Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"I sure hope future Potter games are like this.."

The GBC version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's Stone if you're British), is possibly my favorite out of all of them. It's what a good RPG ought to be, not too complicated and not too frustrating. It's got good control, good gameplay and good music as well as an excellent storyline (well it's based on the book).
Control 10-10. Everything seems to work well and it's not that hard to learn. As I said, that's what an RPG should be like.
Audio 10-10. The music is excellent, although some if not most or even all of it is used in the GBA version and the PC version (the PSX version I wouldn't know about). The battle theme is good, as is the little victory theme. The SFX are pretty neat, and the voices are abscent, which I suppose is good, since hearing Harry shout Flipendo! over and over again could probably get very old.
Gameplay 10-10. You participate in magic lessons at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and explore Hogwarts Castle at all hours of the night, avoiding Prefects and teachers alike. You fight in turn-based battles like in Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger, gaining experience for yourself and your spells. HP are replenished using various types of potions, and you learn spells by following the wand movements of certain characters (professors usually), though there's one spell you learn from Peeves the Poltergeist when he curses you.
Story 10-10. For nearly twenty years the secret magical community in Britain had lived under the shadow of the greatest dark sorcerer in a hundred years, Lord Voldemort. But on Halloween of 1980, Voldemort made a terrible mistake. He went to the village of Godrick's Hollow and tried to kill a small boy, Harry Potter. Though he succeeded in killing Potter's parents, the dark wizard was strangely unable to kill the boy. The curse that should have killed Harry rebounded upon Voldemort. Drained of his powers, Voldemort fled. He was not destroyed, he was just reduced to something very like a shadow, something that could take physical form only when he could possess the body of another. As no other explanation could be reached as to why Voldemort had disappeared, the general population of wizards began to believe that Harry Potter had been born with a power that Voldemort could not withstand. Thus he was famous before he could even walk. He knew none of this of course, for he was sent to live with his horrible relations, the Dursley family, until he was ready to take his place in the wizarding world. Unfortunately, the Dursleys were what wizards call Muggles. These particular Muggles' only goal was to make sure Harry never discovered his powers. It was a goal they never fulfilled, for on Harry's eleventh birthday he was taken off to buy the supplies he would need while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You start the game in Diagon Alley, buying your school stuff.
Overall 10-10. This is an excellent game based on an equally excellent book. I recommend that you A: Read the books if you haven't already and B: give this game a try.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/02, Updated 03/01/03