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Review : Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets for Gamecube
Electronic Arts has been hard at work trying to dispel (no pun intended) the commonly held belief that all games based on movies and comics will suck. The old formula to make a lot of money in video game movie licenses went something like this.
1. Get rights to make a video game based on a highly or moderately successful movie. Then produce it quickly and cut as many corners as possible
2. ????????????????
3. PROFIT!
Harry Potter is without a doubt one on the most lucrative names of any products. I am sure that EA offered Ms . Rowlings a million billion bucks and a harem of body building man-whores.
The first Harry Potter game was a best seller on PSOne, PC, Gameboy Advance and Gameboy Color. I got the PC game back in winter of 2001 to show of my Geforce 2 GTS graphics card. The PSOne game sold and obscene amount for a game system that has seen it's day. It was strange that they never made a PS2 game based on the first Harry Potter book but it was recently announced that they are going to be remaking the PSOne game for the PS2.
In my mad used game buying spree I walked home with the Gamecube version of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. EA has broken with the typical strategy and actually put a lot of skill and manpower into creating the second batch of Harry Potter games. The Gameboy Color, PSOne and Gameboy advance games were uniquely designed to the limitation of each platform. The PS2, PC, Gamecube and Xbox games were all based on the same design and graphics. So if you want to get one pick whatever platform you like best.
The graphics are really wonderful. They are rich, colorful, high resolution and there was lot of additional design work that was not in the movie but was needed to create a world that does justice to the lush imaginations of the book. The Harry of the game is a bit younger than the Harry if the second movie. The voice acting is well done but the actors in the movies did not take part in the creation of the game. The lighting engine is really something to behold and it really ads to the spells and environments.
The game is a well done 3d platform game where you explore Hogworts and get thought the trials and tribulation of the young wizard. It is a mixture of a Sierra style adventure game and a 3d platformer. I particularly enjoyed the flying and Quidditch parts and EA is making a stand alone video game completely based on the sport of Quidditch.
My gripes is when the plot of the game omits much of the story of the book and I don't understand why some of the events in the early parts were changed when the game would have worked if it remained more faithful to the book and movie. It look like the PSOne game has you flying the Magical Ford Car but you don't actually get to control it in the Gamecube game.
Hard-core gamers would scoff at those who play these games but if playing Lord of The Ring and The Matrix games are cool then I don't have to apologize in playing this game. But luckily there is millions of fans of the books who should love this game. If you have read the books, seen the movies and like to play video games then this would be a good choice. Of course I just described everyone 14 and under in the US.
Jake at July 21, 2003 
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Comments
i'd buy it...
Posted by: lilly at July 22, 2003 6:02 AM
I was actually a little skeptical of this game, but after my fiance got it and started playing it, I got hooked. I would recommend this game even if you're not a huge fan of the movie - the graphics, backgrounds and effects are cool enough to warrant taking a look (for graphics junkies like me anyway).
Posted by: pellinore at July 22, 2003 6:33 AM
You've got an interesting streak going today of video games based on movies based on books. Perhaps there's an untapped potential to remove that intermediary step to have more video games based directly on books.
Fast Food Nation -- Only on Xbox!
Posted by: Trapp at July 22, 2003 6:37 AM
I think that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice XXTREME for Xbox would be dope.
Posted by: Jake at July 22, 2003 8:59 AM
I am going to right a book soon. It will be a rebuttal to fast food nation. There will be only one page in the book. On that page it will say
"Everything in moderation you dumbass Americans." I dont think it will make a very good video game though.
At least not as good as parappa the rappa.
Posted by: pete at July 22, 2003 10:16 AM
