Xbox

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is a kids' game, but there are plenty of challenges for grown-ups, too. I am willing to bet that there will be many a father out there who will find this the ultimate father/child bonding experience. There are so many hidden, unlockable things in the game, that repeated playing is mandatory. The game has charm to spare and a silly sense of humor that kept me smiling and laughing throughout. I don't say this often, but this is a perfect game. Go out and get a copy and buy one for every kid you know.

Using virtual LEGO, you can mix and match characters' body parts so you can plonk Chewbacca's head on Yoda's body. You can also build vehicles and change the storyline as you go along. Block-building, Empire-fighting genius.

Star Wars has been licensed to death in the gaming world, with just about every nook and cranny mined dry of any mystery it might've once possessed. How surprising, then, was it that LEGO Star Wars, ostensibly developed with a younger audience in mind, managed to breathe fresh air into an aging epic laden with archetypes and high drama?

If you've somehow missed out on the original LEGO Star Wars, then here is your chance to make up for past mistakes. Now, I'm guessing that if you did pass on playing the first game that it was because you thought it was "a dumb kid's game" or because "the game's based on the Star Wars prequels, and those suck." Well, that second excuse won't fly anymore because this sequel is based on the original trilogy. You know, the one that everyone likes.

Equal parts nostalgia act, comedy routine, and solid videogame, LEGO Star Wars II is a very entertaining title. I’d have to imagine a lot of the experience would be lost if you’re not a big Star Wars fan, however. So much of my fun with this game was based on how they re-imagined all the scenes I’ve seen countless times. Regardless of whether you’re a fan or not, the gameplay (especially co-op) makes it a worthy title.

If multiplayer is your thing, then LEGO Star Wars has that also. Just like last year's title, The Original Trilogy allows for immediate "Drop in/ Drop Out" two-player co-op at any time with a few small tweaks thrown in for good measure. Take the camera, for instance. Now it draws back much further than it use to before requiring characters to move closer to one another. There's an all-new (and extensive) character creation feature built-in as well, and it allows users of vastly different play styles and preferences to hook up however they want. Sadly, online co-op still isn't supported in any of the console versions, and if one person moves to the next screen by himself, player two is auto-transported to that location no matter what he might be in the middle of doing.

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy isn’t just a kid’s game. To discredit it as such would be a sin for any Star Wars fan. If anything, it’s the perfect throwback to all of the old memories and memorable scenes of the original Star Wars classics. LEGO Star Wars II isn’t perfect–the gunplay is a little frustrating and some of the levels had me cursing at the TV–but it’s a fun game that people of all ages can enjoy. Parents, there’s not a better way to get your children into the greatest trilogy in film history.

Think about it: when was the last time a video game let you blow up the Death Star? Rescue Princess Leia? Unfreeze Han Solo? When was the last time, to put it another way, you picked up a Star Wars game that followed the events of the classic movies themselves, not some hair-brained fan-fiction probably written by someone who looks like this.

In this day and age where mature games dominate the shelf space that was once adorned with family titles, it’s nice to see that some publishers are willing to take the risk of providing fun-filled gameplay that doesn’t revolve around its ability to push the boundaries of pop culture. The first LEGO Star Wars game was met with certain trepidation from the Xbox faithful, but once they got over the initial intrigue of seeing their favorite Star Wars heroines cloned into block form, they realized that underneath their blocky exterior was a game that packed more fun than most.

In the end, I had a blast with this second go into the world of LEGO Star Wars. This entire game is held up by the comedy that it delivers, and as a result, I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in years. After finishing the game, the first thing that I wanted to do was run out and purchase every Star Wars LEGO set that I could find. It’s good to be a kid again.

The original Lego Star Wars was a great little lighthearted romp of a game: an amusing way to play out the three most recent Star Wars films in virtual form. The Lego and Star Wars combo proved to also be a terrific formula for the game space, generating an experience in Lego Star Wars that was oftentimes even more entertaining than the source material it was based on. Like any good sequel, Lego Star Wars II improves on the original in almost every way. But most importantly, it's about the good episodes now. For that reason alone, Lego Star Wars II is one of the most enjoyable games of this fall.

Right around the time of the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Traveller's Tales released the surprisingly enjoyable Lego Star Wars, a kid-friendly action adventure game that inexplicably rendered the exploits of young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to look as though they were made out of Lego building blocks. It was a curious combination, but it worked because the gameplay was novel enough, the combined nostalgia for Star Wars and Legos was potent, and the experience was delivered with a humorous, lighthearted flair. Lego Star Wars II is an even better package than the original, due almost entirely to the fact that the emotional connection to A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi is much stronger for most people.