Lego is at it again with LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7, charming the pants off the players with it's dialogue free, semi satirical versions of the movies.

What really stands out this time is how good the game looks and feels. As a cinematic adventure the game stays pretty close to plot as far as I can tell, within the first 15 minutes you are flying broomsticks and fighting dementors like a boss.

If you liked other LEGO games this is a no-brainer, if you haven't had the time before this could be the game to try, Although I do wish this game had more lightsabers.

Jen: So Sam, If you could have your dream HP video game, what would it be like?

Sam: Harry Potter would not be in it at all!

Jen: Hahahaha uh agreed.

Sam: I want to be an Auror hunting down death eaters, potentially before Voldemort's fall from power. It's such a huge universe with so much going on and so much to work with, but nobody has really looked away from things that Harry is directly involved in.

Jen: So like a prequel universe?

Sam: Sure, mostly because I don't think it would work to have somebody hunting death eaters or something similar during the actual HP timeline; they'd be stepping on Harry/ the Order of the Phoenix's toes.

Jen: Not to mention they'd be in direct contradiction of the people running the ministry, considering it's all corrupt and what-not. If there were a prequel game, I'd want to see the original Order, and the Marauders! James and Lupin and Sirius are so dynamic and they barely get any screen/page time!

Sam: Very true! Seeing those guys in their prime would be awesome. I'm surprised there hasn't been more wand action in HP games, since we live in the era of motion control gaming...

Jen: Yeah, we've seen lightsabers but so little wand action! I guess maybe the sensor's aren't precise enough for different wand motions? Can that be right? I mean, there's an app for the iPhone that you can practice spells with, but that's a touch screen. hmmm.

Sam: I feel like the sensors shouldn't have a problem, maybe it's more of an issue with how you aim your spells. Whipping the wand around then attempting to shoot a spell at a moving target could prove problematic for the camera.

Jen: WHATEVER WE LIVE IN THE FUTURE!! You know what? I want a game with a complete map of Hogwarts and everything is interactive.

Sam: WII U MARAUDERS MAP

Jen: YES! You can buy an "authentic" Marauder's map for like thirty bucks. As a very good friend once said, "Make that shit magic and then maybe. MAYBE" The Wii U...would make it magic.

Sam: Maybe the world needs a Harry Potter facebook game.

Jen: Oh that exists. It's boring. It's also not licensed, so it's like "magical school game" or something.

Sam: Ew.

Jen: Ew indeed. The only Harry Potter game I actually ever enjoyed was Sorcerer's Stone for the Gameboy Color.

Sam: That's actually as far as my experience with them got, at least as far as ownership is concerned.

Jen: I gave it to Prisoner of Azkaban (PS2) and that was okay but not great. I think the GBC game came out before the movies were being made. In fact I'm nearly sure of it because the box art was that funny digital Harry, not Daniel Radcliffe. Plus also, I was playing it in middle school, when the movies definely weren't out yet. Maybe that's the problem- the other games that DO exist are too concerned with reproducing the movie and not as concerned with bringing a fictional world to life...

Sam: That's a good point. Part of what makes Harry Potter what it is isn't just the main story. Just like Lord of the Rings it's a whole world and we run into tons of interesting characters and places we'd like to know better.

Jen: Which is probably why our video game wishlist is all outside of the direct canon. Have you played LEGO Harry Potter?

Sam: Sadly no, have you?

Jen: YES and it was AWESOME!

Sam: I'm a big fan of the LEGO Star Wars games so I'm not surprised. Those are extremely open ended aren't they?

Jen: Yep. I spent more time exploring the castle than I did in story mode. You can explore Diagon Alley, too, and then go into Gringotts and unlock mini-levels.

Sam: That's the way all Harry potter games should be!

Jen: Yeah!! Lots of exploring, and the magic makes everything sort of mutable so you get to go back as you acquire new spells and do stuff you couldn't do before. So. Perfect Harry Potter game: Wii?

Sam: I'd go beyond that and look ahead to the Wii U since it uses the wiimote and the new tablet controller.

Jen: Yeah, and if we're going with a prequel storyline it would REQUIRE Marauder's map action.

Sam: It could be cumbersome having all those controllers, but keeping their actions seperate so you can put down the wiimote when you're using the Wii U controller could keep things clean. Maybe even more realistic since maps and wands would take up so much room in your hands.

Jen: Yeah. I'm trying to think of a good title for this game, but everything I come up with sounds dirty. Voldemort's first rise is about as far as I've gotten. -_-

Sam: This sounds like a job for the harry potter wiki, maybe there's some kind of old motto or code for aurors or just a general anti-evil motto.

Jen: TO THE WIKI!

Author's Note: At this point, Sam and Jen failed to come up with a legitimate sounding name for this game that they have already spent too much time thinking about, and got distracted by other shiny articles on the Harry Potter Wiki.

Sam: I wonder if anyone would produce a Harry Potter game based in the height of Voldemort's power. It would be a big change—emphasis on the darker side of the series and an older target audience.

Jen: Who would you play as? (I call DEATH EATER!)

Sam: Oooooooooo, KOTOR style moral decisions!

Jen: Play as a young Lucius Malfoyyyyyy!

Sam: I pledge allegiance to the dark lord. Use unforgivable curses or stay pure. Imagine the controversial level where you slaughter hundreds of muggles.

Jen: WHY STOP AT HUNDREDS? Thousands, or gtfo.

Sam: I thought of how aiming would work! Boomblox style! Point, lock on, Wand motion!

Jen: Nice.

Sam: List 'o names: HARRY POTTER: WIZARD'S WAY
HARRY POTTER: WORRIED WANDS
HARRY POTTER: BE A DEATH EATER

Jen: Clearly Be a Death Eater is the most poetic. I still vote Voldemort's First Rise.

At this point, Voldemort appeared out of nowhere and recruited both Jen and Sam to join the ranks of his third rise. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

and a very bricky New Year.