Lego Star Wars: The Video Game

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Lego Star Wars: The Video Game
Developer(s)	Traveller's Tales Griptonite Games Aspyr Media Giant Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Eidos Interactive LucasArts
Release date(s)	April 5 2005 (PC, PS2, Xbox, GBA) October 26 2005 (GameCube) August 2005 (Mac) April 21 2006 April 22 2005
Genre(s)	Third-person Action/ Platformer
Mode(s)	Single player, two-player simultaneous
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone, Violence (E) PEGI: 3+
Platform(s)	GameCube, PS2, Xbox, GBA, PC (Windows), Mac
Input	Keyboard, gamepad

Lego Star Wars: The Video Game is a video game based on the Star Wars themed toy line by the Lego Group, that takes place during the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith), with a bonus segment from A New Hope. Lego Star Wars was first released on April 5, 2005, a full month before the final Star Wars film premiered.

It was developed by Traveller's Tales for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows, with Griptonite Games developing the Game Boy Advance version. These initial versions were published in April of 2005. A Mac port, developed by Aspyr, was released in August 2005. A GameCube version of the game was released on October 26 2005. All versions were published by Eidos Interactive and LucasArts.

Lego Star Wars was billed as a "kid's game" and received the "Game of the Year" award from Kidzworld.com ^[1] but nonetheless peaked at the top of the UK charts during early May 2005. It later lost the spot to the official game of Episode III but maintained a consistently high chart position throughout the month.

A sequel, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, was released in September 2006.

[edit] Gameplay

Lego Star Wars contains a total of 56 playable characters. The playable characters are modeled like actual Lego parts (but with far more mobility) and are divided into groups according to certain skills.

[edit] Characters

There are a wide variety of characters included in the game, all of which are unlocked by completing levels or by purchasing them at Dexter's Diner. Every character, other than Chancellor Palpatine (who can jump), the PK Droid and the Gonk Droid has a special ability, such as extra high jumping, control of the Force, or the ability to grapple. Droids, while not being armed, can travel through the game unimpeded (ie. they won't be intentionally attacked by enemy characters); as well, protocol droids and astromech droids can open special doors. Also, unlike other armed droids, player-controlled Battle Droids will be ignored by hostile Battle droids but not Droidekas. The Gonk droid is also indestructable.

Unlocked characters can be imported into the game's sequel, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, as a extra costing 250,000 Lego studs.

[edit] Original Trilogy characters

Because Lego Star Wars is based on the Prequel Trilogy (Episodes I, II and III), Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and other characters from the original Star Wars trilogy are not shown,appearing in Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy.

This game was released before Revenge of the Sith, possibly driving sales up as the basic plotline was present in the game. To prevent inadvertent spoilers however, most reviewers warned that this was the case in their reviews.

[edit] Dexter's Diner

Dexter's Diner is the area from which the player chooses what level to enter, view any vehicles whose parts they have found. Lego Star Wars also has a feature called 'free play', which enables the player to play the same level again, but with the ability to switch between characters, thus get into areas containing extras the player was unable to get before. In Free Play mode, a player may use any character they have unlocked. The player may also match up good and evil characters, such as Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul. The free play option will only appear when the player finishes a level. Levels that are played in vehicles cannot be played in free play, but are able to be replayed in story mode like all the others. Some characters, such as Chancellor Palpatine, the PK Droid, and the Gonk Droid, can't do anything but walk, although they are never attacked in the case of PK Droids and Gonk Droids, giving them the ability to traverse the levels unharmed. Also in the diner, you may purchase unlockable extras for studs.

[edit] Levels

Each level in Lego Star Wars loosely follows the various sequences from the Star Wars prequel films, with game play segments linked together by various cutscenes. There is no spoken dialogue; rather, the characters act out their parts using gestures and pantomime. The game begins with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn about the Trade Federation ship, and ends with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi's duel on Mustafar.

[edit] Bonus level

In each level, a certain number of Lego studs need to be collected (the number varies per level) in order to obtain a piece of the super kit. Unfortunately, you have to get all the studs in one try. The studs can be collected in story mode or free play mode. After all 17 kit pieces are collected, a fourth door, marked by a question mark, unlocks in the main room of Dexter's Diner. This room contains the bonus level, a short prelude into Episode IV: A New Hope. This level is available for both story and free play modes, however there are no cutscenes, no mini-kit pieces to collect, no Lego stud meter and no areas that can only be reached in free play mode.

In the bonus level, the player plays as Darth Vader and an Imperial Stormtrooper (Plus they meet up with C-3PO.), upon entering the Tantive IV blockade runner (which is also the model of the super kit collected to unlock the level). In the level, the player encounters a few Rebel soldiers, and is capable of collecting over 100,000 Lego studs. The level ends upon finding Princess Leia and R2-D2. To be continued... follows completion. This is different than the LSWII:TOT Episode IV opening level, as you play as Leia and her Rebel Friend in LSWII.

[edit] Game Boy Advance version

Yoda rescuing a clone trooper from two battle droids in Kashyyyk (GBA version)

Freeplay character selection (GBA version)

Anakin Skywalker, battling his future self Darth Vader (controlled by the player) in freeplay mode (GBA version)

The Game Boy Advance (GBA) version of Lego Star Wars has several differences (mostly for the sake of portability), including fewer playable characters (15), devalued credits (grey pieces are worth 1, blue 5 and yellow 10 credits), fewer levels and only one player character on screen at a time and cutscenes are still-renders of the home console versions.

All lightsaber users are able to deflect blaster shots aimed at them (provided they are attacking the shot) and each character has their own style. They also are the only ones able to use the force to interact with undeployed platforms and switches. However, unlike other versions of the game, blaster shots can only be deflected if they are headed straight towards the player at the front, not the back or sides of the charatcer. Blaster characters can charge a shot by holding the button, making it stronger and able to pass through several enemies. However, as they don't have the shot deflecting abilities of Jedi, their use is quite limited.

[edit] References

1. ^ Kidzworld's Top 10 Video Games of 2005 Kidzworld.com. URL Accessed on November 4, 2006.

[edit] See also

• Lego
• Star Wars
• Lego Star Wars
• Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Lego Star Wars: The Video Game at MobyGames
• PC Demo (198MB)
• Gamespot review
• IGN review
• Gamespy PS2 review