LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga

What’s the Story?

The original LEGO Star Wars and its sequel, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, were surprise, all-ages blockbusters, cleverly evoking nostalgia in adults who loved the movies and played with the toys while delivering action and puzzles simple enough to entice younger players (who may also have loved the movies and played with the toys). Now LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA combines these two great games into a single, seamless (and lengthy) experience. The art department buffed up the building blocks for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions, giving them that realistic, next-gen plastic shine, and they've upgraded the game design of Episodes I through III to match that of episodes IV through VI, including newly enhanced character customization features and revamped vehicle stages. Lucas Arts added extra content as well, including new playable characters (like Watto and Boss Nass), a few new scenarios (the most prominent of which is a high-speed chase in Episode II in which you pursue bounty hunter Zam Wessell), and additional elective bounty hunter missions.

Is It Any Good?

Not all LEGO Star Wars games are created equal. Those who opt for the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 versions will have the benefit of online cooperative play. Meanwhile, Wii players get to play with motion-sensitive controls as they swing and dip the Wii remote to make their heroes use their force powers and speed up the LEGO building process. Conversely, the DS edition makes surprisingly little use of the system's touch screen, opting instead for a more traditional d-pad and action button interface. It's also worth mentioning that, while similar in design, humor, and presentation to the console editions, the DS version's levels, puzzles, and challenges were tailored specifically for Nintendo's handheld platform, giving mobile LEGO Star Wars a bit of a different vibe than living room LEGO Star Wars.