Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

The adventures of JK Rowling's boy wizard have been around for so long now they have actually graced three Nintendo handhelds. I've been doing this long enough to have reviewed all of them too and like the movies, the games (on the whole) have improved with each outing. As far as source material goes though, this has to be something of a gift for developers with magic, adventure, mystery and incredible locations. With the main characters growing up it's certain that things will become more adult orientated and somewhat darker but hopefully just as enjoyable. The question is, have the developers managed to tap in to all this? Enough of the pre-amble then as I'm certain you'll want to get this read before the next movie comes out, and so, the next game...

Gameplay

After five movies and seven books, there's a good chance you know what Harry Potter is all about but rather than divulging any plot details or spoiling the story, for those who have yet to see the movie, I'll give a brief rundown of what the game's all about. Basically your adventure revolves around the common room where you'll be magically propelled after completing most tasks. Hermione, Ron and also some of the Professors who you'll find in their classrooms deliver the tasks. To get to one of these quests you generally have to complete a mini-game of some description and this is where the fun part of the game begins.

The variety of mini-games is quite impressive (although some are as basic as fetching an item which is very tedious) and you get the impression that this is the area where the developers focused all of their efforts. Some of them are very traditional such as aiming for a high score by rolling marbles across the floor onto a target with the closest to the center receiving more points. The physics is pretty impressive enabling you not only to judge just how powerful your roll is but also to knock your opponents out of the area altogether. There's also matching games, a cooking game (which also requires you to blow into the microphone to cool the food down) and there are even some creatures who require feeding and petting in order to gain their trust. The mini-games are also used in the exams (O.W.L.S.) but unlike 'real' exams you will be forced to retake them until you pass. On the way to these tasks you'll occasionally bump in to Malfoy and his cohorts meaning a duel. The means you have to turn your DS on its side and select the correct combination of spells to defeat them. As with most of the game this is entertaining to begin with but you'll do it so many times you'll be able to cast a Flipendo in your sleep.

Your scoring around 50% can complete the main adventure and it's then up to you to wander around Hogwarts discovering and completing the remaining side quests should you choose to do so. You may also want to indulge in the multiplayer sections that allow you to share some of the mini-games with only a single copy of the game. This is not only fun but also extends one of the better aspects of the game.

Controls

Moving around can be incredibly tricky until you get used to it. This is because the game uses 'Alone in the Dark' style static screens and camera angles meaning that when you come off one screen you immediately appear on another but all too often facing in a different direction. The problems here are considerable and you'll notice that, unless you are very light with the controls, you occasionally 'flick' between one screen and another. It also not always apparent where to exit the screen especially once you are outside of Hogwarts and you might as well forget about anticipating anything. In order to help overcome some of these frustrations there is an arrow, which will occasionally point in the direction of your next task, but it's not always that easy to follow.

Graphics

The Harry Potter games have featured many visual styles and 3D specialists Visual Impact do try to inject some realism into Order of the Phoenix. The results are varied at best but it's clear from the offset that a variety of restrictions have meant that neither the backgrounds nor characters are as detailed as they need to be and the animation is awful. Despite this being term time the corridors and classrooms are generally deserted and the cut screens, which are lifted from the console versions and not the movie, also appear to be reduced in quality.

Sound

The music is probably one of the game's high points and gamers will be treated to a handful of soundtrack snippets. Unfortunately, as with all handheld titles, it does tend to repeat a little too much and given just how much exploration you have to do, you really do notice it. Sound effects are quite generic too so don't expect any mutterings from the cast.

Dual screen

You'll need your stylus for pretty much everything other than movement in the Order of the Phoenix. Casting spells is far easier with a touch screen as it is generally a case of touching a flashing area at the correct time although this does get a bit tiresome after a while. The mini-games also use this but, because there less opportunity to play these, it's not so bad.

Final comments

On the positive side of things Order of the Phoenix does give you a great deal of gameplay for your money and if you take into consideration the multiplayer and aim for 100% then you are going to be running around Hogwarts for some time. Getting around the famous school also allows you to marvel at just how extensively it has been reproduced and the majority of the mini-games are very engaging. Unfortunately this is also the game's undoing as searching out endless, and occasionally tedious, tasks repeatedly becomes very boring, very quickly. In addition the overall production is average at best and we've seen much better on the DS. Even with so given that the movie's been an international hit, this game's probably already shifted bucket loads of units. Just don't say we didn't warn you.

Pro: Some Enjoyable Mini-Games, Lengthy Gameplay.
Con: Tedious and Repetitive Gameplay.
Final score: 5.9

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