Review by Pat Newell (Jedi Scholar 8)

INTRODUCTION
The Prequel Trilogy has given the Star Wars Fan Community a multitude of new favorite characters, from Darth Maul to Anakin Skywalker, Padme Amidala to Jar Jar Binks! Now, in this fun and exciting game available on Xbox, Game Cube, and Playstation 2, you can play as them all! Play each Episode, from "The Phantom Menace" to "Revenge Of The Sith", in stunning video and audio! While the entire game is based on those loveable bricks known as Legos, this game was designed for children and adults alike. The intricacies of the game keep the hard core gamer hooked, while at the same time are easy enough for any age to accomplish a 100% completion. So, Troopers and Troopettes grab your bucket of Legos and your imaginations and enter into the untamed universe of Star Wars Lego!

DIFFICULTY
There are two modes to play this game, Story Mode and Free Play mode. I began the game playing in Story Mode. While the basic game play is very easy to master, it’s the small differences among the characters that are what completes the game. Jar Jar Binks can jump higher than any Jedi in the game, but cannot shoot or grapple. General Grievous and Grievous’ Bodyguard can jump even higher. Jango Fett can fly, but only along a surface, unable to cross divides while the astromech droids such as R2 and R4 can hover in the air longer. In Story Mode, you get two pre-chosen characters based on the Movie and Chapter you are currently playing. I was confused and frustrated my first time playing the game to realize that certain hidden secrets could only be accessed with certain characters, many times not in your party of two. It wasn’t until I replayed the game in Free Play mode that allowed you to select 2 different characters and gave you an arsenal of 8 or so more to toggle through. Some of the puzzles still take more than one time to get through, regardless of what mode you are trying to play. Often you will come upon some random Lego pieces strewn about. The Jedi or Sith in your party can use the Force and make them into steps or bridges, or some other hidden secret. The nicest part of the game, and probably made for the younger children, was that no matter how many times you die, your game never ends. What’s funnier is, when you die, you break into the small Lego pieces, which also double as currency in the game.

GAME PLAY
Game play is simple, run, jump, shoot/swing lightsaber, and Use Force/Use Grapple gun. Many items can be broken or use the Force on to acquire silver, gold, and blue Lego pieces that work as money you can spend at Dexter’s Diner where you can buy additional characters such as Emperor Palpatine and even Princess Leia, buy hints, or even buy tools such as invincibility! You begin each game in Dexter’s Diner, and from there you can choose which Episode you would like to begin in, I, II, or III. You can also switch between other characters that may be walking around the Diner and try out their different abilities. Once you decide which Episode to begin with, you then chose which chapter to begin in. Finally, once you have decided on the chapter, you then choose Story Mode or Free Play. In Story mode, you get two characters prechosen by the game specific for that chapter. For example, in Chapter 1 of Episode I, you are Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. From there, it’s a journey to discover the hidden secrets such as bridges that can be built with errant Legos and the Force, or hidden treasure troves unveiled with the swipe of a lightsaber or blast of a gun.
Overall, the game wants you to find 10 minikits in each chapter of each episode that build something specific for that level and 17 superkits, which you get from attaining 100% of the required kit pieces (the money bits) in each chapter which builds one large Lego item! However, every time you die, or lose 4 hearts, you also lose some kit pieces as well. If you hurry after you are respawned, you can collect many if not all of them back again! You will most definitely need to play each level at least twice, the second being in Free Play mode to get the characters you need to unlock all of the secrets! While the game follows pretty closely the actual movies, they do hurry through or alter game play in order for the game to flow well and keep players entertained. No one wants to play as Qui-Gon as he tries to barter with Watto, but they ALL want to race in the Pod Race!

AUDIO
The Audio in the game was excellent. Clear, concise, and had some little surprises in them. Though no voices were used at all, the little “death screams” sound pretty funny! The background music is evident, yet not distracting or overwhelming. The Lego’s had a crisp, clicking sound as they were used to build things, and the hum and ignition of the lightsabers were right on!

VIDEO
The animations and graphics are some of the best I’ve seen in awhile and funny enough, they come from simplicity! You can see the expressions on the characters’ faces, much like the Legos we all played with at one time or another. The capes flow while moving about, the jets pulsate and writhe while in flight, and the Lightsabers hum and glow. The bricks are what they are, and that’s all they need to be. The three dimensional landscapes are so incredibly detailed, that sometimes it’s difficult to judge distance and orientation, and you end up leaping right off an edge somewhere!

REPLAY VALUE
I’ve played this twice now, once in Story mode and once in Free Play mode. I’m here to tell you now, that I’ll play it many times more. It is simple enough to play after a stressful day of work or school, but entertaining enough to enjoy it while doing so. Best of all, is the fact that you can sit down and play with just about anyone else, such as your wife or child, and play together without the frustration of playing with someone who is not as skilled or more skilled at video games. Rainy days have you and your son or daughter stuck in the house? Lego Star Wars will provide hours of family fun, no doubt about it.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Though it at first seemed overly simplistic, you soon get trapped in the game trying desperately to acquire enough kit pieces to make up enough superkits and minikits in order to complete the game and gain access to the Secret Episode door in Dexter’s Diner. The array of characters is absolutely amazing, providing fun characters to use whether you want to be a Sith, Jedi, or Bounty Hunter. This game has them all! The graphics and sound allow for you to get completely lost in the game, and before you know it, the hours have flown by! This is a great game to keep around the house because I can throw it in after a stressful day and not get frustrated with it, and when children come to visit, they can play it just as well!

GRADING SCALE

SCREENSHOTS