"Potter fans really ought to give this one a go!"

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is based on J. K. Rowling's popular fantasy novel of the same name. I read all four books before this game even came out, and when I heard that several games based on this excellent tale were in the making I was interested to see how well the companies who made the games stuck to the storyline. In this game at least, it's not a bad job.
Control 10-10. Everything seems to work the way it ought to, whether you're exploring Hogwarts Castle or playing in a game of Quiddich.
Audio 10-10. Why the perfect score? Well, the music and sound in this game was very fitting, though none of the music here is featured in the movie. The only issue is with the GBA's audio hardware. Though it's a hell of a lot better than any portable gaming platformI've seen, games specifically programmed for the GBA have..well..slightly muffled sound. This can get a little annoying. The only other problem I have is that, unlike the PC version, the GBA version doesn't have several different recordings of the same spell. This was done so that there would be a little variation in the way Harry says certain spells, since hearing him say, ''Flippendo!'' over and over again in the same voice can get really annoying. The makers of the PC version must have taken that into account. Then again you have to take into account the incredibly small size of a GBA cartridge.
Story 10-10. For those that choose to play the game without reading the book, I'll explain. The secret community of witches and wizards in England had lived in terror for nearly twenty years, under the threat of the greatest dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort. On Halloween of 1981, Lord Voldemort attempted to murder a family of wizards (the reason is still unknown), believing perhaps that one of their number might have power enough to destroy him. The Potters had known Voldemort was after them, and so were able to put up a valiant fight before they fell. After disposing of Lilly and James Potter, Voldemort turned his wand on the little boy, Harry. Incredibly, the terrible curse which had disposed of the grownups did not work on the little boy, and Voldemort was reduced to something barely more than a shadow. Stripped of his powers and unable to take physical form, he fled.
For the next ten years, Harry Potter was raised by his horrible relations, the Dursley family, completely unaware that a whole society of witches and wizards regarded him as a hero. The Dursleys' only goal was to make sure that Harry never learned what he really was. To their fury, on Harry's eleventh birthday, he was called off to Hogwarts, and the truth had come out. You start the game having just been sorted into Gryffindor house, and the game follows young Potter's story, right up to the battle with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Overall 10-10. True Potter fans should give this game a try. I did, and now you know what I thought of it.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/01, Updated 03/01/03