HARRY POTTER TOYS & GAMES, PART 5:
MATTEL PLAYSETS & ACTION FIGURE SETTINGS

CASTING STONES GAME

This is the original prototype for Mattel's Harry Potter Powercaster game. It is an arena where wizards can duel, just as Gilderoy Lockhart tried to start in The Chamber of Secrets.

Computer chips included with the game are inserted into bases. The figures are placed into this replica of what is probably the Hogwarts Great Hall. Players can try different spells against each other. A light-emitting diode (LED) "wand" near the back movies like a gauge needle, indicating the effectiveness of the spell. It will spell out the winner's name and other info. And if the spell is strong enough, out goes the losing action figure! Suggested retail was $44.99.

The second photo is of the final production version of the Powercaster. The color scheme was changed slightly. You can see the bases where the figures are placed. There are also bases for the Casting Stones used in each "attack." In the center, between the characters, the wand meter can be seen spelling out "Harry Potter."

LEVITATING CHALLENGE

Harry must must master keeping the ball in the air with your help on the Levitating Challenge.

My 9-year-old daughter and I were having fun calling this the "Harry Potter Vacuum Cleaner Challenge."

And no wonder. A small air blower is what supplies the magic in this toy, and the sound of its little motor sounds as if it could double as the "Harry Potter Dustbuster." My daughter previewed the Levitating Challenge and loved it, at a special Mattel showing on 29 September 2001 at our local Toys 'R Us. Professor Snape's Potion's Class also was unveiled at these shows at Toys 'R Us outlets across the country.

The blower pushes the white ball into the air. Harry must use his wand to guide it around different obstacles, with your help on the knob with the Hogwarts crest and a lever. A wizard voice -- with proper British accent -- urges you to "Concentrate! ... Foooh-CUS!" The voice at the end also tells you your time. Assorted obstacles, such as things that look like monkey bars and a guillotine, are included in the package. The Mattel rep told us you could make 200 different combinations with the different obstacles. Suggested retail will be $34.99.

As a side note, the design of the Harry figure on the Levitating Challenge has changed. The prototype shown at the Toy Fair in winter 2001 had Harry in blue jeans and a red and white striped shirt. There were at least two prototypes, one with a red cape, and the other with a black Hogwarts cape with star lining. The newest (see above) is the regular Hogwarts uniform, as seen in the movie. Harry's scar is no longer visible on the final version, either. That may be because the prototype had an almost horizontal scar, and the filmmakers decided to put it vertical and slightly to the right on Harry's forehead.

(Prototype images of the Levitating Challenge and Powercasting Set are from Kids'Action Figures/About.com.)

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