A gamer andHarryPotterfan 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 nextHarryPottergame,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 earlierPokemontitles. Game Boy Advance players got an entirely different experience, with that version being a top-down puzzle game. While someHarryPotterfans have fond childhood memories, they have been tarnished as of latedue to comments made by the creator herself JK Rowling. The central premise for the game was for fans to become Harry Potter.
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A Reddit user andHarry Potterfan, WriterCommercial3608, found an ad for the very firstHarryPottergame,HarryPotterandtheSorcerer’sStone, 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.HogwartsLegacyrecently revealed a new gameplay showcaseto 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 ofTheSims, 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 withhow 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 aHarryPotter-themed Xbox Series S for their fiancein anticipation ofHogwarts Legacy. The humble roots of theHarryPottervideo games, however, will live on forever.
Hogwarts Legacyreleases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on June 16, 2025, followed by a PS4 and Xbox One release on July 04, 2025, and a Switch launch Jun 03, 2025.
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