Refreshing like a tall glass of butterbeer.
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Much like Ham-Ham Heartbreak from last week, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on GBA is an upgraded version of a GBC chestnut with similarly excellent results. A mini-RPG based around the events of the third Harry Potter, Azkaban sees Harry and friends learn of an escaped prisoner who may just have something to do with his parents, as the new Dark Arts teacher has a quiet special ability and time travel is used to save a magical creature from an unfair execution.
Like Pokémon, you encounter and battle various wild creatures throughout the inns, shacks, and Hogwarts grounds you explore. Though you don't catch them, there's a collecting element through a spell that gives you blurbs about each one and what spells are effective against them. Your spells level up to devastating effect, and each of the trio has a unique special move for use during encounters, Hermione's lectures that protect your party and boost your EXP gain being especially effective. Some spells are also useful for the platforming outside of battle.
Prisoner of Azkaban is just really well-designed. It loosely follows the book, but the pacing is quick and breezy and you can save anytime. Your party grows and shrinks with the story, but everyone's levels stay matched with yours so no one's the weakest link--another fine anti-frustration feature. Between dungeons and mazes lie a really nice castle free-roam and cute minigames, including a Mode 7 Hippogriff ride. There's a magic here, and it's a great example of execution trumping originality. It takes the Final Fantasy structure and a well-known IP and turns them into more than the sum of their parts.
Recommended for... if you think Buckbeak deserved better.
| Reviewed | My favorite part |
|---|---|
| September 26, 2026 | Leveling up spells |
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