by Dawn Ilsley

Created on: October 09, 2009   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

The first thing that you will notice once you have the game running is that there are only two save-game slots, most of the previous HP titles had three slots which may cause difficulties in families who all like to play. Having played all of the previous games in one form or another, the main difference with this one is that it appears to bear no relation to the story at all. Normally there are cut-scenes and dialogue to follow the story line and although the games do not follow the stories to the letter at least they follow the general thread. This time the setting is Hogwarts and the Characters are dressed in the same clothes but there the similarity seems to end!

Harry is set tasks as he walks around Hogwarts, you mainly discover these by talking to other students and then you just wonder around aimlessly until you end up where you want to be! It is very hard to navigate around the castle as there is a map but it only shows the area you are in and not how to get to another area. Harrys walking around is easy to control with the cross-pad although the tutorial at the start of the game suggests he should walk using the stylus which is far more difficult to control.

As Harry proceeds through the game you are taught several spells using the stylus but they are generally pretty unresponsive and you may find that you have to keep trying to get them to work. Most of the time these spells yield gobstones and chess pieces that you then have to swap with students (if you can remember where!).

When Harry receives a task it enters his Remembrall which is available to view on the top screen on the DS e.g. Find a Viktor Krum Figurine, once you have worked out how to do this extra parts get added, if any part of the information appears in blue then you need to move the remembrall to the lower screen (by tapping Harry) and clicking on the blue word (a name or place), the game will then show you arrows to help you find what you are looking for. This aspect highlights how disjointed the game is as sometimes you are given help to find things and sometimes you just walk around for ages talking to everyone and casting spells on plant pots! The most annoying aspect of the arrows is that half the time the map points one way and the arrow by Harry's feet point the opposite way which is very illogical.

At several points during the game you are required to make potions using ingredients that you have to find. The potion making screen requires you to use the stylus with various actions

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