LEGO Video Games: Above the Bar
By: Eric M. Martin |
Monday October 13, 2008 |
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LEGO apparently has their hands in some of the best games in the market today. |
| The two largest forms of entertainment that have influenced my play life as a young child were video games and LEGOs. Therefore, it’s no small wonder that LEGO video games would be like having pie all the time. Admittedly, I am not as fond of the Bionicle series, for I find the underlying stories a little too complex. However, ever since the creation of LEGO Star Wars, hailed as one of the greatest Star Wars game ever made, something inside of me has snapped and will not be fixed. That snapping is that of my fun bone. It has been broken under the weight of immeasurable gaming enjoyment. Most recently I was exposed to the LEGO Indiana Jones Adventures, and it had been a long while since I spent an entire day playing nothing but the same game, stopping only to perform the basic necessities of life. With minor exceptions that cater to the inherent style, the three stages conform quite well to the Indiana Jones films. Aside from the cute LEGO characters and uber-destructible terrain, there are reasons to keep at this title until completion. Level design is remarkable. Although the objectives are fairly basic, no two levels are alike. Replayability is at an all-time peak with tons of unlockable content, mostly extra characters and various “cheats.” On top of that, there is a secret level called the Ancient City where the goal is to reach one million LEGO studs (the little coin-like currency found in the game) by completing various puzzles and destroying all available fixtures. Second on the list is LEGO Batman: The Videogame. Whew! As easy as LEGO Indiana Jones is, LEGO Batman is on the polar opposite. Difficulty level: Explode! Granted, since there is no finite death, each level is finishable. However, with each character death you lose part of your stud count. If you do not finish each level with a certain amount of studs, you lose out on some unlockable content until you can replay the level and re-achieve. Since the challenge is ramped up, the rise to the task is so much more enjoyable. Playing primarily as Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo must thwart three crime waves, all masterminded by the denizens of Arkham Asylum. But, the fun doesn’t stop there. After completing a crime wave, there is a monitor station in the Batcave. Activate that and you have the option to play the other side of each wave. See what the villains went through in order to set up the Batman and Robin side of fighting crime. Now that’s innovation. Replayability? Don’t get me started! All of this meant that I was compelled to walk down to my local Target and purchase LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. All the fun of LEGOs mixed in with the fun of “pew pew pew.” LEGO Star Wars is a nice medium on the difficulty scale, with more expansive stages than LEGO Indiana Jones and a definite adherence to the movies, in their own way. Starting off as Princess Leia and Captain Antilles, work your way to learning The Force with Obi Wan Kenobi and defending Endor with LEGO Ewoks. Can you say “Yub Yub?” For unlockables, not only are there extra characters and cheats, but you get to build many of the vehicles found in the Star Wars universe, assuming you can find the minikits hidden in each level. Although these games are loads of enjoyment and are playable all by one’s lonesome, the true fun is in sharing the enjoyment with a friend. These titles have taken me back to the Golden Age of Gaming, the likes of which have not been achieved since the days of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Playing games with a 2P has become highly overlooked, and I’m sure that LEGO and Tt Games knows that. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have unleashed the beast. And, with the upcoming merged release of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, it looks like the fun will continue. With that in mind, I’ve thought of a few great ideas for LEGO games that I would love to see. LEGO Star Trek: The Original Series as well as LEGO Star Trek: The Next Generation, LEGO X-Men, LEGO Dungeons and Dragons, LEGO Lord of the Rings, LEGO Chronicles of Narnia, and LEGO Stargate: SG1. Think Traveler’s Tales would grant me some dev time to pitch my ideas? |
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