Harry Potter Whomping Willow
by The Beast!
(Boardgame Beast HQ)
Board game manufacturer:
Mattel
Number of players:
1-4
Ages:
7+
Quick verdict
This Harry Potter board game, really an action play toy, by Mattel, based on the Harry Potter franchise, will surely catch the attention of young fans of the series, but its appeal may wear off due to a lack of strategy.
The game and gameplay
Whomping Willow is loosely based on the scenario where Harry and his pal Ron crashed their car into the crazy, living tree called Whomping Willow. Now it’s time for you to step into action to help them rescue their luggage.
The gaming set includes 3 large tree pieces, a lot of smaller branches to add on as hanging points and obstacles, and 4 flying cars – each having a small picture of Harry and Ron on the windshield. 4 sets of luggage, books, and owls are also included in the set. It comes with a set of instructions that are very easy to follow.
Assembly of the electronic Whomping Willow is required, which can be a little tricky at first. It requires 3 AA batteries (not included) to run. After putting up the 3 large tree pieces together, adding the smaller branches is optional, depending on how difficult the game you want it to be.
The tree can be set to “Basic” mode, wherein the tree follows a slow and steady rotation that is highly predictable. Changing its mode to “Advanced” for a faster and more random “whomping” pattern can, of course, make the game more difficult.
The main object of the game is to use the cars to scoop up objects from the tree as it starts, stutters, stops, and reverses. You hold the car by the molded exhaust as you grab objects using the antenna. The motion of the tree is quite erratic so it is common for a few pieces to be knocked off from the tree.
Basically there are 3 game modes. In Time mode, each player takes a turn to snag all the luggage. Once finished and the tree has been stopped, it will sound car horns telling you how well you did, ranging from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor). In Versus mode, the objective is to grab one piece of luggage, set of books, and an owl before any of your opponents do. The Free-For-All mode allows 2-4 players to play, where the ultimate goal is to obtain as much luggage as you can before other players. The general rule in all these modes is you have to put the item back on the moving tree with your hands in case you drop or knock it off.
Pros and cons
Harry Potter Whomping Willow game is fun, but it requires no strategy at all, so it could get a little boring after a while. It can help develop the coordination and reflexes of your kid but that’s about it.
The pieces look durable, except for the branches which seem a bit fragile, so be extra careful while handling the tree.
The verdict
Despite its few negatives, Whomping Willow game would still be a great addition to your Harry Potter magical cache of collectibles. Or for the next Harry Potter party, this could be a source of entertainment and an attractive piece of decorative display as well.
If you own Whomping Willow, please rate it and leave comments using the link below.