Lego Star Wars: The Video Game (sometimes simply called Lego Star Wars) is a 2005 action-adventure video game based on the Lego Star Wars theme of Lego construction toys, and the first installment in the Lego video game franchise developed by Traveller's Tales, which would develop many future Lego titles from that point on. It was first released on 29 March 2005. It is a Lego video game adaptation of the prequel trilogy of George Lucas’ movie franchise of the same name: The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, with a bonus level from A New Hope.
It was developed by Traveller's Tales for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows. Griptonite Games developed the Game Boy Advance version. These initial versions were published in April 2005. A Macintosh port, developed by Aspyr, was released in August 2005. A GameCube version of the game was released on 26 October 2005. All versions were published by Eidos Interactive and Giant Interactive Entertainment (now TT Games Publishing).
The game received generally favorable reviews from critics. A sequel, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, was released in 2006. The two games were compiled in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, released in 2007.
Gameplay
thumb|left|[[Anakin Skywalker flips over two droids, with several battle droids looking on. Studs, the game's currency, are visible on the overhead ledge and at the far right of the screen.]]
Gameplay in Lego Star Wars is geared towards family play,
Lego Studs, small coin-like collectibles which serve as the game's currency, can be collected by finding them, smashing or using the force on certain objects, or defeating enemies.
The background music is the same music used in the Star Wars movies, but as the game was released before Episode IIIs soundtrack, music from the original trilogy (1977, 1980 and 1983) was used for that movie's levels. For instance, the alternate soundtrack for the "Binary Sunset" was used in the second Chapter of Episode III, while "The Battle of Endor I" was used in Chapter 6, "Princess Leia's Theme" for Chapter 5 and "The Battle of Yavin" was used in Chapters 1 and 3. In The Complete Saga, the tracks that played during gameplay of that episode were replaced with ones from Episode III, although the music for the original trilogy remained in those episodes' cutscenes.
Characters
Lego Star Wars contains a total of 59 playable characters for LEGO Star Wars; 56 in the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC versions., which they can use to activate or lift Lego objects or defeat certain enemies. Darth Maul has a double-ended lightsaber which improves his defense from laser fire. Jar Jar Binks, General Grievous and his bodyguard have the super-jump, which allows them to reach obstacles that the Jedi and Sith can not jump to. Characters like Padmé Amidala and clone troopers, who carry blasters, have the ability to grapple to reach higher places. Droids, while unarmed, can travel through the game without being intentionally attacked by enemy characters. Protocol droids and astromech droids can open special doors. Characters such as Boba Fett and Young Anakin can fit into tight places. Every character, other than the PK Droid, Gonk Droid (whose only ability is that they are never killed by enemies), and Chancellor Palpatine, has a special ability.
Unlocked characters can be imported into the game's sequel, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, as an extra called "Use Old Save", which costs 250,000 Lego Studs, and can be used in its character creator function.
Because the game is based on the prequel trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005), many characters from the original Star Wars trilogy (1977, 1980 and 1983) are not shown, and appear in the sequel Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. However, if the player unlocks the last level (an episode 4 preview), Darth Vader, a stormtrooper, a rebel trooper and Princess Leia become available. an extra feature allowing players to switch between the game's original voice acting and having the characters mumble and grunt, akin to the style of older Lego Star Wars video games.
Free Play
Once a level has been cleared in Story Mode, the player may play through that level again in Free Play Mode. In this mode, players can choose to play through the level with their choice of unlocked characters (or unlocked vehicles in vehicle-based levels) randomly selected by the program based on their abilities. At any point, the player can rotate instantly between each of the chosen characters/vehicles to access areas not accessible during the Story Mode and obtain hidden extras. No story cut scenes appear in this mode.
Dexter's Diner
Dexter's Diner is the game's hub world, where the player chooses what level to enter, or they can enter the Parking Lot to view any vehicles whose parts they have found and pieced together. The parts to these vehicles are contained in 10 mini-kit canisters which are hidden throughout each level. Battles often take place in the Parking Lot between canon-good and canon-evil characters, such as Jedi and Sith, respectively. At the diner counter, the player may purchase, or enter codes, to unlock extras in exchange for Lego studs they have collected by playing through the levels.
Game Boy Advance version
The Game Boy Advance version behaves differently than the console versions. It is played from an isometric perspective with only one player, who controls one of 15 playable characters through story scenarios across the prequel trilogy, battling enemies, completing objectives and getting from one place to another. The levels are not evenly divided across the three Episodes, with Episode II having the fewest levels. Each level is divided into multiple sections that serve as checkpoints should the player's character fall apart, and players are given a longer health meter that they must prevent from depleting to continue. Each character possesses a special ability that is constrained by a stamina meter not found in the console version. Players can also find Jawas in certain levels who will sell the player health or stamina upgrades, as well as a maintenance droid that can prevent death once. These upgrades are purchased using studs collected in the level and do not carry over to other levels.
All boss battles are primarily against villains with lightsabers, and call for heavy button mashing to win, especially when players can exclusively get caught in lightsaber blade locks that must be won to inflict extra damage. Other characters have different attack abilities that are not in the console versions, such as blaster-wielding characters able to fire charged shots and astromech droids being able to drop proton mines that would damage enemies on contact. Players are also encouraged to use other characters' abilities in free-play to discover secret areas and find Death Star plans, which replace minikits in the console version. At the end of each level, players are rewarded and ranked for how many enemies they defeated, how many blaster bolts they deflected, how many studs they collected and how many Death Star plans they found.
Plot
The plot of the game is a humorous Lego retelling of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, as well as a bonus level with the opening of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the viewpoint of Darth Vader aboard the Tantive IV.
The game was revealed at the 2004 San Diego Comic-Con on 24 July, with Traveller's Tales announced as developer, and Giant Interactive Entertainment and LucasArts co-publishing the game, and it would be released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows and Game Boy Advance. On 23 August, Eidos Interactive announced they would distribute the game worldwide except in Japan.
Several levels were cut from the game during development. "Bounty Hunter Pursuit" was a level based around the Coruscant speeder chase scene with bounty hunter Zam Wessell seen at the beginning of Attack of the Clones. Cutting this level resulted in Attack of the Clones only having five levels compared to the six levels for the other two films, with the first level of Episode II picking up the story with Obi-Wan Kenobi's visit to Kamino. "Anakin's Flight" was a level based around Anakin Skywalker flying a Naboo N-1 starfighter during the space battle against the Trade Federation battleship seen in The Phantom Menace. "Boga Chase" was based around the scene in Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi chases General Grievous while riding a Boga. "Asteroid Dogfight" was based around the Attack of the Clones scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi chases Jango Fett through the asteroid ring above Geonosis. "Bounty Hunter Pursuit" was later included as part of the Attack of the Clones levels in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, with "Anakin's Flight" also being included as a bonus level.
The game went gold on 23 March 2005 and would be released for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance and Windows in North America on 29 March 2005. The Xbox version followed in April. In the same month, it was announced that Eidos' Japanese branch would publish and distribute the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance versions of the game in Japan on 7 July 2005. In October 2005, Eidos and Giant/TT Games announced a GameCube version which was released the following week.