LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy Review

Knowing–or having–children that “game” makes you–as a gamer–more aware of just how bad some of these kiddie games are. I watch in dismay as my nephews time and time again are tricked into thinking their favorite movie licenses also make for good video games. They don’t! And that’s why LEGO Star Wars was such a relief; it proved that it is possible to make something both adults and children alike can enjoy. So now that we’re back for another round, does this still ring true? Absolutely.

As a quick refresher, LEGO Star Wars combines LEGO bricks with the Star Wars universe. Just about everything is constructed out of LEGO pieces–and coated with a somewhat cel-shaded style–giving the game a genuine feel of playing with plastic toys. The result is charming, cute, and quite funny. LEGO Star Wars excels in sight gags thanks to it never taking the Star Wars license too seriously. Cut scenes are acted out in non-narrated charades and take great liberties in putting clever twists on old story elements, like Luke’s new hand coming alive and running away. If you are at all familiar with Star Wars (as you should very well be), you’ll find plenty to like about this game in presentation alone.

Familiarity also comes in the form of the movie’s soundtrack making it over nearly untouched. Some of it is quite nostalgic, though I’m always disappointed when games don’t have some kind of original music. Besides–and I may be the first to admit this–most of the music from Star Wars is… well… kind of annoying. Then you couple this with some repetitive blaster and lightsaber sound effects, and you’ve got a game that works better with the volume down.

But LEGO Star Wars II still works as a whole and is pretty entertaining from beginning to end. Like its predecessor, this takes you through all three movies (of the original trilogy this time) and puts you right into the important sequences. Taking down the Death Star. Escaping from Echo Base on Hoth. Chasing scout troopers on speeder bikes. And, like its predecessor, the gameplay is very character-based. Droids are useful for opening doors. Jedi and Sith can double jump and use the Force on certain objects, but only characters carrying a blaster can use grappling hooks. There are also periodic doors which can only be opened by stormtroopers or bounty hunters or people posing as either (by finding and wearing a helmet relevant to that class). Bounty hunters alone have become a much more important group. They can throw thermal detonators and have access to their own set of special levels. And it’s not just Boba Fett to make the grade, either. Remember that bounty hunter scene from The Empire Strikes Back? Yep. All of them are here. My only gripe about the character list is that there are too few Jedi. Eight variations of Luke aren’t as exciting as the large cast from the last game. But, new to LEGO Star Wars, you can now create characters of your own with pieces from any other unlocked characters!

Not all characters are created equal, though. Some, like the droids, move painfully slow. Then Yoda is too erratic. Yeah, he’s older now, but he still kicks butt with that lightsaber. It’s easy to get used to all classes, though, because the controls are kept simple. One button to jump. One button to shoot. One button for all other actions. It makes it really easy for people to join in without having a pedigree in video games, but having multiple actions assigned to one button also creates problems. The X button pulls switches and builds (similar to using the Force) for all characters, but then special characters like the bounty hunters also throw thermal detonators with this. So you may try to build a staircase and accidentally blow yourself up.

Fortunately, dying is nothing serious. Some of the studs (coins) you’re carrying will scatter, but it is impossible to get “Game Over.” You can get the equivalent, though, when the game glitches on you. Sometimes a door that it supposed to open doesn’t, forcing you to restart that level. Other times, your teammate will get dragged off the camera and magically appear behind the wrong wall. Bugs were quite prevalent in LEGO Star Wars I, and it’s pretty frustrating to find they still exist in full force.

Vehicle levels are back again, too, and have been taken off rails, giving you full free-roaming access. However, controlling an X-Wing or TIE Fighter is more cumbersome than it should be. Movement is way too touchy, and the wrong tilt of the analog stick will inconveniently send you pointing in the opposite direction. Trying to play any of the flight missions with two players is nigh impossible, since when one player flips around, the game forces the other play to do so, as well.

Lastly, I have to point out that in the jump from LEGO Star Wars I to II, the rating also went up from E to E10+. Not that I care that much, but it also reflects the difficulty. LEGO Star Wars I was a bit too easy, so I welcome the challenge, but this makes it harder for all ages to enjoy something that’s supposed to be enjoyed by all ages. Some of the puzzles here are just too vague for kids to figure out on their own. LEGO Star Wars I worked best when it was most accessible: a game anyone could enjoy. While that is still certainly true for the sequel, it’s kind of sad to talk up this game to my nephews only to watch them grow confused and frustrated, because they don’t understand how to defeat an AT-AT (hint: it’s more than just tripping it with wire).

I will still stand by the claim that this is an excellent everybody’s game, though. But may I recommend that an adult who is more familiar with the original Star Wars play it with a child. Because, honestly, this game is a blast and packs a lot of hours of fun and shouldn’t be missed! The Story mode is quite lengthy on its own, maybe a 6-8 hour venture. But then you go through levels again in Free Play with a larger team to uncover secrets and bonuses. And minikits aren’t just for show this time, either. The vehicles you build with the ten minikits hidden in every level can be used in special missions at the end of each episode. There’s also the goal of reaching True Jedi in both Story and Free Play, a status requiring you to collect a certain amount of studs. And don’t forget about the bounty hunter missions. Oh, and there are still quite a number of cheats and characters to purchase. AND one of the best bonus levels I’ve ever seen, just for meeting a certain level of completion. It’ll take you a long time to unlock everything, and it’s definitely worth it.

Final Comments

When push comes to shove, I have to put this and LEGO Star Wars I on equal grounds. The source material here is better, the jokes are funnier, and there’s a lot more content. But the game is still full of bugs, vehicles are even more of a pain to control, and the difficulty, while appealing to those of us who may have grown up with the original Star Wars, isolates a younger audience with vaguer puzzles. Don’t dismay, though, because this is still plenty fun and is one of the best GameCube titles in recent history. If you at all enjoyed the first game in the series, you will find a lot to like about this one. Newcomers to the LEGO Star Wars universe should just as well buy both games for the price of one Xbox 360 game. That’s what I call good business.