Wow, thanks to Mattel's Harry Potter Whomping Willow Game family game night at our house finally got fun!

No longer do I have to fake my enthusiasm for playing the same boring game over and over and over again. I no longer live in fear of Plumpy, the phrase "Go Fish" or taking that all too hideous slide down the giant ladder just as you are almost finished playing the game.

I now have a game (or actually 6 games to be exact) that I love to play. Oh, and I guess I should say, all four kids love it as well.

This past X-mas the number one Harry Potter fan in the house - my son Trevor (age 7 1/2) - had a need once again for anything and everything Potter - from Legos, to figures, to trading cards and even games - if it said Potter, he had to have it.

It didn't come as any surprise that I asked Nana and Pop-Pop to grab this game and wrap it up for him, which is why I can't recall the price (I think it was between 10 and 15 dollars).

I'm sure to Trevor it wouldn't have mattered how good or bad the game was, he wanted the Whomping Willow tree. To be honest I didn't hold much hope for a super game, so I was pleasantly surprised just how much fun it is to play, and how it can bring out the competitor even in dear old mom.

Mattel says the game is for 2 to 4 players ages 5 and up - which is true depending on which game you play. It isn't suggested for ages 3 and below, because it poses a choking hazard as there are many small pieces (which is about the only drawback - with four kids, it's hard to keep all the pieces in the box - but isn't that just the way it is with almost any game?).

The game comes unassembled (yippee!) and takes about 20 minutes to set up the first time (you need to break off a bunch of plastic playing pieces, install 3 AA batteries and put the Willow tree together. My boys, ages 9 and 7, were able to assemble the whole tree (with minimal parental involvement). It's good to watch them
because if they give the pieces a firm shove and they aren't lined up correctly, the pieces could get chipped.

So just what is included:

1 Whomping Willow comprised of 22 pieces (don't get scared)

1 base
1 trunk section
1 branch section
1 upper branch
12 small filler branches
3 medium filler branches
3 large filler branches

4 Flying Car Rescue Rods

12 pieces of Luggage
(comprised of 4 owls, 4 suitcases, and 4 books (each colored coordinated to the car rescue rod)

Batteries go into the base of the tree, you will need a small Phillips head screwdriver to get the base open and shut.

The tree snaps together and then you add the filler branches depending on which skill level or game you want to play. Fewer braches = easy play, more/all branches = advanced play. Note, once you have added the filler branches, you must turn on the tree and make sure the branches twist and turn without catching on one another - it's always best to do that before you add your luggage.

The on/off switch is located on the base of the tree. There are two positions besides "off" - easy and advanced. The easy mode is the first setting - on easy mode the tree moves in a slow, regular motion - much easier for 5 year olds. When switched to easy, there is a 3 second delay before the tree moves, if you want to move to advanced, you must switch it during the 3 second delay. In advanced mode the tree moves faster and the movement is less predictable, making it harder to gage where the branches will go - the way you set the filler branches on this level greatly increases the difficulty.

According to the rules, the object of the game is to "Rescue Harry Potter's and Ron Weasley's luggage from the Whomping Willow's branches using nothing but the Flying car! The quickest to do so wins the game!"

In each mode you can gather the luggage and there are three ways to do it:

Time Trial

For an unlimited # of players. Each player competes one at a time trying to get all their luggage off the tree using the flying car as they race the interval clock. If a piece of luggage is knocked off the player must replace it and try again. Player with the fastest time wins.

Collection

For 2 to 4 players. Players compete simultaneously to gather all their same colored luggage off the tree. First player to gather all three pieces wins (not so easy to do on advanced mode with 4 players).

Free for All

For 2 - 4 players. Players compete to gather as much luggage as they can off the tree (regardless of color). You can either choose to score simply by giving each piece 1 point or scoring it by suitcases = 3 points, owls = 2 points and books = 1 point. That way can really get the competitive juices flowing.

So overall I have nothing bad to say about this game, except maybe that once assembled it won't fit in the box. Which is just fine for my son. He uses it as a display item for his Harry Potter Lego set up - so even when it's not being used as a game, it is being used.

This game is great for our family all four kids can play together. That isn't always easy to do, to find a game that a 5, 7, 9 and 14 yo can play and enjoy. The game isn't loud when it's on, and it keeps the kids entertained for hours. So far the batteries haven't worn out, but it's only been a month.

I like playing this game and highly suggest it. With all the options and speeds, it doesn’t bore the kids easily and they want to play it – unlike some game involving a princess named Frostina and moving by color. By the way, it's also great for helping 5 five year olds to practice grouping objects, sorting by size, shape and color, and adding scores. It's a fun way to learn












Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): gift
Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: 9 Years or Older