Harry Potter: Spells

This one is probably just for the diehard Harry Potter fans

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This extension of the ever-growing Harry Potter dynasty puts the wand in your hand and lets you duel against a friend or the computer, no matter how strong your muggle tendencies. Your iPhone captures your hand movement, and particular motions cast certain spells. For instance, to cast the dreaded Expelliarmus spell, you would wave your iPhone to the right and then sharply down. At least, in theory.

Pros

  • Unique use of the iPhone tilt sensing, Wi-Fi multiplayer capability, impressive use of iPhone's potential

Cons

  • Frustratingly touchy motion sensing, shallow gameplay that won't satisfy Harry Potter fans for long

Bottom Line

While it's definitely worth a look from hardcore Potterites, Harry Potter: Spells suffers from shallow gameplay and frustratingly touch motion detection. Even though it's nice piece of fanservice, it's hard to recommend spells as more than a novelty app.

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During a duel, you must carefully choose between offensive and defensive spells. A warning appears on your screen when your opponent is about to attack, and the only way to deflect the oncoming strike is with a well-timed defensive spell. Impressive graphics and sound effects are evidence of a successful spell, and the option to record the names of spells with your own voice is a nice touch.

But even while working your way through the thorough spell-casting tutorial, spells can be extremely difficult to execute. Some basic spells can take dozens of times to pull off without a hitch, making Harry Potter: Spells one of the most frustrating iPhone games I've played. This one is probably just for the diehard Harry Potter fans, and only if you have an equally fanatical friend with an iPhone to play against you.

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