Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Release Date: November 8, 2005

Not every single game bearing the Harry Potter license has been outright horrid, but there really haven't been any standout titles in the game franchise, with some of the titles relying heavily on the license as opposed to a compelling game experience. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the DS has some enjoyable moments, but repetition, the ensuing boredom and an overall lack of character are what dampen the fun.

While the game is based on a franchise that's known for its memorable characters and intriguing storylines, those qualities don't translate whatsoever to the DS version of GOF. You don't really care what happens to the vague likenesses of Harry and his friends. "Uninspired" is probably the best term to use as far as the characters and story of the game and its relationship to its source material are concerned. That's about all there is to say about that.

GOF is basically a port of the GBA version with some touch screen elements and snazzy 3D battles thrown in. The main action takes place from an isometric vantage point as you control Harry, Ron or Hermione throughout various, and rather large stages. Although you can choose only one character to control, all three remain grouped on-screen during the adventure sequences.

Your adventure takes you through locations from the book, such as Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest. Gameplay primarily revolves around casting projectile spells on enemies and finding new spells that help you progress. There are different types of creatures that are each defeated in unique ways. One type of creature, the red cap, requires you to lure them out from hiding spots by turning your back on them. Once revealed, you use a levitation spell to pick up and drop the creatures into large vats of apparently toxic liquid. Others may require you to freeze them, then levitate them over a hard surface where you drop them, causing them to shatter.

Sounds kind of fun, but when you're forced to repeat the same moves over and over again, things get boring fast, as each level is dominated by a certain kind of creature that is defeated in a certain kind of way. Starting a new level is always refreshing because you get a nice change from the gameplay of the previous level. However, that freshness disappears quickly as you trudge through the level. It doesn't help that you often have to revisit certain areas.

Simplistic puzzles play a decent-sized role in GOF, and they usually involve the use of spells that are earned along the way. For example, you may have to use a spell to fix a broken pillar, levitate it, drop it in an impression on the ground, and then climb the object to access a higher area. Another puzzle involves levitating sticks over fire, then moving the flaming sticks into bushes which block your path, setting them on fire and clearing the way. Oftentimes, you'll have to call upon your two friends to help out with an especially heavy object which blocks your path. Spell-casting is done with one button and is based on the situation, making things very straightforward.

Every now and then, you'll encounter an enemy that will trigger a DS-specific 3D duel. These battles pit you one-on-one against a foe, during which you to use the touch screen to cast spells by tracing a given pattern or reflecting projectiles back with your stylus, for instance. They're kind of fun at first, but true to the rest of the game, they get repetitive. It seems that spell-casting really could have played a larger role with the touch screen, but the hardware feature just wasn't exploited to the fullest extent. As far as multiplayer goes, you can battle a friend in the duel mode if you have two copies of the game.

Triwizard challenges offer a break from the adventure gameplay, and are a bit more fast-paced. You'll be chased by a dragon while riding your broom, avoiding rock formations as the scenery rapidly scrolls by; you'll rescue Ron from Black Lake; and the third and final challenge places you in a dangerous hedge maze.

The DS version of GOF also has some mini-games that are kind of fun. Chocolate Frogs has you touching multiple brown chocolate frogs on the lower screen, at the same time avoiding touching white frogs. Other mini-games similarly require you to touch objects with the stylus to reach a simple goal, and you can replay the mini-games once you pass them during your quest. Also worth mentioning is a dancing mini-game, and another called Care of Magical Creatures, which has you taking care of a virtual Niffler Nintendogs-style. It's not as deep as Nintendo's smash hit, but it's a decent distraction.

Graphically, as mentioned before, GOF is primarily based on a GBA game. It's not ugly, but the DS is capable of better. There are 3D segments, such as the Niffler mini-game and the duel mode that look pretty respectable in that you actually get to see better representations of the characters rather than the tiny unidentifiable sprites that are present during the overhead segments. Sound effects serve their purpose, but offer nothing really notable as far as immersing the player in the game.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire just feels like a small game that the developer attempted to draw out for an excessive period of time. It could've stood to be either a bit more succinct or injected with more variety. It does offer a fair share of fun moments, but those enjoyable gameplay elements are milked for their worth over the course of a lengthy level. The mini-games are extremely simplistic and don't exactly leave you craving for more.

Score: 6.0/10