Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire<subtitle> <content>Once again, we are transported on a magical journey to Hogwarts, in the form of interactive entertainment by way of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The game is based on the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, which was published in 2000. The film adaptation was released a few days following the game, and went on to be the highest grossing film of 2005. In the game, you can play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione through most of the adventures except for the TriWizard Tournament in which you must be Harry. Up to three people can play simultaneously or the others can become controlled by the AI of the game. There will be times when it is necessary to work together as a team in order to cast spells. Spells and jinxes can be cast by the player, along with using “Accio” to magically take hold and move an item. At frequent times, “Wingardium Leviosa” will be used to move obstructions such as fallen trees and boulders. The A button casts a jinx, B button a charm, and “Accio” is used with the Y button. Powered up spells can be used temporarily when you have enough of the Blue Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans, though you must first activate Magicus Extremos with the X button. Your stamina is in the upper left part of the screen. The right side keeps track of the number of Every Flavor Beans you’ve collected. The blue beans replenish your stamina. Once a character “faints” they can be brought back by using a Chocolate Frog. Retired Auror, Mad-Eye Moody, is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and assists you in how to utilize some of your given skills. This acts as a mini-tutorial for the game. One objective is to collect shields to be able to participate in a tournament. The TriWizard Tournament at Hogwarts consists of three tasks, which can only be played by Harry. First is the Hungarian Horntail Dragon, followed by the Black Lake and finally, a maze. The first task requires Harry to snatch the golden egg that the dragon is guarding. In the Black Lake, he must find and retreive Ron. The third task, the maze, contains the TriWizard Cup. Harry was unexpectedly chosen to compete. The three other competitors are: Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory. The camera is pretty much stationary; you can move in or out slightly but it mainly remains fixed. This can impede the view of your surrounding area when you ought to be able to see nearby creatures waiting to attack. It is not terribly hard to get by in this game just by button mashing. Some of the actions will inevitably get repetitive and occasionally monotonous. There are Collector’s cards to collect, but there’s not too much replay value once you’ve completed the game. The graphics are sufficient, but nothing outstanding. The AI in the computer players can be frustrating, so you may want to have your friends join in instead. The Harry Potter series has an enormous following and the game will be successful regardless of how good it is. Goblet of Fire will be most fun for younger Potter fans and less appreciated by the older crowd. It may be worth a purchase for the younger crowd, and the older group could rent the game as it isn’t too lengthy to complete.<content> <rating>6.510<rating> <author>Jason Leyanna<author> <authoremail>webmaster@realmofgami GameCube<title> <subtitle>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire<subtitle> <content>Once again, we are transported on a magical journey to Hogwarts, in the form of interactive entertainment by way of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The game is based on the fourth book in the Harry Potter series, which was published in 2000. The film adaptation was released a few days following the game, and went on to be the highest grossing film of 2005. In the game, you can play as Harry, Ron, or Hermione through most of the adventures except for the TriWizard Tournament in which you must be Harry. Up to three people can play simultaneously or the others can become controlled by the AI of the game. There will be times when it is necessary to work together as a team in order to cast spells. Spells and jinxes can be cast by the player, along with using “Accio” to magically take hold and move an item. At frequent times, “Wingardium Leviosa” will be used to move obstructions such as fallen trees and boulders. The A button casts a jinx, B button a charm, and “Accio” is used with the Y button. Powered up spells can be used temporarily when you have enough of the Blue Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavor Beans, though you must first activate Magicus Extremos with the X button. Your stamina is in the upper left part of the screen. The right side keeps track of the number of Every Flavor Beans you’ve collected. The blue beans replenish your stamina. Once a character “faints” they can be brought back by using a Chocolate Frog. Retired Auror, Mad-Eye Moody, is teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and assists you in how to utilize some of your given skills. This acts as a mini-tutorial for the game. One objective is to collect shields to be able to participate in a tournament. The TriWizard Tournament at Hogwarts consists of three tasks, which can only be played by Harry. First is the Hungarian Horntail Dragon, followed by the Black Lake and finally, a maze. The first task requires Harry to snatch the golden egg that the dragon is guarding. In the Black Lake, he must find and retreive Ron. The third task, the maze, contains the TriWizard Cup. Harry was unexpectedly chosen to compete. The three other competitors are: Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory. The camera is pretty much stationary; you can move in or out slightly but it mainly remains fixed. This can impede the view of your surrounding area when you ought to be able to see nearby creatures waiting to attack. It is not terribly hard to get by in this game just by button mashing. Some of the actions will inevitably get repetitive and occasionally monotonous. There are Collector’s cards to collect, but there’s not too much replay value once you’ve completed the game. The graphics are sufficient, but nothing outstanding. The AI in the computer players can be frustrating, so you may want to have your friends join in instead. The Harry Potter series has an enormous following and the game will be successful regardless of how good it is. Goblet of Fire will be most fun for younger Potter fans and less appreciated by the older crowd. It may be worth a purchase for the younger crowd, and the older group could rent the game as it isn’t too lengthy to complete.<content> <rating>6.510<rating> <author>Jason Leyanna<author> <authoremail>webmaster@realmofgaming.com<authoremail> <date>