Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [PSP]

In the upcoming movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, things take a turn for the worst for Harry and crew. It's a far darker film, partly due to the fact the main characters are growing up, but also because of the movie's scope and tone. Even the latest game adaptation has taken a slightly more "grown-up" stance. Instead of focusing on exploration and discovery, Goblet of Fire takes an action-oriented approach. You won't find yourselves solving puzzles and creeping around Hogwartz so much as you will be blasting giant frogs and salamanders.

But first things first, the PSP version of Goblet of Fire looks almost identical to the console versions. It features the same levels and characters too, so those who decide to buy the PSP version really won't be missing anything. On the contrary, the PSP version packs a series of exclusive mini-games that make great use of the system's wireless multiplayer and game sharing capabilities. But that's not to say everything is gravy. The portable version of Harry Potter suffers from poor performance, a few camera and AI problems, and sluggish control.

That aside, Goblet of Fire offers an entertaining romp in the Potter universe. Story in the handheld version mirrors that of the console versions, which in turn sticks close to the plot of the film. Harry, Hermione and Ron are all getting a little older and getting very teenage-like. As for Harry specifically, this means being thrust into a lethal tournament known as the Tri Wizard Tournament. He needs to face a crazy maze, battle dragons and even swim through mermaid-infested waters. And not those nice, ridiculously sexy mermaids, either, but mean and ugly ones.

The Tri Wizard Tournament lends Goblet of Fire interesting narrative twists and keeps things fresh. In fact, there's more gameplay variety in here than in any previous Harry Potter game. Sure, you could combine the broomstick racing from one game, the exploration from another and smash them together, but that'd be cheating. Here, there are bits of exploration, racing, action and finally, a little puzzle solving. The action primarily centers on blasting creatures with your magic spells and manipulating objects in the environment. Thankfully, it's all pretty fun. Simple, mind you, yet entertaining.

There's an array of different spells at your disposal, too, including spells that only affect the environment and those used for eliminating enemies. The environmental spells are perhaps the most entertaining since they require a heightened degree of player interaction. For instance, there are times when you need to lift a fallen tree or boulder to clear a path. Instead of just pressing a button to cast the spell, you need to press a button and use the thumbstick to physically throw things. It's a simple game mechanic, but it's one that makes the game that much more rewarding to play.