Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Nintendo DS) > Reviews (5)

I would like to point out at the beginning of this review than I am not a massive gamer. I own only a small handful of DS games, and am not clued up with all the terminology. This review will not be filled with jargon! I am simply a fan of Harry Potter wishing to share my thoughts on this game with other Harry Potter fans. If you are looking for a review filled with technical drivel, please read another review, as I cannot cater to such services.

I love the Nintendo Lego series. There are so many different options, but as a Harry Potter fan, it was only natural for me to go for this one. It wasn't until the release of Lego Years 5-7 that I was encouraged to buy this, so I am a bit behind. I used to have the first few years on PS1, and Prisoner of Azkaban on GBA, so I wasn't completely new to the world of gaming with Harry Potter, but Lego? I wasn't sure what to expect.

The outline of the game is pretty simple. You have four doors from within the common room, each leading to a different year. You go into year one to begin with, and play out different levels taking you through the adventures Harry had in his first year. Once you complete all of these levels, the next year is unlocked, until you have completed all four years.

The stories do follow the film quite well, but it does miss out one or two non-important things which I remember the PS1 game included. However, it's obviously going to be a lot harder to allow for more range with a DS game than it is with Playstation games (different consoles, I know, but it was my basis for comparison of enjoyment!). I had a pretty good idea of what I'd have to do next though. However, some of them are quite basic ideas. For example, when in Diagon Alley the activities are not always specific to those in the film. We are still able to visit the places that Harry did though, which is nice.

The graphics are quite good. They're not 100% I don't think, but on both the touch screen where we play the game, and on the top screen where the story is occasionally played out to us, the images are lovely, with lots of brightness. The lego aspect is great. There's nothing more exciting than swiping the stylus to blast a lego table into tiny little lego pieces! This is required as, in each level, there are various objects to collect: sorting hats, lego pieces, wizard cards.

Now these pieces cannot always be collected straight away, which allows for greater game play. The sand timer in the common room informed me that it took me just over six hours to complete all four years. Of course, this wasn't all at once! I found I played maybe one or two levels at a time. Each year has around twelve levels, which I think is an ideal number, each year taking around two hours to complete. They're not exceptionally difficult - I usually defeat this or that person on first go, but sometimes there is a lot hat needs to be done to complete the level. Having said that, it isn't 'easy' - it does take care, and you don't feel like you're wasting your life away!

It does allow for a sense of accomplishment.

As I was saying, the pieces cannot be collected straight away. Some of the spells required to release the objects in the first year are not necessarily learned until the last year. This means that, once you have completed the game, you can go back through all of the levels on free play, and get them all. This also means you can play with different characters, and unlock even more along the way. When I completed all four ears, I was only 46% complete, which means I had a lot of retracing my steps! I'll be honest, I still haven't quite got them all yet - the element of 'what's next?' isn't as great when you're repeating it! However, it is nice to be able to aim for that 100%, and I have told myself that I must get there before I allow myself to buy years 5-7.

The game, apparently suitable for ages seven and up, is sitting on Amazon.co.uk at £12.99 just now. Considering Years 5-7 is £16, I'd say it's not too bad. I've been shopping around for 5-7 recently, and upon doing so I've noticed that most stores still have 1-4 at £20+ so if you are looking for a bargain, then I definitely recommend getting it from Amazon.co.uk. However, if you cannot wait, then HMV and Game both have it, as might shops such as CEX. I have loved the game, and cannot wait to play Years 5-7!

Amy 2012