"it's the pits (holes)"

I received a GBA last Christmas, and this was the first game I got for it. It looked very fun, so I tore off the plastic and plugged 'er in.

To tell you the truth, this game was pretty fun at first. It starts out at the castle, skipping the whole beginning. There are many other story holes as well.

When you start playing this game, there is something there that makes you want to finish it. That is where the problem lies.

It's not that the game is challenging. It essentially consists of annoying maze/puzzles which are not too challenging. There is also an odd gnome, snail, or spike bush thrown in there to throw you off.

The reason this is so annoying and repetitive is that these puzzles are all essentially the same. They are the same puzzle repeated again and again with a different layout and a few more things to do each level. Also, you learn 5 spells at Hogwarts, but they all achieve the same end. You have a push spell, and a move spell, and a bird spell, but all they do is move different obstacles. It adds no fun. You end up screaming every time you see a new puzzle.

These puzzles have other complications, however. Harry can't jump. This is the most annoying thing in the world. Hogwarts has hundreds, no, THOUSANDS of pits and Holes. any misstep, and you plummet. Then, you must start the puzzle over again, no ifs, ands, or buts. You loose all of the items, switches are un-switched etc. This is an annoyance, but it is worse when you get to moving platforms. I end my rant here, because these are infernaly annoying.

This game took me no less than 4 hours to beat, no FAQs, walkthroughs, prior knowlege, anything. It would have taken much less, but the holes added 45 minutes to that time.

The game does contain some ups, like Quidditch, which is hard. The gameplay can be annoying and quite linear, but its not terrible. a 5 seemed too high for it, thats all

Although I try to grade a game based on its fun value, The sound and the music are OK, but Harry's spell-shouting and falling-into-the-hole-scream are annoying. The graphics are'nt half bad.

This game is worth a rent. Do not buy it, however. I beat this game off and on in two weeks, and I have not picked it up since.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 02/24/03, Updated 02/24/03