Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4
Encyclopedia
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4 is a 2010 video game in the Lego video game franchise, developed by Traveller's Tales
and published by Warner Bros. The game is based on the Lego Harry Potter
line and its storyline covers the first four films in the Harry Potter series
: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
. The game is available on the Wii
, Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, Nintendo DS
, PlayStation Portable
, Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
and iOS. The Mac OS X
version of the game was released on February 22, 2011 by Feral Interactive
. The PlayStation 2
version was planned, but later was cancelled for unknown reasons and scrapped.
.
Changes to the mechanics of previous games include 'Student in Peril' missions, which are a group of challenges to help a student, and Polyjuice Potion, which allows players to temporarily change one of the player's characters into any other mini-figure unlocked. A major change is to the hub system. The Leaky Cauldron works as a central hub for purchasing unlockable extras and returning to previous levels, while Hogwarts acts as a constantly evolving massive hub with the unlockable characters found by picking up their hidden portraits.
The bigger areas in Hogwarts have led developer Traveller's Tales to improve the overall level design. Also included is another bonus level that allows players to customize the level similar to Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
. If the player is lost in-game, they can follow a trail of Ghost Studs to the next level. These do not count towards the stud total, but will guide the player to the next section of the level. However one of the collectible 'red bricks', found in the courtyard next to Herbology, gets the player an 'extra' that makes the ghost studs worth 1,000 each.
The central hub is the Diagon Alley and its entrance through the Leaky Cauldron. Players can access a room at the second floor of the building to watch videos from the game, as well as using a notice board with pictures from where the player can play completed levels again. The Diagon Alley serves as a series of stores where the player is able to buy characters or change a number of customizable ones, spells, and bricks that have a varying range of uses, such as changing the player's wand to a carrot, or making the player invincible. Players are also able to visit Gringotts or Borgin and Burkes in order to play extra levels. There are 167 characters purchasable in the game.
The game covers a wide range of characters of the first four parts, from notable ones like Albus Dumbledore
, and Severus Snape
, to others like Viktor Krum in shark form or the Trolley Witch from the Hogwarts Express.
The storyline is substantially unaltered from the movies, with slight changes to allow consistent two-player mode throughout the game.
, there is also online support for PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
. The plotline of the game differs from that of the books and films several times in order to have at least two characters in each level. For example, Hermione
(accidentally) joins Harry during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, which was unlike both the book
and the film
, where Harry fights the dragon alone.
There is only one hub, the Room of Requirement, but the explorable Hogwarts and Diagon Alley hubs of the other versions were removed and both boss battles and spellcasting were simplified. The DS version uses touchscreen controls to perform spells, and is a downscaled port of the PSP version.
officially confirmed the game in June 2009 with an estimated release of 2010.
and PC in June 2010.
Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales is an English software house founded in 1989 and fully established in 1990 and based in Knutsford, Cheshire.It is part of the TT Games group—after the merger of publisher Giant Interactive and the developer Traveller's Tales—along with TT Games Publishing...
and published by Warner Bros. The game is based on the Lego Harry Potter
Lego Harry Potter
iLego Harry Potter is a Lego theme based on the films of the Harry Potter series. Lego models of important scenes, vehicles and characters were made for the first six films and all the books released...
line and its storyline covers the first four films in the Harry Potter series
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in the United States and India as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is a 2001 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. The film is the first instalment in the Harry Potter film series,...
, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 fantasy film directed by Alfonso Cuarón and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the third instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by Chris Columbus, David Heyman and Mark Radcliffe...
, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
. The game is available on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and iOS. The Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
version of the game was released on February 22, 2011 by Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive
Feral Interactive is a publishing company founded in 1999 that publishes games and other software that did not fit in with the release programs of the large established publishers. It publishes Macintosh games and has relationships with publishers such as Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive,...
. The PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
version was planned, but later was cancelled for unknown reasons and scrapped.
Gameplay
Lego Harry Potters gameplay is similar to that of most previous Lego games, with an emphasis on collecting, exploring, and solving puzzles. Casting spells is an integral part of the gameplay, with a wide range of spells available for unlocking as the player progresses. As there are many spells available in the game, the player can use the spell wheel to select the spell. Potion-making is another integral feature; potions can help the player complete levels or, if created incorrectly, have adverse side effects such as turning the player into a frogFrog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
.
Changes to the mechanics of previous games include 'Student in Peril' missions, which are a group of challenges to help a student, and Polyjuice Potion, which allows players to temporarily change one of the player's characters into any other mini-figure unlocked. A major change is to the hub system. The Leaky Cauldron works as a central hub for purchasing unlockable extras and returning to previous levels, while Hogwarts acts as a constantly evolving massive hub with the unlockable characters found by picking up their hidden portraits.
The bigger areas in Hogwarts have led developer Traveller's Tales to improve the overall level design. Also included is another bonus level that allows players to customize the level similar to Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a 2009 video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to the 2008 game, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures...
. If the player is lost in-game, they can follow a trail of Ghost Studs to the next level. These do not count towards the stud total, but will guide the player to the next section of the level. However one of the collectible 'red bricks', found in the courtyard next to Herbology, gets the player an 'extra' that makes the ghost studs worth 1,000 each.
The central hub is the Diagon Alley and its entrance through the Leaky Cauldron. Players can access a room at the second floor of the building to watch videos from the game, as well as using a notice board with pictures from where the player can play completed levels again. The Diagon Alley serves as a series of stores where the player is able to buy characters or change a number of customizable ones, spells, and bricks that have a varying range of uses, such as changing the player's wand to a carrot, or making the player invincible. Players are also able to visit Gringotts or Borgin and Burkes in order to play extra levels. There are 167 characters purchasable in the game.
The game covers a wide range of characters of the first four parts, from notable ones like Albus Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a major character in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts...
, and Severus Snape
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J.K. Rowling. In the first novel of the series, he is hostile toward Harry and is built up to be the primary antagonist until the final chapters. As the series progresses, Snape's character becomes more layered and...
, to others like Viktor Krum in shark form or the Trolley Witch from the Hogwarts Express.
The storyline is substantially unaltered from the movies, with slight changes to allow consistent two-player mode throughout the game.
Multiplayer mode
The game employs the two player split-screen technique introduced in Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure ContinuesLego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a 2009 video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts. It is the sequel to the 2008 game, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures...
, there is also online support for PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The plotline of the game differs from that of the books and films several times in order to have at least two characters in each level. For example, Hermione
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger is a fictional character and one of the three protagonists in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She initially appears in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as a new student on her way to Hogwarts...
(accidentally) joins Harry during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, which was unlike both the book
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling, published on 8 July 2000.The novel won a Hugo Award in 2001, the only Harry Potter novel to do so...
and the film
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Mike Newell and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fourth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
, where Harry fights the dragon alone.
Changes for the Nintendo DS PSP, and iOS versions
In the Nintendo DS PSP, and iOS versions, several changes were made from the versions of the other formats.There is only one hub, the Room of Requirement, but the explorable Hogwarts and Diagon Alley hubs of the other versions were removed and both boss battles and spellcasting were simplified. The DS version uses touchscreen controls to perform spells, and is a downscaled port of the PSP version.
Development
News of the game's existence was leaked in March 2009, although rumours had been circulating since late 2008. Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
officially confirmed the game in June 2009 with an estimated release of 2010.
Demo
A demo of the game was made available to download from PlayStation Network, Xbox LiveXbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
and PC in June 2010.
Trailers
A teaser trailer was released on the day of the game's official announcement followed by four individually released vignettes, beginning in December 2009. Each vignette focussed on one of the first four years featured in the game. A new trailer was released to coincide with the game's launch. All six trailers are available on the official website.Reception
The game received generally positive reviews. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the Wii and DS version 80%. Saying that it was "one of the best Harry Potter games ever", but that it lacked originality compared to previous Lego games. GameSpot gave the console versions an 8/10, complimenting the large amount of secrets and charm. IGN praised the game giving it an 8.5, complimenting the new additions to the game, while the PSP version of the game received a 7.0. IGN editor Nicole Tanner awarded it "Best Mindless Fun".Sequel
A sequel, covering the stories of the final three books in the series, Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7, was released in 2011 by Warner Bros.External links
- Official site
- Harry Potter Official Site
- EA Official Site
- http://www.feralinteractive.com/game/legoharrypotterLEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 at Feral InteractiveFeral InteractiveFeral Interactive is a publishing company founded in 1999 that publishes games and other software that did not fit in with the release programs of the large established publishers. It publishes Macintosh games and has relationships with publishers such as Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive,...
]