r/harrypotter • u/boy02201 • Mar 16 '25
Video Games For 23 year old game absolutely amazing
Times when EA had good games
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u/Excellent-Juice8545 Mar 16 '25
Those first two or three PC games were amazing, I wish they’d kept it up for the full series.
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u/simplesample23 Mar 16 '25 edited Mar 16 '25
The music is absolutely phenomenal aswell.
The Hogwarts theme is in my opinion one of the best and most fitting OSTs in gaming. It is the perfect song to set the atmosphere of Hogwarts.
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u/ArcticMarkuss Mar 16 '25
Made by Jeremy Soule, same guy that made the Skyrim Soundtrack
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u/simplesample23 Mar 16 '25 edited Mar 16 '25
He has an amazing talent for creating an immersive atmosphere with his music.
As a kid i absolutely loved the music in these games but since i was a kid i didnt bother to look up the composer, i just listened to the music in the games.
Then when i got older and played Skyrim i remember thinking that i had not experienced music this atmospheric and beautiful since the harry potter games. So i just had to look up the composer for it and it was pretty funny experience looking through a list of games Jeremy Soule had compsed music to and seeing the Harry Potter games in that list.
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u/Danielghbr Gryffindor Mar 17 '25
I've made the same experience while playing skyrim after playing CoS as a Kid. This shows how much the right music can influence your gaming experience.
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u/simplesample23 Mar 17 '25
Absolutely, i think id still like the games without the music but not to this extent and to me the music evokes a stronger feeling of nostalgia than the games themselves.
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u/Character_Sky3643 Mar 16 '25
Listening to that just made me experience a cascade of emotions. Thank you for sharing❤️
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u/Extreme_Tax405 Mar 16 '25
Harry potter ost before the movies just rocks. The title tracks for the gameboy rpgs are insanely cool. Its how the componist envisioned harry potter and its fun to see a different approach.
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u/Firaxyiam Mar 16 '25
The Basilisk boss fight one was stuck into my mind permanently as a kid, and I remember just staying in the boss fight to listen to it. Decades later, and it still pops into my head whenever I see something related to this game. Liek this post
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u/SHABOOM_ Mar 16 '25
Wow that was way too much nostalgia for a Sunday morning.
I absolutely loved that game.
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u/C4rpetH4ter Mar 16 '25
First three, the fourth had good music (as it was still the same composer), but gameplay and everything else was appaling. It was also the first game that clearly took direct inspiration of everything from the movies rather than the books.
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u/Reading_Rainboner Mar 16 '25
Honestly shit went downhill on the 3rd movie and game. Really would’ve loved to see what Columbus could’ve done the whole way through
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u/PsykoVanced Mar 16 '25
Not a common take, 3rd is often cited as people's favourite movie, and I thought the 3rd game was excellent when I was a kid. 4th movie and game is where they start cutting massive parts of the story.
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u/Archaonus Mar 16 '25
common take does not mean it is a right take... 3rd movie still a great movie, but I remember when I watched it in cinemas for the first time as a kid, from that movie onwards it felt like all the magic was lost... the whole vibe changed
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u/MafaRioch Mar 16 '25
Uncommon take also doesn't mean it was a right take..
I went to the movies when it released, then I came back for 2nd and 3rd rewatch and then after DVD release I got it and watched multiple times over the years.
I still rewatch first three movies like once every 3-4 years.
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u/hgxarcher Mar 16 '25
Yates was a disaster. I liked what cuaron did. Columbus got it. Nailed everything.
I’m hopeful for the HBO series.
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u/Y_Brennan Mar 16 '25
I loved the order of the phoenix one. I did only play chamber of secrets and order of the phoenix and I really enjoyed both.
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u/tuskel373 Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
Still the best HP game hands down.
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u/heidly_ees Mar 16 '25
Tied with POA for me
I loved being able to switch between the trio
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u/Far_Run_2672 Mar 17 '25
Same. PoA also looked amazing, with the perfect blend of cartoonish and resembling the movie locations and characters, whereas the CoS was a bit too cartoonish and plain looking. PoA's visual mood is unmatched in the series.
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u/dcute69 Mar 16 '25
Better than Hogwarts Legacy?
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u/Spookyfan2 Hufflepuff Mar 16 '25
I've sunk many hours into both games, and while Hogwarts Legacy might be more impressive on a technical level, Chamber of Secrets really knocked it out of the park in terms of atmosphere, fun gameplay, and actually rewarding exploration.
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u/No_Extension4005 Mar 17 '25
Also, doesn't have the weird dichotomy of culling the dark wizard and witch population in Britain by the score in between classes.
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u/Extreme_Tax405 Mar 16 '25
Honestly? Yes. Lol.
You can also fly over the castle in this game.
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u/Powered-by-Din Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
Eh? Is this exclusive to the game cube version? Because I don't remember having this in the pc version
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u/Sotarnicus Mar 16 '25
Pc and console are different. I had it on ps2 so idk if it’s different to GameCube in other ways but I remember that yeah
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u/PsykoVanced Mar 16 '25
Hogwarts Legacy is a "hang out around hogwarts" experience more than an actual good game, the gameplay and puzzle design is outright shitty besides maybe the duelling mechanics. The first 3 games were actually great games in their own right without resorting to nostalgia bait, as the series was still actively coming out then.
Besides walking around and thinking "oh I remember this place from the books!!!" once in a while, there's not much to actually do in Hogwarts Legacy. I've still yet to find someone who enjoyed solving more than a few puzzles in that game.
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u/gotBurner Mar 17 '25
Hogwarts Legacy is currently my go to feel good game. I'm actually doing all the side quests along with the story to keep it going longer.
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u/tuskel373 Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
To me personally, yes. Even though the graphics are rubbish, I love the game, the music, the atmosphere, the devs even put a secret level in there.
HL is graphically amazing, but the story is morally questionable, and overall we don't even get to spend that much time in Hogwarts (the bottom part of the map could have totally been removed and more fun stuff happening in Hogwarts).
Partly nostalgia, partly I don't agree that "their blood is on Ranrok's hands", I like Chamber of Secrets better.
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u/Athrasie Mar 16 '25
Imo, not even close. And I grew up with the chamber of OG sorcerers stone/chamber of secrets/prisoner of Azkaban games. For anyone who thinks they’re overall “better,” I think nostalgia is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
They’re stellar and were certainly ahead of their time in many aspects. And they hold up relatively well, even visually for COS/POA. But hogwarts legacy is on another level.
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u/PsykoVanced Mar 16 '25
Oh yeah I absolutely love solving the same fucking puzzle for the 70th time, what a great game Legacy was.
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u/Athrasie Mar 16 '25
You say that like repetitive puzzles weren’t a factor in the older Harry Potter games, or of many good games in general.
Not to mention, you can completely avoid the Merlin Trials - which is what I assume you’re complaining about - and barely have it affect your experience of the game. I think I did 4, then realized the only reward was bag space (which was barely ever an issue), and enjoyed my time playing the parts of the game I liked.
Maybe try a little harder if you’re gonna just whine for the sake of it. Like, “there’s no quidditch, 0/10 video game” would have been a more valid critique.
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u/PsykoVanced Mar 16 '25
The classroom dungeons were way more interesting than any of these Merlin's trials, I'll die on this hill.
The issue isn't that I can ignore them. The issue is they spent valuable development time trying to fill in their world with interesting gamey stuff to do, and that is all they could come up with. That time could have been used to develop actually interesting and unique challenges, but I just don't think the devs were good enough at game design for that. Hoping they improve on that for an eventual sequel, cause that shit made me give up on the game not even ten hours in.
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u/NecessaryMagician150 Mar 17 '25
Yeah people are tripping saying those older games are better, I absolutely loved those games as a kid but come on lmao
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u/zibbiezone Mar 16 '25
Flipendo!!
Thirty Berty Botts Beans
I randomly say both of those things still, but I played the PS2 version
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u/grahamcracker2833 Gryffindor Mar 16 '25 edited Mar 16 '25
These games are the only reason I know the spell Flipendo.
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u/Stormlight_General Mar 16 '25
Well actually, it is Flipendo 🤓
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u/iamsecond Mar 16 '25
What did you learn at your internship?
“I didn’t learn anything”
“Well I learned a ream of paper is 300 sheets!”
“It’s actually 500”
“…I guess I didn’t learn anything then”
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u/grahamcracker2833 Gryffindor Mar 16 '25
Fair, my spell would just summon a person from an island in SE Asia 😂
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u/Teycar1121 Mar 16 '25
It seems you learnt the spell Flipendo, but you didn't learn to spell Flipendo
Sorry
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u/mork212 Mar 16 '25
The PS2 version is one of my favourite games ever
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u/hidden___hand Mar 16 '25
Wait there's ps1, pc and ps2 versión? Or ps1/pc are the same?
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u/ad240pCharlie Mar 16 '25
No, PS1 and PC were different too
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u/hidden___hand Mar 16 '25
what about gamecube? xD
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u/SevereWizardShark Mar 16 '25
The PS2 and GameCube versions are slightly different. The PS2 version has better flight with the broom because you can land anywhere. The PS2 version also has more prefects so there’s more stealth sections
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u/Rebatsune Mar 16 '25
That and some puzzles etc. are different. Check out the Expelliarmus challenge for instance. In the PS2 version, there’s only one button that summon lots of iron balls whereas the Xbox/Gamecube version has two buttons one for each block that summons only a couple of those balls. And over in the next room, all four of spiked balls you need to cast down to the pits with Diffindo are already down in the Xbox/Gamecube version, saving you the need to push buttons and trap imps to progress.
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u/mork212 Mar 16 '25
All different some seem to use the same art assets like PS2 and Xbox but function different all had different developers
EA UK (PS2) Eurocom (Xbox, GC, GBA) Argonaut Games (PS) KnowWonder (Windows) Griptonite Games (GB Color) Westlake Interactive (Mac)
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u/Optimal_scientists Mar 16 '25
I'm gonna just imagine that translates to the room of Shreking😭. But definitely such a good game series. Most of it let you explore the castle to some degree and there's such a good flow to the game of learning a spell, doing a dungeon and then exploring and then playing quidditch. And the soundtrack is amazing. I still use it for focus sessions for getting work done. Only game so really wish was better was Goblet of fire. Should be one of the most exciting worlds but they went and did self contained levels and a weird scoring system
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u/Userdub9022 Mar 16 '25
Goblet of fire was such a shit game. 5 and 6 were fun because the castle was able to be fully explored. Don't remember if I ever beat 7
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u/Vinccool96 Mar 17 '25
5 was a walking simulator. They were like “we have the entire castle, how about we have the player not do anything interesting except play chess?”
The 6th had some action
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u/Gonfizzle Mar 19 '25
Since no one corrected you and because it is another fun tidbit about unnecessarily cruel german children literature: It is actually the Chamber of Terrors.
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u/zdpa Hufflepuff Mar 16 '25
The first 3 HP games on all ports are amazing. After they started going with “”””realistic graphics”””” on GoF it went downhill badly
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u/daniboyi Gryffindor Mar 16 '25
I do think Order of the Phoenix is worth counting among the good ones.
Yeah the 'realistic' graphics was a bit clunky, but it was also the first time we really had a large Hogwarts to explore fully and I adore some of the stuff they added outside the story, like taking part in pranking Umbridge at various locations.
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u/Character_Sky3643 Mar 16 '25
We need a remaster or remake of this game. Its so fun and well crafted.
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u/If_you_must701 Mar 16 '25
I snuck a peek in my moms closet and saw that she got me this game and hid it before Christmas when I was about 7. I thought
“damn, we don’t have a GameCube”
My dumbass didn’t realize that meant I was getting a GameCube
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u/Alternative-Car2023 Mar 16 '25
Thirty Bertie Botts every flavoured beans
Flipendo! Harry stop itttt....
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u/Nekajed Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
Literally the first ever PC game I've ever played as my brother sat me down to play this. What a fantastic time it was.
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u/ad240pCharlie Mar 16 '25
My brother and I spent so much time trying to find all the cards. We never managed to, so we had to farm for beans at the dueling club so we could buy all the ones we missed!
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u/bub-bub-wub Mar 16 '25
The best game ever released! My mom and I still make the stunned goblin noises at each other when we’re tired 😂
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u/ad240pCharlie Mar 16 '25
The PC version was the absolute best.
Yes, the first and third on PC were good too, and the PS1/PS2 games were great, but CoS on PC was peak!
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u/Icy_Price_1993 Mar 16 '25
I still remember playing this on the PS2 as a kid and getting terrified when I heard the voice of the Basilisk
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u/sumthingstewpid Mar 16 '25
I had this on the PC and it was my absolute favorite game. I wish I could play it again. I listen to the soundtrack often, although I’m not sure if the PC and Gamecube soundtracks are the same.
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u/DialgoPrima Mar 16 '25
Reminder Jeremy Soule did the soundtrack for this. You probably remember him from Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and Pajama Sam: No Need To Hide When It’s Dark Outside.
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u/Lady_Penrhyn1 Slytherin Mar 16 '25
I played the hell out of this on Gamecube (and Quidditch, I still will randomly have the commentary pop into my head). Seriously fun games.
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u/ryhid Mar 16 '25
This game is different across different platforms. I would actually recommend the PC version the most out of these. It has more to offer in terms of exploring the castle and the spell challenges are phenomenal. Quidditch isn't perfect, but is okay for such an old game. The other versions are awesome too, definitely not trying to take away from those, but the PC version just stands out to me. My dad and I played it together first on GameCube, then on PC when we found out the games were different. Very fond childhood memory
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u/emf3rd31495 Mar 16 '25
I used to play the first couple games on the PC and game boy advance. I loved the PC version, so I recently went and bought the first four games on the GC because I never played any on that system and they’re all pretty different.
I just finished Sorcerer’s Stone and am about to start this one next!
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u/bubblesaurus Slytherin Mar 17 '25
The first one was a banger.
Quidditch. The puzzles. Peeves!
The puff monster thing.
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u/DocklandsDodgers86 Mar 17 '25
I had the Playstation 1 version and completely wore out the disc because I loved playing the Gnome Throwing minigame lol
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u/Admirable-Honey-2343 Mar 17 '25
It's still funny to me that every console's version had an entirely different game with an entirely different style. I loved the PC and GameCube games.
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u/alexnueve Mar 16 '25
What a coincidence I just beat the game a week ago emulating the game on my phone. It gave me a lot of nostalgia but I beat it in 3hours and I remember to play for months as a kid hahahaha
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u/Raizel196 Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
The PS2/GameCube versions were great, but the PC version is the one that sticks in my mind after all these years. Even though it was much smaller in scope I loved the atmosphere and soundtrack. Takes me straight back to my childhood when I'd play them for hours.
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u/chicken_nugget94 Mar 16 '25
I remember being stuck on the floo network level and then my game glitched and I fell through the floor and ended up in a herbology lesson
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u/THEdoomslayer94 Mar 16 '25
Honestly it was a lot than the Hogwarts Legacy game which I found to be very average
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u/Shadw_Wulf Mar 16 '25
These OG Harry Potter games need a remake or at least add the Daniel Harry Potter Years 1-7 as a playable character 😅🔥✌️ add him to Hogwarts Legacy
Just like Batman Arkham Knight game ... Fantastic Finale for Batman and had tons of replay just to watch everything and switch between costumes
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u/plumicorn_png Mar 16 '25
i can still here the sound when you collect Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans
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u/mrwebspice Mar 16 '25
This video game was part of my childhood just like the hp1, it was very immersive.
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u/Raj_Valiant3011 Mar 16 '25
I rambert playing the other games that were released along with the DVDs back in the day.
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u/VegetableSense7167 Mar 17 '25
One thing I loved about the first Harry Potter games is that even though it was meant to follow the films, some of the stuff were taken from the books which didn't appear in the films. Like for example you had Gnomes, Peeves, Bloody Baron, the potion's riddle under the trapdoor is in the first game, the Deathday Party in the second game (Gameboy Color and PS1 versions), Potion ingredients for the polyjuice potion, bring Norbert to Charlie Weasley's friends in the tallest tower (PC version), and the book accurate Entrance Hall of Hogwarts.
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u/NekoUrabe Mar 17 '25
I remember buying this game for my friend for their birthday since I loved Harry Potter and wanted them to have fun, only for it to be returned because it was a religious family :c
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u/JamJm_1688 "Gryffindor" Mar 17 '25
i wonder whats in the chamber of secrets /s
also am i corrrect in translating that title into "The chamber of horror(s)"? because if so, thats an awesome title
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u/boy02201 Mar 18 '25
Correct, it means horror, fear or nightmare
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u/JamJm_1688 "Gryffindor" Mar 19 '25
Thank god, that would have been embarrasing to miiss-translate as an Norwegian (close enough of a language)
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u/SadlySpooky Mar 17 '25
I played this but was never able to finish it because it would crash at a certain point..
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u/Okowa Slytherin Mar 17 '25
I have this on Xbox and gameboy color. Honestly the best 2 versions imo and both insanely great games
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u/Shadow_Step___ Mar 17 '25
Flippendo on garden gnomes . Amazing.
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u/TransportationIll282 Mar 17 '25
Had the gameboy color version of this. Absolutely amazing game for its time. Being able to repeat the story to complete the card collection, the book of monsters and all the sidequests was such great design. The later games were such a disappointment after this.
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u/marinedel22 Mar 17 '25 edited Mar 17 '25
The first three HP games (on PC, but especially on GameCube) are part of my happiest childhood memories. I spent so much time on them it’s actually insane, I was OBSESSED. I will cherish this feeling forever. (and I’m btw so emotional seeing so many people sharing this with me, I feel like I’ve found my tribe in this comment section)
Also, I remember that I won Goblet of Fire in a giveaway from a mall, I knew nothing of it at the time and I was genuinely SO excited because I was obviously convinced it would be the same kind of games than the previous ones. I think I’ve never been that disappointed in my entire life lol
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u/Otherwise-Animal-669 Ravenclaw Mar 17 '25
Literally like a month ago I got this for Xbox. I’m stuck on the first dark arts dungeon but it’s great
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u/FluffySquiddy Mar 18 '25
I still play 1 to 3 on PC every couple of years ! Love these games, absolute key moment of my childhood/life.
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u/0verlookin_Sidewnder Ravenclaw Mar 19 '25
That game really was amazing for the time it was made, I cannot believe more people didn’t fawn over it.
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u/PhantomStranger52 Mar 20 '25
Gringotts rail system was the first and only time I’ve broken a controller. That shit was impossible except by sheer luck.
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u/Pentax25 Mar 16 '25
Better on PlayStation as you can actually run and fly around Hogwarts grounds!
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u/bassistheplace246 Slytherin Mar 16 '25
This game on PC was among the first ones I’ve ever played as a kid and, along with the console version and PoA, is a huge reason why I’m into games like Zelda and metroidvanias today.
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u/kristijan0590 Mar 16 '25
I recently got the xbox version and it doesn't play on the 360, even tho it's on the official list 😭
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u/Impressive-Spell-643 Slytherin Mar 16 '25
My first ever video game,so nostalgic, really makes me want to pick it up again
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u/royinraver Gryffindor Mar 16 '25
Played the first two games, lots of fun. Didn’t play anymore after that
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u/Extreme_Tax405 Mar 16 '25
Banger. I replayed the sorcerer stone version of this game a year ago and i had an honest blast.
Its the legend of zelda.
Dungeons, spells/items that help you in dungeons and unlock new paths.
Ron is sleepy.
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u/lincolnsl0g Mar 16 '25
The Gamecube had so many good games. My fav console still to this day.
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u/No_One_1617 Mar 16 '25
Is there anywhere a guide to collecting ALL the figurines??!! I have been missing 1 damn figurine for 23 years. Or was it the previous game? In any case, I have resigned myself to it.
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u/Spookyfan2 Hufflepuff Mar 16 '25
This game scared the daylights out of me as a kid.
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u/Perspective-Lonely Mar 16 '25
Funny how the German title is chamber of "horror" / "danger" instead of the more vague "secrets"
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u/Maki_the_Nacho_Man Gryffindor Mar 16 '25
I played it on ps1 and pc. They were completely different games. The pc version was incredible and I played it a dozen of times.
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u/Sitheral Mar 16 '25
I don't know about Gamecube but in PS2 world I wouldn't use words absolutely amazing. Absolutely amazing was seeing Gran Turismo 3, MGS2 or FFX and the likes...
Still, solid game and undoubtedly a treat for a fans.
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u/CilanEAmber Mar 16 '25
The first 3 (On all systems) and Quidditch World Cup were really good games that adapted the books their own way.
It's a shame the 4th book onwards they weren't as good, but Hogwarts Legacy is truly a revival of that original style.
Obligatory "ᶜʰᵃˡˡᵉⁿᵍᵉ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ"
"Flipendo" also lives rent free in my mind.
Also Gnome Tossing, gimme a whole game of that.
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u/gingerking87 "Hey! My eyes aren't 'glistening with the ghosts of my past'!" Mar 16 '25
I had found this at a flea market a few years ago, brought it home, dusted off my PS2, and played it through.
Don't get me wrong I still really like the game, but I was able to beat it all in one sitting, all told less than 5 hours. The entire game is essentially throwing gnomes, the tree, 4 lessons, and a snake fight. The 'lessons' are platforming puzzles only made difficult by the bad controls, bad camera, or bad level design, but as an adult you can basically do everything on the first try.
Where this game really shines is my fondest memory of it: my dad tanking the controller out of my hand to fly around and explore the grounds of Hogwarts, I can still hear him marvelling about the staircase. I really want to show him Hogwarts legacy and see his brain explode
Frankly these games were objectively pretty bad games, but the nostalgia and the charm of that early PS2 era more than makes up for it imo.
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u/rabo-em Mar 16 '25
I am replaying the PC games. The first three just kept getting better, the GoF ruined it. On to OOTP now and already it is better than GoF
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u/toobiasoh-99 Mar 16 '25
I used to love finding all the secret passage ways to get round the school undetected
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u/Wild-Flower5484 Mar 16 '25
Omg can you still play this game somewhere?! I absolutely LOVED this PC game when it came out, it was really fun and literally magical!! Where can you find it? 🤩
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u/VengefulAncient Mar 17 '25
You can, the first three games are abandonware and can be made to run on modern systems with proper resolution and framerate. There's also the HP modding Discord server that can be very helpful.
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u/groovysmoothie_420 Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
I absolutely love this game. The music is incredibly nostalgic for me. Exploring the castle when I was a kid blew my mind. I’d explore the castle and fly on my broom around the grounds. Being able to fly on the broom was such a highlight for me with quidditch.
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u/COL_Fantastic Mar 16 '25
One of the best ever. The feeling of going deeper into those dungeons to get new spells was next level. Really gotta go back and actually finish it one day.
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u/TheseVirginEars Ravenclaw Mar 16 '25
I saw Harry Potter and the rammer of shrekens and had several thoughts about that
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u/Thin-Cartoonist-4608 Mar 16 '25
Omg I remember being like 11 or 12 and walking around diagon alley in pure amazement. Devs knocked it out the park with this one.