Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)



Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a video game developed by Electronic Arts and published by Electronic Arts. The game coincides with the theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The game was released on June 30, 2009, on the Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, and Xbox 360 platforms.

Story
It's another year at Hogwarts- but why has Albus Dumbledore decided to pick up Harry at the Dursleys? Why is he giving Harry secret lessons? Harry must learn about the past of Lord Voldemort and find out how to stop him once and for all.

Content

 * Quidditch
 * Wizard duels and multiplayer dueling mode
 * Potion making
 * Hogwarts free-roaming (similar to the previous Harry Potter game, Order of the Phoenix)
 * Missions at night
 * Ron's love-life
 * Inferi battle

Locations

 * Hogwarts
 * Astronomy Tower
 * Boathouse
 * Boys' bathroom (Similar to Myrtle's bathroom but sinks are moved and there are urinals instead of stalls)
 * Charms Classroom
 * Clock Tower
 * Clock Tower Courtyard
 * Covered Bridge
 * Dumbledore's Office
 * Dungeons
 * Entrance Courtyard
 * Entrance Dungeon
 * Entrance Hall
 * Front Gates
 * Grand Staircase
 * Great Hall (Gryffindor Dueling Club Location)
 * Gryffindor Common Room
 * Hagrid's Hut
 * Herbology Greenhouses (Potions Club Location)
 * Hospital Wing
 * Library
 * Owlery
 * Paved Courtyard (Slytherin Dueling Club Location)
 * Potions Classroom
 * Quidditch Gate (Flying Club Location)
 * Seventh Floor
 * Slughorn's Office
 * Stone Bridge
 * Stone Circle
 * Suspension Bridge
 * Training Grounds (Hufflepuff Dueling Club Location)
 * Transfiguration Courtyard (Ravenclaw Dueling Club Location)
 * Viaduct
 * Viaduct Entrance
 * Horcrux Cave
 * The Burrow
 * Spinner's End
 * Diagon Alley

Wii
The game utilises the Wii Remote features as it did in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game. . But unlike the previous game, players can now also use the motion sensing and vibration features to brew potions. Potion brewing involves following a complex recipe one step at a time. The steps include picking up vials of liquid, shaking them (by shaking the Wii Remote) until they froth, and tipping the Wii Remote to pour it into the mixture, being very careful not to pour in too much. Another possible step is stirring the mixture with the Wii Remote until it changes colour. If it starts vibrating, that is the sign to move away before it blows up.

Harry Potter can duel against Draco Malfoy in a Duelling Room with a long platform, similar to the one seen in the second film, but wider to allow dodging of spells. Moving in order to dodge is done with the Nunchuk Control Stick, while casting spells is done with Wii Remote and Nunchuk gestures. Combat spells currently implemented include a shield spell (likely "Protego") cast by crossing the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, a standard attack spell by striking downwards with the Wii Remote, a charged version by holding the Wii Remote up for longer first, and a more powerful attack spell by swinging the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to the left. There will also be 2-player Quidditch & Duelling.

Nintendo DS
In the Nintendo DS version of the game, the Stylus is used, once again, for spells as well as mini-games such as Gobstones, squashing magic beans for potions, and Exploding Snap. It also has have 6 "environmental" spells including Accio and Incendio and 12 combat spells. The game is free roaming with mini quests as well as following the story line.

PSP
The Game-Mechanics are different in the PSP version, because of the lack of the right analogstick. Detailed information about the mechanics is missing.

PlayStation 3
The game uses SIXAXIS controls or the right analog stick just like the previous game, but this time it includes DUALSHOCK 3 vibration capability. Also, it includes use of the PS3's trophy system.

PC
A keyboard and mouse is used, just like the previous game and the controls are reportedly easier to use. However, the game is easier to control with an analog joypad. Support for the XBOX 360 controller is built in (and graphics of controls use this controller), but other generic controllers work perfectly as well.

Xbox 360
Spells are cast with the control stick just like the previous game.

Playstation 2
Spells are cast with the control stick just like the previous game.

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Characters

 * Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
 * Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley
 * Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
 * Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter (appearance), voiced by Adam Sopp
 * Emma Watson as Hermione Granger (appearance), voiced by Rachel Sternberg
 * Katie Leung as Cho Chang (appearance)
 * Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
 * Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
 * Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
 * Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
 * Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
 * Alfie Enoch as Dean Thomas
 * Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn (appearance), voiced by Michael Percival
 * Alan Rickman as Severus Snape (appearance), voiced by James Faulkner
 * Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange (appearance), voiced by Beth Chalmers
 * Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore (appearance), voiced by Christopher Birch
 * Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy (appearance)
 * Fenrir Greyback
 * Romilda Vane
 * Hannah Abbott
 * Susan Bones
 * the Bloody Baron
 * Giffard Abbott
 * Basil Fronsac
 * Damara Dodderidge
 * Termeritus Shanks
 * Timothy the Timid

Playable Characters

 * Harry Potter - Set as the main character, Harry can travel around the castle, on the grounds, at the Quidditch Pitch, duel, and mix potions.
 * Ron Weasley - You can play as Ron when he is under the love potion sent by Romilda Vane. Hearts burst out of Ron's head as he walks and he is very slow. His only mission is to follow Harry to Slughorn's office.
 * Ginny Weasley - You can play as Ginny when Harry is in detention and can not make a Quidditch game. Ginny becomes seeker and plays against Cho Chang in the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw Match

Spells
These are all the spells. The game also contains some new spells, like Lumos.

Duelling Spells

 * Stupefy
 * Protego
 * Expelliarmus
 * Petrificus Totalus
 * Levicorpus
 * Flipendo (Mobile version only)

Environmental Spells

 * Wingardium Leviosa
 * Lumos (automatically cast when entering dark areas such as caves or at nightfall)
 * Incendio
 * Reparo
 * Accio (used to summon mini crests)
 * Depulso (used to push objects so they release mini crests, untargeted)

Notes & references
Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang-Mêlé (jeu)