There are a lot of ways to revisit the Wizarding World. You can reread the books, settle in for another movie marathon, build Hogwarts out of LEGO bricks or, perhaps, spend several hours smashing practically everything inside the castle into little plastic pieces.
The latter is about to become considerably easier for Nintendo Switch 2 owners.
Warner Bros. Games is bringing the “LEGO Harry Potter Collection” to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 16, allowing players to experience Harry’s entire Hogwarts journey once again through the wonderfully chaotic world of LEGO.
Developed by Warner Bros. Games, TT Games and The LEGO Group, the collection brings together “LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4” and “LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7,” covering the story across all eight “Harry Potter” films.
The first game takes players through Harry’s earliest years at Hogwarts, beginning with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and continuing through “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” From there, “Years 5-7” picks up with “Order of the Phoenix” and carries the story through Harry’s eventual confrontation with Voldemort in “Deathly Hallows.”
Naturally, this is still LEGO, meaning some of the most dramatic moments in the Wizarding World come with considerably more slapstick humor, collectible studs and destructible scenery than Harry probably experienced the first time around.
That lightheartedness has always been part of the charm of the LEGO games. Rather than simply retelling familiar stories beat-for-beat, they turn recognizable locations and moments into playgrounds. Hogwarts becomes somewhere to explore, solve puzzles, discover secrets and cause the occasional bit of magical LEGO chaos.
For younger players, the Nintendo Switch 2 release can serve as another introduction to Harry’s adventures. For those who originally played these games years ago, it is another opportunity to return to a LEGO version of Hogwarts that has become rather nostalgic in its own right.
The collection also includes all previously released downloadable content packs, bringing everything together into one package. Both physical and digital editions will be available, with the physical Nintendo Switch 2 edition including the two games on a single game-key card.
With the Wizarding World continuing to find new ways to revisit its past while preparing for its next era, bringing these games forward makes plenty of sense. “LEGO Harry Potter” has already allowed generations of players to experience Hogwarts in a very different way, and now another group of Nintendo players gets its turn.
The “LEGO Harry Potter Collection” arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 October 16 for $49.99.
Just try not to destroy all of Hogwarts looking for studs.