Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on GameCube (2003)

Brief synopsis of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Released in May 2002, Nintendos GameCube missed out on a version of the Philosophers Stone by just a few months. And although weve already seen The Chamber of Secrets make a GameCube appearance, some remained hopeful of a release of the first game. Well its taken two years, but Philosophers Stone has finally come to Nintendos console. But not all is as you may remember it

Though the Philosophers Stone is noticeably similar to its older counterparts, there are several major differences in the GameCube outing that make for a bigger, better Harry Potter adventure. Where the first game featured a relatively limited rendition Hogwarts school for the magically gifted, this all-new update takes environments from the Chamber of Secrets offering for a much more convincing and expansive adventure. Rooms that were strangely locked in original are now available for exploration.

Another welcome improvement to the adventure is reduced loading times. Where the 2001 original struggled to keep gameplay flowing because of unwelcome loading screens, the 2003 edition has been designed so the game suffers only minor pauses between scenes. Finally, Warthog has also taken the time to improve the games cut-scenes. FMV is now far more detailed, and it generally makes the Harry Potter experience that little bit more immersive.

The Philosophers Stones intuitive control method remains intact for the GameCube offering, and employs a style similar to Zelda 64 , whereby certain frequently used actions become automatic, such as climbing walls and jumping platforms. And because of this, the GameCube controller is an ideal means to control the young wizard.

A great update to an EA classic? Absolutely.