In this age of gaming, our children literally grow up in our laps as we sit at our keyboards and work or play. The Reader Rabbit series produces a game aptly called Reader Rabbit Toddlers. This should give those who don't have children an idea of exactly when children become interested in doing what their parents or older siblings are doing: basically from birth!

[Ed. - There were many, bright, outdoorsy images however I lost them in a hard drive crash. This game is not as dark as the screenshots appear.]

The difficulty for the youngest of children is usually their undeveloped motor skills and/or their inability to read. They want to play the console games their siblings are playing, but simply cannot grasp (literally) the mechanics of the gamepad, or the games are beyond their comprehension. A PC has several advantages over any console in this regard. The mouse is a much easier instrument to use; young children quickly realize their effect on the screen when they use a mouse. The keys on a keyboard are bigger than most console keys, and (as long as there aren't too many commands) a child can quickly learn that [space] means jump and [escape] means quit. Also, being closer to the monitor helps them to stay focused - young children are easily distracted, and playing in the living room with all its traffic and activity makes it easy for them to lose track of what they're attempting to accomplish on a console.

A few months ago, I reviewed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban on the GameCube with my 7-year-old son. He's an advanced reader and has been playing games since Reader Rabbit Toddlers. I was impressed with the GameCube Azkaban's ease of use, unique puzzles and ability to entertain while engaging my child in solving problems. His then 4-year-old brother, however, often sat by watching with his thumb in his mouth. There was no way he could switch between characters mid-fight, change spells, or fly a hippogriff. I was told at E3 2004 that the PC version would be wholly designed with younger children in mind - and they came through.

Azkaban on the PC follows the same basic storyline as its console counterparts, the book and the movie. Sirius Black has escaped, the presumed target of his schemes is Harry Potter, and the Dementors have been sent to Hogwarts to "protect" him. All of the primary characters from the movie are there - Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Professor Lupin and of course, Sirius Black. Scabbers the Rat, Crookshanks the Cat, Buckbeak, Peeves and many other secondary characters also make appearances. The voice-overs are done by many of the original actors, lending further credibility to sway usually skeptical children.

The story is both linear and open. And no worries about which of the three main characters to play - you get to play all three! Harry, Ron and Hermione must complete class challenges to earn spells. These are generally spatial puzzles where you must aim with the mouse, click and then move (or Ron "flies" flown or Harry "ice skates") to the next spot. Along the way you have the option of trying to collect Challenge Shields. There are 10 for each spell learned, and finding them all earns the character a trip to the Bean Bonus Room (explained later). You don't have to collect any shields to complete the challenge and earn a spell - you just have to reach the end. If you want to go back and repeat the challenge, you may do so at any time - to improve your skills, collect shields or simply have more fun skating on the ice floes!

Each character has a spell or two that only he learns. Harry learns Expecto Patronum to dispel Dementors and Glacius to freeze water (and put out fire salamanders). Hermione learns the infinitely fun Draconiforis and Lapiforis - she can manipulate dragons and rabbits! Ron learns Carpe Retractum, a very useful spell that either pulls you to something or it to you. In addition to these spells, they all have Alohamora (unlocking), Lumos (illumination), Rictusempra (a tickling charm that knocks back opponents), Spongify (great for making the floor spongy so you can jump) and Depulso, a pushing spell. (Okay, the true muggles out there can tell that not everything in the game is straight from the book.)

Listing all the spells together like this might seem a bit overwhelming, but here is one of the places the game really shines. In the console version, due to lack of keys, you can only have two spells keyed at one time. Also, the spells are much more destructive spells - no bunnies or tickling. You'd also have to manually switch between characters to cast the proper spell. None of this applies in the PC Azkaban. An item that requires a spell is clearly marked with the symbol (and number of casters needed) to manipulate it. You simply press the left mouse key, aim at the item, and (when the correct number of friends are casting, which they do automatically) release the spell. Need to unlock a door? Aim at it and Alohamora is the spell that activates. Need to animate a rabbit? Hermione immediately takes the lead and casts Lapifors. There is no way you can cast the wrong spell.

The control scheme also lends itself to ease of use. You may use any combination of [W]-[A]-[S]-[D], the arrow keys, or the mouse to move and aim. Strafing and walking backwards to avoid imps and other nasties are completely within the realm of the more experienced player. Jumping and climbing require little dexterity. There are small chasms to cross but to miss them is difficult. You simply push forward with the mouse and either hit [space] or right-click. However, very few of these difficulties are present. To climb or jump up you simply run up to the object, push forward with your mouse, and your character will climb. I've rarely seen such a simple yet elegant control scheme.

Controlling the animals in the game is slightly harder but no less possible for little hands. The rabbit runs on the same control scheme as you do. Buckbeak the Hippogriff and the dragons fly by using [space] to flap their wings and the arrow keys for direction. My husband spent hours flying the dragon, while my older son spent several hidden hours (he'd never play a "kids" game) with the bunnies.

So, what do you do in Azkaban? Again, there is a linear story - you complete your spell challenges, solve the mystery of Sirius Black, and then tackle your final exams. But at no point is any of this a requirement. Hogwarts is enormous! It's a real playground and quite easy to get lost in. However, hidden in its secret passageways, suits of armor, innumerable chests, paintings and other paraphernalia you'll find items to collect. There are collectable cards from chocolate frogs (much like the baseball card collecting of old) Bernie Botts' All-Flavored Beans, Pumpkin Pasties and Cauldron Cakes. The last three can be used to purchase more collectable cards and passwords for paintings in Fred and George Weasley's shop. (Part of completing the game is to gain all of the cards.)

There are also several mini-quests, again optional. For example, on the way to Care of Magical Creatures you come upon a water-well infested with pixies. You can choose to go on or stop and clear the pixies. For each round of pixies you clear, you earn a collectable card (and some chocolate frogs to help heal you). The waves become more difficult as they progress, but if you clear them all you'll receive all of the cards in a given category. It's during these challenges that you really see the group work as a team. As you aim and "depulse" a pixie, so will your two friends. If you move closer or back up, they'll follow you into or out of danger. In essence, all of the management has been taken out of the game and all of the play left in.

There are rewards throughout the game as well (like the one mentioned above). Should you collect all of the Challenge Shields in a challenge, you'll receive special entrance to the Bean Bonus Room. This is a maze of hundreds of Beans, Pasties and Cakes. You've got a limited time to bounce, jump and run your way around the room collecting as many as you can. It's simply fun! And even though it's not a reward, I've also got to mention the ability to fly dragons and manipulate rabbits. These are not available in the console version and in truth are some of the most entertaining parts of the game. To play them and succeed is a reward in and of itself. My youngest son does these over and over again.

Azkaban wouldn't be complete without Dementors. Harry has the power to repel them but, as you would expect, they are the most difficult foe in the game to defeat (although imps are up there on my list). You should expect your child to call for help when Harry comes against the true Dementors and not the boggarts he's been practicing against. There are simply too many of them for a young child. But, you'll enjoy it - it's a rather creepy but fun experience!

Once you've solved the main plotline you're offered the chance to take your final exams. These are like the initial challenges of learning spells, only a bit more complex. Again, expect your child to call for help. I know I called my older son for help! But, again, they're optional. Nowhere does it say that you must complete this game - it's designed to be a playground, not an endurance course.

The final notable feature is the in-game menu. Hit [escape] to get a picture of the status of your game. From here you can view the different floors of Hogwarts (using the Marauder's Map), plus how many cards you've collected, challenges completed, special challenges completed, passwords obtained, secrets and your achievement list. It's all done with simple graphics, so once you explain it even non-readers can understand it. (Oh, almost forgot - all text in this game is also spoken. Again, non-readers should have no problems.)

Now, for the adults. Hogwarts is a visual feast. From the moving staircase to the reflection of the stained glass window on the floor (affected by shadows) to the clock in the entrance, the detail is staggering. As a children's game, the textures and shadings are, frankly, unnecessary. But no detail is too small here, and it makes for one absolutely gorgeous game. The sound effects are well done and the background music fits perfectly and is not intrusive. At one point, I put on headphones to play. I was staggered by the quality of the music and the ambient noises (kudos to EA). It's a feast for the ears as well as the eyes. Of final note are the system specs - very low, starting with a P3 600. Kids often get the leftovers of the household hardware, and game designers are beginning to recognize that. Again, it shows forethought into what a child requires.

No game would be complete without at least a single complaint. In this case, I actually have no complaint with the game itself but with the marketing - and in future children's PC titles you'll see the same complain. This game was not marketed as being for young children. Those who did not own consoles and bought it for their older children were disappointed. Review sites and magazines gave it poor reviews for being too simplistic. Yet a simply "this game is designed for ages 4-7" would not only have alleviated the negativity but, I feel, increased the sales greatly. It's going to be a personal mission of mine as a mother to make sure people know that there are quality, educational and fun titles out there for their little ones!

As you have probably gathered from my gushing review, I think this is one of the best titles ever developed for young kids. It takes a popular and respected license and makes it accessible to even the youngest fans. Not only that, it makes gaming and puzzle solving fun for kids who, up until very recently, were given only educational titles to work with. If you have a young child who loves Harry Potter, this is a most excellent title. It'll be on your frequent playlist for months.