While the variety of tasks seems small and most are pretty easy, this is a fun game to play, especially for wizard wannabees. The detail in the castle is amazing. Staircases move, pictures animate and talk to you, and as you explore, you can find 150 hidden crests that unlock new content and bonus material. Thanks to the use of body scanning, the characters in the game really do look like their counterparts in the movie, and for the first time in a "Harry Potter" game, their faces show emotion.

The game does a good job of incorporating dueling, potion-making and broomstick-flying into the story line. In addition, you can join clubs to further perfect these skills, and you can unlock two-player dueling.

Playing this game on the Wii makes casting magic spells exciting. With a flick of your wrist, you can make objects rise. And when in combat, by thrusting both the Wii remote and the nunchuk forward toward the screen, you can send a powerful Expelliarmus spell, which will knock your opponent to the ground. These spells work better than in the last "Harry Potter" game, so that you to win duels and defeat opponents in battles more easily. It also helps that Harry can now move while casting.

You will also practice and play a lot of Quidditch, something most fans greatly enjoy. Since this is the sixth Harry Potter game, Electronic Arts has had a lot of opportunity to hone what works when having players fly on broomsticks. This time around, the flying is more visually satisfying, while being easier to perform. You simply point the Wii remote to fly through stars outlined in the sky.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is a good game for fans of Harry Potter, but it is not a game for hard-core gamers. It creates easy game play for kids and casual gamers. Fans will appreciate the original voice talent of many of the actors from the movie including Rupert Grint as Ron and Bonnie Wright as Ginny. They will love the musical score. And once they have finished the game, they will relish the ability to keep playing in an "Endless Day" mode so that they can explore every nook and cranny of the castle and collect all the crests.

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Best for ages 10 and up

From Electronic Arts, www.harrypotter.ea.com, $30 to 50, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 2 and PS3, Win/Mac, Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation Portable.