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Having launched on the PlayStation2 and Xbox in April, 2005,
it’s now the GameCube’s turn to receive LEGO Star Wars: The
Video Game. Welcomed to much praise by the gaming press,  both
versions fared rather well at retail, especially when considering
the subject-matter and the way in which it is portrayed to a
mainstream audience. In fact, the title located itself with both
press and public in higher-esteem than it’s Star
Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith counter-part.
LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game isn’t your generic
Platform/Action title. Divided by the first three Episodes, each
containing seven Chapters, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game has
you progressing through the title with two-to-four controllable
characters on-screen at all times. Having direct control over a
single character, the others will remain AI comrades until you
posses them with a press of the Y Button. Obviously this smacks the
door wide-open for Co-Operative play and, unsurprisingly, two-player
team-ups are at the
heart of the title. Drop-in, drop-out systematic play has been
incorporated to encourage players to have no fear of grabbing the
controller for a quick five minute bash, and it works beautifully.
The Levels, as said above, span through each of the first the
three Episodes and each must be played through with the specified
characters in order to progress, but can be replayed with
alternative characters in order to collect items and unlock secrets.
This tangible sense of re-direction mid-play as you see an object
you realise is just out of your grasp with your current character,
but not the one you just bought from the HUB, can only be compared
to the un-winding exploration design of Metroid  and
CastleVania’s 2D presentations. The puzzles within a Level
rarely consist of more than selecting the right character for the
job, but can often be more taxing than this simple summation would
suggest. Occasional mini-game-esque Levels are thrown in for good
measure – Pod Racing, R-Type-esque bombing raids and Lylat
Wars inspired space-battling to name a few.
With around thirty characters to unlock, twenty-one Levels
and a fair amount of replay value, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
can’t be knocked for its longevity. The game controls wells,
especially given the nature of its development, and everything has
been mapped for greatest ease-of-use. The simplicity of the title
would
be a fair protestation, given the restrain on the difficulty curve
and the by-pass for resource management via the only penalty for
death being the loss of a small amount of Studs, the LEGO Star
Wars: The Video Game currency.
The game stands-up well to its PlayStation2 and Xbox
counter-parts, with the only noticeable difference being the
loading times – practically insignificant on both the PlayStation2
and Xbox; they now appear as non-existent, meaning the Frame-Rate is
also slightly more consistent through battles or detailed scenery.
The graphics sported by the title are reliable, and later in the
game begin to show a little flair. The character models all reflect
their LEGO representations perfectly and the cut-scenes are often
comical. The sound quality is above par, but there’s nothing  in
particular to write home about and the Star Wars theme tune
sounds like a
Midi
file when compared to Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith.
As a piece of gaming art in it’s own right, LEGO Star
Wars: The Video Game is a seamless presentation built for
two-players with few flaws other than it’s limited difficulty and
a few minor camera flailing moments. As a Star Wars game the
title displays ingenuity and class far greater than much of its
competition, and is essential for anyone who simply felt compelled
to see any of the new three Episodes at the cinema.
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