Muggles Need Not Apply
In the wizarding world, there’s no bigger sport than Quidditch, a high-flying, high-speed mix of soccer and rugby played on broomsticks. Harry Potter himself has taken up the sport and rapidly become a legend at Hogwarts for his dazzling stunts and innate Quidditch skills. Now, EA Games gives you the chance to hop on Harry’s broomstick and play the real thing in Harry Potter™: Quidditch™ World Cup,a game that lets you pit house against house and nation against nation on the international Quidditch scene!
Magically Challenged
But, before you tear it up in the World Cup championships to gain worldwide wizard acclaim, you’ve got to learn the basics. First, pick a team. We’re going to cover Harry Potter’s house, Gryffindor, and his arch-nemeses in sneaky Slytherin, but you can also go with the wise Ravenclaw or the fair-minded Hufflepuff, both of which have their own advantages.
You can choose to take the first three tutorials in any order, but it’s a good idea to go from left to right. After you’ve played your first match, you’ll get to move up the Bludgers and Beaters, play a match, advance to Special moves, and so on.
Chasers move the Quaffle.
House Challenge: Passing
Gryffindor Instructor: Angelina Johnson, Chaser
Slytherin Instructor: Marcus Flint, Chaser and Team Captain
Passing is the most basic maneuver in the game, but this can be one tricky challenge. Go through it a couple of times on your first game. Use the A button to accurately pass the Quaffle (the primary scoring ball) back and forth between your chasers. You must pass the Quaffle through the colored hoops when they turn green for a perfect pass, otherwise you’ll incur a time penalty. The key word here is “accurately.” Make sure the hoop is green, and hold down A to charge your throw, if you’re going for distance. Ten successful passes will get you through the challenge, but the more accurate you are, the more Quidditch cards you can unlock.
House Challenge: Tackle and Shoot
Gryffindor Instructor: Katie Bell, Chaser
Slytherin Instructor: Graham Montague, Chaser
You can only bat a bludger when you have a clear shot and the X button is glowing in the upper-left corner of the screen. The best bet you have for taking the Quaffle from the opposing team at any time is the tackle. This challenge pits you against a Hogwart’s ghost named Edgar. He’s got the Quaffle, and he doesn’t want to give it up. Get in close, and hit A; you’ll swoop down and snatch the ball right from his ghostly hands. Then, you have to dodge Edgar’s own tackles and take the ball to the goal. Hold down B (as with passing, the longer you hold the button down, the harder the shot) and aim with the left thumbstick to choose a goal. Then, release to score. Edgar will also be acting as keeper, though, so make sure to choose an unguarded goal before you let the Quaffle fly.
Harry Potter makes the snatch the snitch.
House Challenge: Seeker
Gryffindor Instructor: Harry Potter, Seeker
Slytherin Instructor: Draco Malfoy, Seeker
The chase for the Golden Snitch--which begins when each team has filled up the snitch bar enough for the two halves of the snitch icon to come together--is almost a separate game. It’s like a high-speed snowboarding-style chase that ends the game and usually decides the victor. This challenge sets you after a golden snidget (sort of a wild snitch, I guess) and shows you how to build up boost power by staying in the center of the snitch’s wake. Then, pour on the boost with the A button, and when you’re within reach of the little buzzing ball, hit B to grab it. You’ll get a cool animation and unlock your first match. When chasing after the real snitch at the end of a match, remember: Your boost limit is tied directly to the number of combos and special moves you’ve pulled off throughout that game.
A well-aimed bludger can stop the most talented chaser.
House Challenge: Beaters and Bludgers
Gryffindor Instructor: Fred Weasley, Beater
Slytherin Instructor: Lucian Bogg, Beater
This challenge covers the most dangerous ball in Quidditch, the heavy metal bludgers designed to knock players off their brooms. This challenge shows you how to steer the bludger once you launch it by pressing X. When you guide the bludger into the bull’s eye, the challenge then switches to evasive tactics.
Try to stay away from the indiscriminate bludger or at least make it hit one of your chasers running interference (which, incidentally, is exactly what you need to do when the opposing team’s beaters send a bludger after your chaser in a full game). Because a Quaffle carrier can’t pass while he’s avoiding the bludger, you should always launch one of your own as soon as it becomes available.
More House Challenges
I’ve just outlined the basics here. There are also many special moves you can use to intercept the Quaffle, make unblockable shots, and engage special team plays that can score extra points and even more Quidditch cards. Be sure to check out the Tips & Tricks article for more details on combos and special moves. See you on the pitch!
By Danny Chihdo
