Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

It's hard to believe that the Harry Potter franchise has now been going for so long it has even produced two versions for the humble GameBoy Colour. The release of the DS earlier this year added a new chapter to this film/book franchise, whilst also putting into action the same dual release policy from all those years ago when both a GBC and GBA version was developed. As with the original GBA versions all eyes focused on the technically more capable DS outing to see what fresh ideas it can bring to the table. With that in mind we thought we'd look at the DS version first and see if it does indeed have the magic of the young boy Wizard.

Gameplay

If you've played the other Harry Potter games then you should be right at home here and the gameplay is the usual mix of adventure, puzzle solving with a generous amount of collecting although the latter is not essential for completing the game. Refreshingly here you can also play as any of the three main characters (Harry, Ron or Hermione) and occasionally you'll require all of them to overcome some of more difficult obstacles. It's then up to you, with the game split into chapters, to replay some of the great moments from The Goblet of Fire with an increasingly more powerful wand, and your two friends, at your side. It would be easy here to give away a little too much of the plot and the game has it's fair share of spoilers so you'd best decide which format to tackle first: the book, the film or the game.

To break up the main adventure the developers have seamlessly woven a generous amount of mini-games into the proceedings and while all these are based on tired and tested formulas the fact that they can all be played from the main menu (once unlocked) gives the whole package some much needed replay value. These include feeding the Hippogryph where players must select the various treats on-screen and guide the beast to his treats and a card matching game which challenges you to uncover the corresponding card by rubbing the 'fog' away from the screen. Strangely, not to mention disappointingly there are other mini games which occur during the main adventure that don't appear here such as the highly enjoyable (and self explanatory) Dragon Chase or the equally amusing Yule Dance, which is a kind of ‘dance mat', affair with you following the button prompts rather than simply stomping on your DS. Multiplayer fans are also catered for with a king of one-on-one dueling tournament using a combination of spells to outwit (or out-magic) your opponent. This is enjoyable but certainly not a gaming high point.

Virtual Pet fans will be delighted with the inclusion of the 'Care of Magical Creatures'. This borrows heavily from the recent Nintendogs but unlike Nintenod's winning DS title you can't get a Niffler in your local pet shop. That said they do have the same wants and needs and it's up to you to care for and nurture your new pet that can be loving, playful, occasionally temperamental and even reclusive. Keep him happy and he'll reward you with a unique set of ten Triwizard shields, which can't be located anywhere else in the game. Finally here is the save, which is done automatically and usually before you are heading into a dangerous situation, which is rather handy to say the least.

Controls

Very user friendly indeed with enough pop-up's to make the manual almost completely redundant. The spell casting has also been improved with the correct magic now being selected automatically rather than scrolling through them all until something happens. Another welcome addition is the ability to combine your spells with two other characters, which is essential when you are not quite powerful enough to lift a rock or even attack a rather disagreeable foe.

Graphics

Certainly the best-looking Harry Potter title yet to grace a Nintendo handheld although I have always been a big fan of Magic Pockets artwork and design. The environments are, once again, isometric but given the style of gameplay it would be incredibly difficult to change this. All these are wonderfully detailed with some impressive effects thrown into the mix on a regular basis thanks the games magical theme. Animation wise the games also please with the characters not only moving more realistically but also demonstrating the king of subtle emotions and humor not generally associated with sprites on this scale. Better still are the combat sections which are now in full 3D which while looking incredibly impressive you do have to ask yourself why the whole game couldn't have been done in this way. Maybe next time.

Sound

Harry Potter games have always been reasonably pleasing audio wise thanks to the extensive use of the original score and The Goblet of Fire is no exception. While you get the impression that the DS's sound chip is working overtime to pump out this quality of music it really does improve the overall atmosphere of the game with each piece of music relevant to the current task and location. There's also a few voice samples taken from the cast and while these never really amount to more than a few mutterings they are still a most welcome addition.

Dual screen

While we've become used to developers using the 'other' screen to simply display visuals, Magic Pockets have at least added some functionality to the touch screen. This is evident in two areas of the main game: combat and mini-challenges. The combat is possibly the best designed yet with the stylus activating a variety of projectiles or magic as well as doubling as a shield. The mini-games are far more intuitive such as simply touching magic frogs or sorting pairs of sweets. You'll also have the chance to use the touch-screen in the Niffler section not to mention the under used microphone which will have you grinning from ear to ear as he plays with the toys or inflates a balloon. This can change very quickly though with the Niffler showing its unhappiness should you even attempt to wash or groom him. All of this is not as comprehensive as we'd of liked and there's a great deal more scope here but at least they haven't ignored it all together.

Final comments

You could argue that The Goblet of Fire is a little too linear but at the same time you have to consider the games intended demographic and you'll quickly conclude that the learning curve is perfect for the intended Harry Potter audience. What is a problem though is the repetitive nature of some of the areas with you constantly engaged in the same actions before reaching the exit. Happily these have been split up to some extent thanks to some cleverly placed mini-games and improved, less cumbersome, combat system. As with all the Harry Potter games you're never going to find anything innovative or original here (except for Niffler of course) but they still seem to do an adequate job of bringing the movie experience to the handheld gamer. That said The Goblet of Fire is one of the better installments, with the publishers benefiting from hiring a new developer, and if you're a fan of the book or the movie it's highly recommended.

Pro: Niffler
Con: A Little Too Linear
Final score: 8.1

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