Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11337 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Platform: Game Boy Color

Amazon.co.uk Review
Proving there's an awful lot you can still get out of the Game Boy Color, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone manages to pack a cartridge with a full and varied game that will no doubt be enjoyed by its young following.

Following the plot of the film and book closely, the game itself isn't too original. Certainly we've seen overhead exploration, card collecting and turn-based combat many times before, and arguably it's been done better (Pokémon, anyone?). For this game isn't without its fair share of tedious moments, although fortunately there's a lot to enjoy as well, and the sheer size of it means it's going to take several hours to get well into it.

Graphically, the developers have done a fine job, with recognisable characters and locations sure to please the younger players, and it's fun interacting with the various people dotted around. The puzzles aren't particularly taxing, which further endears the game to the less experienced player, although things do get quite repetitive and it will take much perseverance to see things through to the end.

Overall, though, this is quite a good movie tie-in, stretching the Game Boy Color's capabilities to the limit and delivering a big, diverting and good value for money game that, while not blowing them away, is likely to entertain its target audience quite comfortably. --Simon Brew

Manufacturer's Description
Be Harry Potter in this Game Boy Color game. Learn to master all things magical in a world of wizardry, fun and danger adapted specifically for the Game Boy Color. Trade and collect Famous Wizard cards to strengthen Harry's skills as you explore, cast spells, gather potons and items, and battle adversaries in turn-based Magical Encounters. Journey to Diagon Alley and Hogwarts and interact with characters like Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid.

Customer Reviews

Harry Potter as an RPG: it works!
Of all the Potter games I have played through (GBC, GBA, PSX), this is the best. It follows the plot of the book very well, it's fun to play, and it has great re-play value too.

It is slightly disappointing that you can't play Quidditch, but there are plenty of other fun 'minigames', and if including Quidditch would have compromised the rest of the game, then leaving it out was a good decision. (Real Quidditch fans should stick to the PSX version.)

The standard RPG format works very nicely: 'random' battles leading to turn-based combat, combat-experience improving your character, money earned being used to buy items, and the occasional 'boss' fight to really challenge you, all fitting in cleverly with the plot of the book.

The most interesting feature of the game is the 'Famous Witches and Wizards' cards. There are 101 (yes, 101!) to collect, and each one comes with a nice image and a bit of text on the witch/wizard it depicts. Early on in the game, you select a 'deck' to collect: most of the cards can only be collected if you are collecting the deck that they belong to (the rest are common to all decks). This means that in order to 'Collect them all' (ahem) you will either have to play through the whole game four times (once for each deck), or do some trading with a friend (make sure you collect different decks!). The best part is that the cards are not there just to look at: throughout the game you can receive 'Card Combos' which allow you to use the cards to cast extra-special spells in combat. With about 50 different combos to find and use, this game has a lot of longevity!

Overall this is a surprisingly deep, involving game, with solid gameplay and well-thought-out detail. It's amazing it fits on the cartridge.

fantastic
Fantastic game.It does take a bit of working out but it is great fun even if you haven't seen the film.I am a 32 year old mum and used to race my 7 year old son to play it.Very addictive and very enjoyable.

Best Game Boy Colour game ever
This game is the best game I have got. The games you play in are fun and exciting and the bosses and enemys are quite a challenge. Even though you cannot play Quidditch in this game it is still the best game for me. Absolutely amazing game and I woild certainly reccommend it to other people.