Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

Did You Know?

• The game bears no relation to the abandoned Nintendo 64 project.
• House and national team members not named in the books are named in this game, and their names also appear on Chocolate Frog cards in the Half-Blood Prince video game.
• A spiritual successor, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, was released on September 3, 2024.

Characters/Teams

Hogwarts House team rosters are based on Harry's third year. Lee Jordan returns as play-by-play commentator for House Quidditch Cup matches, joined by Seamus Finnegan as color commentator. Ludo Bagman provides play-by-play for international matches with a set of color commentators. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Rolanda Hooch, and Albus Dumbledore appear in the stands.

Gameplay

At the start of a match, the player controls the Chasers, who score goals worth 10 points each. A bar at the top of each team's score display shows half of the Golden Snitch on the end; actions such as completing a pass or scoring a goal increase the bar. A string of up to eight consecutive combo passes or shots can increase the bar proportionally to the combo length, and chaining continues as long as the player's team holds the Quaffle. When both halves of the Snitch join, the Chaser phase ends. The opposing team's bar can be drained by hitting an opposing Chaser with the Bludger, landing a Special Move tackle, or performing a Team Special Move. Each team has a unique Team Special Move that triggers a cinematic and may score multiple goals; for example, Ravenclaw's Burdish of Raven scores three times for 30 points. Although original Quidditch rules forbid more than two Chasers in the scoring area at once (Stooging), the game does not penalize this behavior.

Reception

The game received mixed to positive reviews. GameRankings scores ranged from 69% to 71% for console and PC versions, with the GBA version at 53%. Metacritic gave scores of 68/100 for GameCube and PS2, 69/100 for PC and Xbox, and 53/100 for GBA. GameSpot rated all versions except GBA 6.5/10, citing sluggish controls and shallow gameplay but praising recognizable characters and graphics. IGN gave console versions 7.2/10, and GameSpy gave the PC version three stars out of five. Famitsu scored the GBA version 25/40. Critics noted sluggish controls; IGN called it 'fun, but not compelling.' Eurogamer described the commentary as 'painful at times' but called the game an average, well-implemented fantasy sports game.