Game Log – Game Completed Lego Star Wars I (and II) (PS2)

Ok, technically this game never made it on to my “now playing list” but that’s because I went through it in one day with the help of my son. For good measure, I’m throwing in some commentary on Lego Star Wars II which I also recently completed, though before I started this Game Log project.

As I said, I played through this game with my son. Both of these games are the best games I’ve found so far for just such a purpose. They are all around fun for multiplayer for starters. It’s cooperative multiplayer too which is kind of rare these days. Ok, technically the final level of Episode 3 is a versus style multiplayer. OOPS SPOILERS! I guess the warning was supposed to go before that, oh well it’s set in stone now.

Anyway, The game is actually pretty much designed for two player gameplay. There are many puzzles where you need to press multiple switches at once. If you’re going solo, the computer will gladly jump on them for you but often there are secrets and bonuses that pretty much require both players to have an active thought process with what’s going on in front of them. Also, while the computer characters will gladly help out with the pressing of buttons, they are completely worthless in combat. You may have a whole party following you around but only one of them might try shooting the enemy and it’s likely they are missing despite the game’s built in auto aim feature.

At the same time, when you’re paired with an impatient 9 year old for a partner, sometimes it’s easier to collect those same secrets on a solo mission. The game does have appeal for both of us though gameplay wise. he loves to shoot and saber everything in sight. I like to solve the puzzles.

The puzzles are pretty varied but often break down to the same couple of formulas. Generally you either use the force on something or build something or a combination of both. The force is handles pretty well in the games. You can use it on many loose objects though often it just results in some studs (the game’s currency) popping out. You can also use it on the enemies with varying results depending on what kind of enemy it is. Unfortunately it’s slow enough that confusing a storm trooper temporarily isn’t going to be woth the effort when you could just slash them with your light saber.

One aspect that may come off as unappealing however, you can’t die in this game. Losing all of your health or falling in a pit causes you to loose money but you’ll revive nearby just as if you’d never taken a hit. Fortunately losing money is enough of an incentive to keep you on your toes and not rush head long into a firefight.

The money is used to unlock various characters and cheat style bonuses. As you play, you automatically gain any character you’ve had to control for the story and gain the option to buy any NPCs you’ve encountered (including enemies) as you defeat them. “Defeat them” being operative here. You can’t buy say, Boba Fett until he bites it at the Sarlac pitt even though you face off with him in Episode 5’s Bespin. It’s still a good system. The higher end items however are excessively steep in price which is a rather huge drawback. By the time you can afford the 30x multiplier, you’ll have bought everything else and won’t need it.

What it comes down to though is that both of these games are a lot of mindless action and fun. They follow the films closely in plot with a few liberties here and there for comedy and multiplayer purposes. Truth be told together they make a better Star Wars game than most real Star Wars games.

NOTE: I’m ading the category “Wrap Up” to the playing list.  This is for games that have been completed but have additional tasks that I’m still working on.  Pokemon Diamond will probably be on there forever.

Currently Playing

Pokemon Emerald (GBA)
The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass (NDS)

In the Cue

The Legend of Zelda Classic (GBA)
Metroid Fusion (GBA)

Wrap Up

Pokemon Diamond (NDS)
Lego Star Wars I (PS2)
Lego Star Wars II (PS2)