Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Not Challenging At All"

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for Game Boy Advance is based on the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. The game is designed by Electronic Arts (EA). This game is also available for several other systems, including Playstation2, Gamecube, and PC. It's predecessors include Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Gameplay

This game was a very boring game to play, though I imagine the game will be less boring for those who haven't read the book. Because I have read the book, most of the storyline and upcoming events were very predictable, with the occasional random task you had to complete for a teacher that wasn't in the book at all. The tasks that the teachers made you do were often tedious and easily accomplished.

This game is very easy to finish, though if you want the best equipment and all of the cards, you might have to play the game a few times to acquire everything. I myself played this game twice, and I had all of the cards and all of the combinations. I had all of the equipment and could purchase cards at will without worrying about needing money after the fourth time I played the game.

In this game, when you finish the game, you can start over on the same file and all of the characters will have the equipment they had before you beat the final boss, and you will still have all of the collector cards you had before too.

The controls were very easy to work with, though there were a few cases in the game where I had trouble because I didn't know whether I needed to cast a spell or to just manipulate the object with the A or B Button.

Story

This is Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts, with a killer named Sirius Black on the loose. There is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and new challenges await Harry, Ron and Hermione. When Harry is attacked, he seeks help from the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Will he be able to survive? Will he uncover more about his family and his past? Or will Sirius Black get the best of him?

Graphics/Sound

This game probably would have looked as good on a Game Boy Color as it did on the Game Boy Advance. This game doesn't take full advantage of the Game Boy Advance's 3D system - it looks and feels exactly the same as the Harry Potter games for Game Boy Color, with the exception of the battle field.

The sound is unique, and has a nice ring to it, but the music becomes monotonous after fighting several battles, though the boss themes are different from the normal battle themes.

Play Time/Replayability

The first time I played this game, it took me two days to complete all of the tasks and finish the game. Each time after that, it took me about two hours to finish the game. This game is worth playing two or three times after finishing it the first time, just to get the expensive equipment and all of the collector cards, but after that, the game loses its entertainment value. It isn't very much fun defeating every enemy easily.

Final Recommendation

This game is worth renting, but not much more than that. Even die hard Harry Potter fans will be disappointed with how easy the game is. If you are given it as a gift, return it immediately, and buy a different RPG. This game will not satisfy any gamer, for three reasons; the game is short, predictable, and a waste of time and money.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/04