Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

"This game is good, but not as good as Chamber of Secrets..."

I'm not a massive Harry Potter fan but I decided to pick up this game anyway, and it was worth having. An average but solid RPG-style turn-based game, PS isn't so well up on the visual side but has some catchy audio and a twisty plotline. The game is quite easy so don't expect a big challenge, unless you try and collect all the cards, combinations and levels. If you're a HP fan it's a must-have. On to the review.

Plot
9/10
The plot is synonymous with the great book by J.K.Rowling which just about everyone has read at some point. A quirky story about an 11-year-old wizard named Harry Potter and his escapades at Hogwarts, plus a chilling final encounter with mortal enemy Voldemort, sets you thinking about this plot. Appeals to everyone.

Graphics
6/10
The graphics aren't that good. When in a non-battle situation you can recognise everything and the backgrounds are good, but the characters are blocky and obviously not much effort has been out into them. In battle slowdown sometimes occurs, which is really annoying. If you have large enemies and there is more than one, you generally get very slow actions and the sound gets a bit messed up.

Audio
8/10
Music - The title music is the best, the music from the film, and the rest of the music grows on you. The battle music is catchy and not too repetitive.
Sound FX - Your average bleeps and blops, nothing special here, but this is Game Boy, and the music makes up for it.

Gameplay
8/10
Being an RPG-style game this is its high point. It's the typical level system with wizard cards to collect and card combinations to create. There are opportunities to mix potions and the quests are fun and involving. Sometimes the gameplay can be repetitive, but not due to the battle system.

Replay value
9/10
After beating Voldemort there's all the cards to collect (four decks), the highest level to reach and power with all the combinations! You won't grow bored of this game in a hurry.

Save system?
Yes
You can save your game at any time in the three available save slots.

Buy or Rent?
Buy
With a game requiring time and level-building to beat completely, it's best to buy. But maybe you should see how you like it first on your computer.

Overall
8/10 (Not an average)
This game is fairly easy with good music, excellent gameplay, great storyline, not-so-good graphics and a good challenge in collecting all the cards and combinations and building your levels. Overall, 8/10, but if you're a Harry Potter die hard fan you'd probably give it more.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/07/03, Updated 04/07/03