You won't be surprised to hear that despite only being released a few days ago, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 is already at the top of the video games charts. Combining two of the biggest names in children's entertainment, it's guaranteed to be a best seller.

But what's it actually like? Will your children enjoy playing it? Is it worth buying?

The key features of the game are:

  • Players get to experience life as a pupil at Hogwarts by attending lessons, mixing potions, flying on broomsticks and completing tasks to build their way through the events in the first four of J K Rowling's books.
  • You can play as Harry, Ron or Hermione, as well as over 100 other favourite characters.
  • Locations include familiar settings such as Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and of course Hogwarts Castle

I tried out the Wii version with my son (a Lego fan) and daughter (a Harry Potter obsessive). So was it a case of happy magic - or did it lead to squabbles and crossed wands?



The first thing to note about this game is that it's initially at least very easy to play - you just turn it on and dive right in. The age rating is 7+, and my son who just turned seven last week found it easy to follow. He did get stuck a bit later on, but the playing level seems about right for players of this age.

The co-operative play element of Lego video games is one you'll really like. You can play this game alone or with a friend. When you get two players together, they are helping each other in the game, rather than playing against each other. My children worked together to solve the puzzles, saying things like I'll light the way and you go down there. Like most siblings they are prone to fights, and I loved the way this game produced calm, co-operative play.

This is helped by the split screen element - players can go off in different directions, and the screen splits diagonally to show where they are. In other games we've played like Lego Star Wars, they had to stay in the same area, leading to squabbles about where to go next.

Family game

As a family we liked this game very much. We loved casting spells, pretending to be Hagrid and watching the Lego bricks tumble. My children's only criticism was that they would have liked more mini-games. Many Wii games are made up of lots of little games that you can complete in a few minutes, whereas this is a broader story that naturally leads to a longer playing session.

But you do get your money's worth, because there's so much to discover - Harry Potter's world is depicted with such detail that it would take weeks to explore it all. If you're looking for a new game to keep your children happy during the school holidays, this is the one.

Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 is out now on all major games formats. RRP £29.99 There are a few special offers available on this, so look around before you buy - some packs come with a two for the price of one Legoland ticket offer. Best price I could find for you today is £24.99 at Sainsbury's.

Here's a trailer to give you a taster. You can see more like this at the Lego Harry Potter official site.