When LEGO first started concentrating on video games in the late 1990s, I was a skeptic. But somehow the company has made a name for itself producing family-friendly titles that capitalize on a license and still appeal to serious gamers. The company can now add LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 to that illustrious list.Gameplay will be familiar to anyone who has played a LEGO game before. Players advance through the game by collecting and exploring. In the Harry Potter universe, this includes unlocking spells and mixing potions. Spells are all recognizable from the books and necessary for successful gameplay, such as using Wingardium Leviosa to reach higher bricks and Lumos to defeat plant enemies. Mini-games come into play with “Student in Peril” missions, where players compete challenges to help a fellow Hogwarts classmate.The four years of the title refers to the first four books of the series, of which developer Traveler’s Tales is obviously a fan. Each year is accessible from the “hub world” of the Leaky Cauldron, just the first of the many ingenious ways in which the HP universe is integrated into the game. Another is the many un-lockable characters, including such random but hilarious choices as Victor Krum as a shark. Other scenes from the movies are played out for comedic effect and offer plenty of inspiration to continue on.The same problems that have plagued LEGO’s video games from the beginning are also there to some extent, although much improved over earlier titles. Platforming can be difficult in parts, and AI can be hit-or-miss, although you’ll be surprised at how quickly your LEGO-person partners will respond to your needs. You can also switch easily between characters, which is useful since every figure has their own special ability, from Harry’s invisibility cloak to Dumbledore’s time-turner.If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll love this game automatically. However, with what Traveller’s Tales and LEGO have accomplished (to my continuing amazement), even hardcore gamers can get in on the fun.