Harry Potter's origin told in LEGO

Say what you will about the simplistic gameplay or oversaturation of the franchise, but LEGO titles always do two things really well. The first, as any husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend who finally got their non-playing partner to try a game will tell you, is co-op. The second, as watching any LEGO trailer or cutscene will tell you, is the surprising – and consistent – level of humor.

I dare any Harry Potter fan to watch this opening scene from LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and not crack a smile at the clever nods and tweaks to canon, or at the ways in which J.K. Rowling's world has been rebuilt in plastic brick form.

Above: Baby Harry, complete with baby glasses, baby scar and baby
"oh shit!" expression.

Above: Dumbledore confuses an actual cat – rolling around in the driveway dirt – for the shape-shifting Professor McGonagall.

Above: Older Harry, complete with worn, frumpy, hand-me-down clothes rendered in new, shiny and painted plastic.

Above: Uncle Vernon's as angry as ever, but I don't remember Dudley passing out face first from over-eating in the movie.

Tiny throwaway jokes like this are what continue to make LEGO games worthwhile. Now where's our LEGO Gears of War?

Above: Taken from10 LEGO Games We'd Love to See, our legendary feature which also includes LEGO versions of Scarface, Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Silent Hill and more!

Mar 18, 2010