Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

"Hilarious, Addictive, and Endlessly Entertaining!"

Last year saw the release of Lego Star Wars, a game that should have been nothing more than a hastily slapped together title, released mainly to promote the release of Star Wars: Episode III, turned out to be a surprise hit. This was probably most likely due not only to the power of the Star Wars name, but also the fond nostalgia many felt over their days as a child playing with Lego. The game was a fresh twist on an old franchise, and was received favourably by gamers and critics alike. And with most good things in life, a sequel is inevitable. Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy keeps intact all that was great and fun about the original, while setting it to everyone's favourite movies of Star Wars.

Gameplay (8/10)
It's simple, it's easy, and it never gets old. LSWII keeps the same basic gameplay from the first installment in the series. You play as one of many characters from the Star Wars universe, playing in many of the diverse locations that make up that universe. The basic idea of each level is simply getting to the end intact, though it doesn't matter how many time you die. Along the way, you collect Lego studs, which act as currency in the game. With them, you can purchase more characters or buy cheats. On top of the studs, there are various other collectibles Collection of these results in diverse rewards of characters, vehicles, and even new bonus levels.

Every level can be played in three different modes: Story, Freeplay and Challenge. Story shows all the plot-advancing cutscenes, and also forces you to play as a small group of characters, keeping everything as it was in the movies. In freeplay, however, you can play as any character you've unlocked. This is optimal for the collection of the various items there are in each level. Challenge mode involves you trying to find ten blue minikits scattered through the level before the time limit runs out.

While most levels are done on foot, there is also a wide variety of vehicles to pilot, from AT-STs to Taun-Tauns on land, and the Millennium Falcon to TIE Fighters in space.

The main problem with the gameplay is that there is no real variety to it. If you plan on getting 100%, it involves playing the same level a few different times as you have to collect a certain number of studs in both story and freeplay, as well as complete the challenge. But due to the fun nature of the game, this is not a huge problem, especially those hell-bent of collecting everything.

Graphics (7/10)
Not surprisingly, this is the area where the PSP version is lacking when compared to it's console counterparts. All things considered, with a game this simple there is no reason why the graphics shouldn't be as good on console, but close-ups are blurry and without detail, and most of the borders around characters are jagged.

That being said, a great deal of care has been put into recreating famous Star Wars scenes, down to some pretty minor details. This alone makes the game a must-have for any Star Wars fan.

Sound (9/10)
Not only have all the locations been lovingly recreated, but all the sound effects and music are exactly as in the movie. This gives the game a much more authentic feel, vastly enhancing the gameplay experience.

Value (10/10)
The story missions shouldn't take you very long to complete, but due to the large number of items to collect in every level this game reaches 30-40 hours of gameplay to get 100%.

The game is a must-have for any fan of Star Wars, and definitely worth checking out for any PSP owner. Amazing value and never ending fun!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/17/06