Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

"A Must Have for Potter fans, a fun rent for others"

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup delves into the magical world of Harry Potter and lets the player participate in the wizarding world's most popular sport: Quidditch! Though the game lacks the depth of other sports games, it still can be a pleasant romp into the excitement of soccer on broomsticks.

Graphics: 10/10
This is clearly the game's best aspect. The landscapes are crisp, and the characters look just as they do in the movies. But the best evidence of the graphical clarity is the variety and uniqueness of the quidditch pitches (or fields). In Japan, pagoda-shaped towers surround the field while in England, quidditch is played in a castle courtyard, complete with running moat. Many other pitches are unlockable for the player, and each is visually stunning.

Audio: 7/10
The music complements the excitement of the matches very well. It is not too overpowering, but a pleasant facet of the game's overall presentation. The sound effects of passing the quaffle from player to player and the ball going through the hoop are authentic and realistic. The reason for the relatively lower score in this category is the annoying and repetitious announcer. He or she (depending on the location) comments on nearly every pass, every shot, every steal, etc. The announcers can only say so much.

Gameplay: 9/10
The controls for the game overall are simple and efficient. The pass button on offense is the steal button on defense. Though the characters do fly, there is no vertical component of the controls. The player directs the character only in a horizontal plane. To prevent too much rigidness, the characters randomly fly up and down, which gives the game more realism. The golden snitch system is fair and balanced, always making the finales of matches riveting. Each player fills up his bar during the match by doing combos or completing passes. When the bar becomes full, the snitch emerges and it is a mad dash to obtain it and the 150 points which come along with it. True, the game may put too much emphasis on this last part of quidditch, but that's how it was designed in the books and movies.

Replay Value: 6/10
Quidditch World Cup has plenty of unlockables and secret stadiums. If one has the enthusiasm to obtain all the wizarding cards, the game can last dozens of hours. What hinders the replay value is too much monotony. After seven or eight matches, the ninth won't feel that different. For some, the game may bet boring quickly. The inclusion of an enjoyable two-player mode redeems the low score.

Rent or Buy: If you are a die-hard Potter enthusiast, buy this game. You will marvel at the realism and authenticity of the Hogwarts pitch and love controlling Harry as he tries to catch the snitch against Malfoy. For curious buyers, I would suggest a rent first. See if the game could entertain for more than a week. If you still play by the time the rental period is over, purchase it. For only $20 at many stores, you can't go wrong.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/09/05