Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

"Even more simplistic fun."

Well, as you would expect, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy plays exactly like Lego Star Wars, only this time it explores the "original" trilogy and its characters. I won't lie, it does feel weird to write a review on this game, since the similarity's between the two are so close that it is almost trivial, but since you are here, I'll go ahead and tell you what I think!

Story: 7/10

Once again, I'm sure 90% of the world knows the Star Wars story, especially the original trilogy, and this game follows it to a tee. Since I'm not impressed with this old story at all anymore, and taking into account that there is zero dialog in the game (they explain what is going on before each section of the game takes place, using the same format as the beginning of the films), the only thing that pushes the game into the "average" category is the humorous tone that the game takes, forcing a few chuckles out of you.

Gameplay: 7/10

Again, only the bare bones here. You can attack and jump, as well as preform "special" moves with each character, just like the first game. Jedi's can use the force to put together Lego pieces, blaster-users can grapple onto structures, and droids have the smarts to get into certain places. So, as you can see, at times you'll need to utilize certain characters special skills to advance throughout the game. Add to this some very simple puzzles that a grade-schooler can easily accomplish and you have a game!

While it doesn't have all the flair or depth that most games try to cram in nowadays (and alot of them mess up while cramming this stuff in), it isn't without it's simplistic charms. Although short, the game is fun to play, and they do mix up the standard action with some unique vehicle segments (think of the speeder on Endoor and the snow-speeders on Hoth).

Graphics: 7/10

Again.... LEGOS! Legos everywhere! The animations still look good and the environments are decent, as are, of course, the character designs. The only other thing I can think of to say here is that I did enjoy the Lego characters expressions quite a bit, but everything is still what you would expect: average.

Music/Sound Effects: 7/10

Almost everything here is from the Star Wars vault, just like the first game. The opening intro plays at the start of every level, and almost everyone will recognize the various other iconic scores. The rest of the music is mostly dramatic battle tunes, which fit in fine with all of the fighting. The sound effects are fairly standard, featuring your standard blaster and light saber sounds. Really nothing new here at all.

Re-playability: 8/10

Again, like the first game, you can take different characters to different stages and play as them. You can also make your own characters, unlock different characters, Lego pieces, and even cheats! Also, similar to the first game, you can hunt down various secrets throughout the game to unlock ever more (though this is only for the truly dedicated).

Overall: 7/10

Overall, more of the same. Again, my biggest note in the whole review would have to be that they do have Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga on all of the current-gen systems (PS3, Xbox 360, and the Wii), and that since they are all rather short I would think that if you want to try them out a weekend-rental would be in order. Have fun and keep playing!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/29/08

Game Release: Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (US, 09/12/06)