Lego Star Wars

"This is probably one of the better kids' games to hit the market in a while, and that it's clever and charming enough to appeal to adults is a testament to that fact."

Whoever authorized the popular LEGO Star Wars license for use in videogames deserves a giant pat on the back. Because in all seriousness, what better way to revitalize an aging franchise is there than to retell some of its best moments with a collection of ridiculously-colored building blocks? I don't think there is one. Either way, Traveller's Tales' upcoming ode to the Star Wars franchise takes a loveably absurd premise and runs with it at full speed. And while the game may not have the same polish or production value that LucasArts' more serious take on Revenge of the Sith does, I still can't help but wonder if this might turn out to be the better game. Now to be fair, I haven't played The Collective's secretive interpretation of Episode III just yet, so my statement above is still admittedly uninformed. Even so, based on the time I've spent with the first campaign in LEGO Star Wars up to this point, I find myself rather surprised with its quality since it actually appears to be more than just a cheap cash-in on the impending merchandising blitz. In a word, LEGO Star Wars tries very hard to be "cool," and on many levels it already succeeds. The reason I'm so impressed with LEGO Star Wars up to this point is a pretty simple one: it doesn't take itself too seriously. Broken into three episodes just like the newer film trilogy, it totally recreates the key action moments from each of the three films while adding a slight touch of humor. When the Trade Federation destroys Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's transport ship at the beginning of the first movie, for example, the whole scene is recreated shot for shot with one noticeable exception: the pilots are left hovering in the air in sitting positions before turning to each other while looking puzzled and falling directly to the hangar floor. It may not be slapstick hilarious, but it's quaint and worth a chuckle or two. The rest of Episode I is chock full of similar humorous situations like that. During one of the big battles, for instance, Obi-Wan's lightsaber jams while Qui-Gon finishes off an opponent amazed at Ben's lack of involvement. Instead of installing the parts necessary on the Queen's ship when it's stuck on Tatooine, Obi-Wan just smacks the motor really hard to get it up and running. And when Qui-Gon is struck down by Darth Maul in the climactic final battle, little black X's appear over his eyes to signify that he's dead. You'll never see that in a proper Star Wars port, that's for sure. As for the gameplay, it's won't win any awards but it doesn't offer bad mechanics either. Pretty basic in nature, the commands that players can give their characters are as straightforward as they come. A single attack button, the ability to jump, and a special technique come standard on almost every personality in the game. But with certain characters like R2-D2 or a protocol droid, the jump button may be replaced with something else (R2, for example, has his Episode II booster feet). You're never stuck as one character during your adventure either, as users will be able to use the switch command to take control of another Star Wars favorite as they see fit. This switching system is the most important aspect to LEGO Star Wars so far, because you'll need to use the skills of the individual characters in order to progress. Chapter 5 of Episode I is a great illustration of this, as you'll need to use the abilities of Qui-Gon, Padme, Obi-Wan, Anakin, R2-D2, and Captain Panaka several times in order to progress through the level. This is accomplished via several environmental puzzles that can only be accessed by certain characters. This means that only Padme and Panaka can use their grappling hooks to ascend to the higher sections of the level, while Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are the only ones who can use the force to reassemble LEGOs for new and helpful structures (stairways, bridges, elevators, and things of that nature). The system works quite well and offers enough of a challenge without being too overt or frustrating. Another one of the game's better features is the ability to play as dozens of different Star Wars characters regardless their relation to the story. Accessible via purchase with the money found in your adventures, these extra characters include the Battle Droids, Anakin Skywalker, and Darth Maul himself. Making things even more interesting, is that once you've unlocked a character they'll all hang out and congregate at Dax's Episode II diner -- which acts as a hub of sorts between the three primary episodes and allows you to see how all these characters get along in their off time. You can even find hidden LEGO pieces in the various levels to create models of the most popular Star Wars vehicles around, which are the put out on display in front of your hub area. Unfortunately, the build of LEGO Star Wars currently in our possession is still far from complete. So I'm still not sure how the camera system will work when all is said and done. As it stands right now, it can definitely be a bit of a problem, though, as it's completely automatic and offers no user adjustments whatsoever. This can create an abundant and unnecessary loss of energy, since enemies that can't even be seen will nail your party with blasters before you even know that they're there. It'll also be interesting to see how the game's racing sequences turn out, since our beta version doesn't offer any opponents or real obstacles to speak of between cutscenes. Luckily, we should be getting our hands on an even newer version of LEGO Star Wars in just a couple of weeks, at which point we can tackle the Episode II portion of the game and check back with the more complete Episode I. But even at this early point, LEGO Star Wars still looks like it's going to be pretty good and could be one of our guilty pleasures of the summer months.

"If you're a parent, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game should be at the top of your child's birthday list. It has everything a family-oriented title needs: it has personality, puzzles, cooperative modes, replay value, low violence, a lack of frustrating difficulty, and most importantly, it has Darth Vader. And that's what makes it enjoyable for adults too, because let's face it; Darth Vader makes everything better -- it's a fact."