactly as described in the story. He'll use these 5 spells in various areas of Hogwarts, both in classroom "training grounds," and even in places he might not be supposed to use them, like the forbidden corridor. While there are many RPG games out there, there are few adventure-story games which capture the fun of magic spells, potions, and secrets. This game handles this brilliantly (as did the book it was based on, of course).

Then, there are some gripes. Harry's friends, like Hermione, should've been more than just cameos in the in-game cutscenes; they should've been key players in a puzzle or two, or better yet, active members of the game (i.e., play as Hermione for a puzzle or two, and Ron as well) As for the final battle, it is way too tough for a children's game, and totally inappropriate in a game of this type. Regardless of this near-impossible final battle, however, you'll be done with the whole game in as little as one weekend, even if you search for all those hidden Wizards and Witches Trading Cards. Personally, I would've appreciated an "open house" of sorts upon completing the story, where you could explore the School's grounds at will. It makes sense that a game based on a book would be so linear, though this opens another gripe, just the same...

Making matters worst of all, is that there's no turning back of the page, so to speak. Game saves are automatic, and they cannot be controlled; you cannot restore an older game save to re-play a part of the game you liked best. Why is this such a big deal? Consider: even the book allows you to easily go back and re-read your favorite chapters. This game lacks this option; you're not allowed to re-play favorite game moments, unless you start a new game, from scratch. The game does allow you to play Quiddich any time you wish, and yet this version of Quiddich requires little more than quick reflexes.

Not unlike the film, minor, preventable gripes such as these knock this game's rating down from the flawless "Deep Impact" grade it otherwise deserves...though not by too much more. This is still a good tie-in with the novel series, and it is still totally cool to walk the halls of Hogwarts. This should be a real thrill to anyone who has either read the book, seen the movie, or both. When you think about it, this game is so fun it may even coax a few of the more illiterate video game junkies to read the book the game was based on. How many games can achieve that?