LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - E10+

An impishly charming version of Star Wars.

Publisher: LucasArts Category/Genre: Video Games - Action/Adventure Platform: Nintendo GameCube Price: $30-50 Online Enabled: No Graphics: Whimsical depiction of Star Wars universe done with LEGOs. Playability: Easy. Young and old will enjoy this gameplay. Reading Level: Medium Release Date: 09/11/2006 ESRB Rating: E10+ for Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this is a humorous depiction of the Star Wars universe. Kids will be blasting their way through this world, but what they blow up is LEGOs. Since this is a parody of the Star Wars movies, parents might want to rent the movies before their kids play the game so that they can better enjoy the humor.

Families can talk about how key scenes from the movies are depicted differently in the game. How do the creators use the LEGO characters to create humor. Is it more fun to play by yourself or with a buddy? What makes this game so much fun?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen

What happens when game producers unleash the impish charm of LEGO characters within the blast-happy, steely universe of George Lucas' Star Wars? They tap into the Force, and create a fabulous video game called LEGO STAR WARS II: THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY.

The sequel to LEGO Star Wars, last year's sleeper hit, LEGO Star Wars II continues the tongue-in-cheek humor that so endeared the original game to its fans. Players relive the stories of Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but with a new twist. This Star Wars universe is built with LEGO bricks and is inhabited by LEGO character look-alikes.

The major scenes from the movies, when reenacted with the Star Wars characters made out of LEGOs, always contain a unique humorous bent. For example, when LEGO Princess Leia is trying to escape the menacing stormtroopers, she blasts a hole in the wall to exit a starship. LEGO Chewbacca won't follow her out, so Hans Solo whips out a large bone and tosses it into the void -- Chewy dives after it.

The game unfolds in the Mos Eisley Cantina, the infamous galactic bar. From there you can access the three different movie worlds. The levels of the game are presented as chapters from each of the three movies; and you can move among the three movies once you have completed "Secret Plans," the first chapter in Episode IV: A New Hope. Completing any chapter in the Story Mode will also open it for replay in Free Mode.

Each chapter has a set of characters available to you for play. You can toggle among characters to tap into each one's unique powers. And if friends or family want to join in, the game supports cooperative play where one extra player can drop in or out at any time.

In this action-adventure game, you blast your way through obstacles and bad guys, use the Force to automatically build whenever you find a pile of LEGOs, and solve a variety of puzzles. Some of the puzzles are platform challenges involving high, out-of-the-way places. Others require logic as you figure out which character's unique talents can help you solve the puzzle. For example, certain locked doors can only be opened by the droid R2-D2; but before you become that robot, you will need to play as Luke to use the Force and build a ramp out of LEGOs. Then R2-D2 can access the door.

Kid-testers were thrilled to discover that they can ride Star Wars animals and pilot all sorts of Star Wars vehicles. Each character also has a their own attack style. Wookie Chewbacca pulls off LEGO arms, whereas Princess Leia delivers an imperial slap. Testers were amused by their ability to customize characters in the Free Mode. By interchanging body parts of over 50 playable characters, they were able to create Darth 3PO and Princess Leia Kenobi.

LucasArts has been careful to keep the mechanics of the game easy, so children can play. For example, you are given infinite lives. But the experienced Yodas of gaming will also find a challenge by turning on the special adaptive difficulty feature -- the better you play, the harder the game gets.

For Star Wars fan both young and old, don't miss this one -- it's exciting, funny, and makes you think.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content LEGO Hans Solo and LEGO Princess Leia kiss.
Violence Lots of blasting throughout, but all cartoonish and involving LEGOs.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior The player is always accompanied by a group of characters who help out, so there is always a sense of community. Cooperative play feature permits a friend to drop-in/drop-out at will.
	Commercialism This is a game based on the Star Wars movies.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco Main menu is set in the Mos Eisley Cantina, an intergalactic bar.
	Educational Value Loads of galatic puzzles to solve.