Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for Wii

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for Wii
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Electronic Arts: 2009. $49.99 SKU
Readers Annotation: Become a witch or wizard while playing Wii by flying a broomstick, dueling with wands, and making potions.
Plot Summary: This Wii game follows both the book and movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, taking aspects from both. Players are able to start at the beginning, following Harry and his friends as they roam around the castle, take classes, and learn magic at Hogwarts. If following the story isn't your thing, then duel a friend with magic wands, or play quidditch on a broom. This game will give hours of enjoyment as you play your way through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Critical Evaluation: This Wii game is a step up from the last Harry Potter Wii game based on The Order of the Phoenix. This game allows for up to two players, unlike the previous one which only allowed one player at a time. Although only one player can play the story aspects of the game, two can be part of the Gryffindor Dueling Club. Players can also play quidditch and make potions, which is another step up from the previous game. If only there was a Wii version of the Quidditch World Cup game from a few years ago. Suggested for ages ten and up, teens will really get into the action of the game and the exitement of pretending to fly a broom or hold a wand. I found the game to be much more interesting than the previous Wii game, and a lot more user friendly. The spellwork isn't as complicated as before, and the instructions are easier to follow. Dueling was a blast, literally.
Information about the Author: EA is one of the leading makers of video games, including Madden and all of the other professional sports games, as well as Sims and the new EA Sports Active.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Fantasy
Age Level: Everyone, ages 10 and up
Curriculum Ties: No curriculum ties.
Book talking ideas: Get a Harry Potter discussion going. Discuss how using Harry Potter types magic would make things different.
Challenge Issues: The fact that players are emulating spell work and potion making, essentially wielding magical powers, may make some parents uncomfortable.
Why I included it: How could I not include something Harry Potter? Harry Potter seems to be an intergenerational series, with many teens getting so into the books that they dress up for movie and book releases, and are the same Harry Potter character every year for Halloween (including yours truly). How fun would it be to pretend to be Harry and his friends and battle Lord Voldemort while wielding the Wii remote as a wand?