A gamer and HarryPotter fan has found an ad depicting the first game in the iconic franchise that hit shelves over 20 years ago. The first film in the now well-known franchise, HarryPotterandtheSorcerer'sStone, was brought to life from the popular book series in 2001. Then shortly after, it was turned into a video game series and made its way to the most popular video game platforms of the time, PC, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation. A mere two years later, a different game version was released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. Now gamers eagerly await the debut of the next HarryPotter game, HogwartsLegacy. It is fun for many fans, however, to look back at the more humble beginnings of this particular film franchise.
The first game follows the film's plot and the first book in the series to the letter almost but is played differently depending on the version. For those playing on PC and PlayStation, the gameplay experience was a third-person action-adventure game. Gamers who played on Game Boy Color got to experience Harry Potter as an RPG with elements that felt very much like playing earlier Pokemon titles. Game Boy Advance players got an entirely different experience, with that version being a top-down puzzle game. While some HarryPotter fans have fond childhood memories, they have been tarnished as of late due to comments made by the creator herself JK Rowling. The central premise for the game was for fans to become Harry Potter.
A Reddit user and Harry Potter fan, WriterCommercial3608, found an ad for the very first HarryPotter game, HarryPotterandtheSorcerer's Stone, while browsing through an old comic and decided to share the nostalgia online. The ad features Harry's older style cartoon design on his broom chasing a Golden Snitch with the title "Be Harry Potter." It had some other gamers relishing the nostalgia of the past games and hoping some elements are brought into the newest title. HogwartsLegacy recently revealed a new gameplay showcase to hype fans up for the upcoming release in February.
One fan remarked that they were only nine years old when they saw this ad, and seeing the words "Be Harry Potter" made them think they were getting a magical version of TheSims, which had only been out a year at that point. Although much of the earlier games may have left a lot to be desired, they do live on in other ways, such as with how poorly designed Hagrid was in the PlayStation version, which ended up spawning countless memes years later.
One thing is quite clear: the die-hard fans of this beloved franchise are excited about the next chapter. One fan designed a HarryPotter-themed Xbox Series S for their fiance in anticipation of Hogwarts Legacy. The humble roots of the HarryPotter video games, however, will live on forever.
Hogwarts Legacy releases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on February 10, 2023, followed by a PS4 and Xbox One release on April 4, 2023, and a Switch launch July 25, 2023.
