This article focuses on the computer version of the 2004 videogame Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was developed by KnownWonder for Windows and published by Electronic Arts.
Characters
Playable
A novelty for the Harry Potter game series is the fact that Ron and Hermione are playable as well. The player is automatically switched between Harry, Ron and Hermione at different parts of the gameplay. All three characters will eventually have access to the spells Lumos, Alohomora, Rictusempra, Spongify and Depulso. In addition, each character has exclusive abilities and weaknesses and will master at least one spell of their own.
- Harry Potter (voiced by Tom Attenborough and Harry Robinson): Harry is the only game character who can jump across chasms, he's the fastest runner and he alone has access to the Marauder's Map. Harry has Glacius and Expecto Patronum as exclusive spells. Harry is one of the two playable characters that can ride Hippogriffs, the other being Hermione. Completing the Famous Wizard Card sets Wizards and Quidditch will boost Harry's health permanently.
- Ron Weasley (voiced by Greg Chillin): Ron is the sneaker of the gang - he can open secret passages and search bookshelves for items, as well as using Stink Bombs and Stink Pellets, but he has the smallest spell arsenal. His only exclusive spell is Carpe Retractum. Ron is the only playable character that cannot ride a Hippogriff. Completing the Famous Wizard Card sets Dragons and Classical Beasts will boost Ron's health permanently.
- Hermione Granger (voiced by Harper Marshall): Hermione is the last character to join. She has the highest base power of her spells and has the greatest spell arsenal, as well as the ability to crawl into tight spaces, but she is the slowest runner. She has Draconifors and Lapifors as exclusive spells. Hermione is also one of two playable characters that can ride Hippogriffs, the other is being Harry. Completing the Famous Wizard Card sets Witches and Hags will boost Hermione's health permanently.
- Buckbeak: Buckbeak is Hagrid's pet Hippogriff. Only playable when Harry or Hermione is flying him.
Non-playable characters (NPC)
- Draco Malfoy (voiced by Lewis MacLeod): Injured during Care of Magical Creatures class early in the game, he is instrumental in having the Hippogriff Buckbeak put on trial as a "dangerous animal".
- Albus Dumbledore (voiced by Benjamin Stone): The Headmaster's only role in the game is to tally and reveal House Point totals.
- Minerva McGonagall (voiced by Eve Karpf): She functions as the Transfiguration instructor.
- Remus Lupin (voiced by Jamie Glover): He functions as Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor.
- Rubeus Hagrid (voiced by Jonathan Kydd): Teaches Care of Magical Creatures. He helps the playable characters in the game to find out how to get ingredients for potions.
- Filius Flitwick (voiced by Allan Corduner): Functions as Charms instructor.
- Severus Snape (voiced by Allan Corduner): The Potions master.
- Sirius Black (voiced by David Robb): Functions as his role as "The Prisoner of Azkaban," wrongly convicted of the murder of thirteen people and sent to Azkaban; Harry Potter's godfather.
- Peeves (voiced by Chris Crosby): His role is the same as it was in previous games, though he has a new design: he is pale and wers grey clothes.
- Peter Pettigrew (voiced by Tom Goodman-Hill): He has the same role as in the book.
- Fred Weasley/George Weasley (voiced by Lewis MacLeod): They own a shop when you buy items, Chocolate Frog Cards, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes and Passwords.
- Andrew Cleveley: A boy who appears near the Great Hall on the last day of term.
Game features
The game includes a trailer from the film, wizard duels, a gallery and more. The Bean Bonus Room is also available for collecting more sweets.
Spells
Ron Weasley on his Carpe Retractum lesson
- Alohomora: Used to unlock locked chests and doors.
- Depulso: Upgrade of Flipendo.
- Glacius: Freezes water and salamanders and extinguishes fires.
- Draconifors: Transforms things into dragons. Only usable by Hermione Granger.
- Lapifors: Transforms things into rabbits. Usable only by Hermione Granger.
- Lumos: Emits light from the wand, will reveal hidden entrances.
- Rictusempra: Stuns or destroys certain enemies.
- Carpe Retractum: Pulls objects toward the caster or vice versa. Usable only by Ron Weasley
- Expecto Patronum: Dispels Dementors. Usable only by Harry Potter.
Creatures
Harry Potter riding a Hippogriff for his flying challenge/lesson
The Pixies
- Dementors
- Doxies: Blue flying creatures that attempt to bite and poison the player. Their eggs are used in certain potions.
- Fire Salamanders: They breathe fire unless they are frozen. They can be defeated by putting out the fire they came from and putting out the fire from the salamanders themself.
- Flying books: They bite, but they can be destroyed through attacking, or turned into mice for bonus points, Bertie Bott's Beans, or Famous Wizards Cards.
- The Monster Book of Monsters: Larger than flying books, they bite and shoot pages. They are immune to Snufflifors and are only hurt when hit in the mouth. Pages must be targeted with Rictusempra in the PC version. In console versions, it can be knocked down with Flipendo or the pages can be fired back at the book with Expelliarmus.
- Pixies: They shoot electric blue orbs at the player.
- Charmed Skeleton: They throw bones at players. Defeat them with Rictusempra.
Items
Example of Famous Wizard Card
- Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans: Found all over Hogwarts and can be used to buy things from Fred and George's shop.
- Chocolate Frogs: They increase a player's health.
- Cauldron Cakes: Used for trading at Fred and George's shop and are worth the most out of all the tradable items. They also give players health.
- Folio Bruti Pages: Collect pages to make a book about magical creatures.
- Folio Universitas: Shows the content of a player's Wizard Card collection.
- Pumpkin Pasties: Worth more than beans at Fred and George's shop.
- Stink Pellets: Used in Fred and George's game to get wizard cards.
- Chocolate Frog Cards: Pentagonal-shaped cards with famous wizards and witches on them. Collect them all for rewards.
Behind the scenes
- The game begins with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the Hogwarts Express, entirely omitting Aunt Marge blowing up, the Knight Bus, and the Leaky Cauldron.
- Harry's appeance in the game is vastly different than that in the film. He has longer hair like he did in the previous book and speaks differently too (a lot more slower).