LEGO Star Wars - Xbox

Star Wars was the film that created spin-off toys and merchandise. The re-release of the digitally remastered original trilogy followed by the making of the new trilogy of prequels, has resulted in the release of countless related products in recent years. Video games have always been closely linked to the Star Wars universe, from the early vector graphics arcade, PC classics X-Wing and TIE Fighter, to recent releases like Knights of the Old Republic and the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies.

Lego, the preferred toy of many who grew up in the 80s, has sought, with varied success, to reinvent itself to stay afloat in the modern world. There have been several forays into video games, such as Lego Racers and Bionicle. On the toy side of things, licensed products such as Star Wars sets have sold very well, bringing strange, mingled feelings of delight and frustration to those who spent their childhoods trying to build their own designs of X-Wing and Millennium Falcon from less specialised bricks.

Now, a triumvirate of childhood obsessions, Lego, Star Wars and video games, are brought together in one startling mixture: Lego Star Wars. Set in the more recent films, Episodes I to III, the game allows you to become a Jedi Knight and battle the forces of darkness. You can play as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Yoda, amongst others, and fight Darth Maul, fly your starfighter into battle, and use the force to construct things out of Lego bricks.

Over 30 characters are available for selection, there’s two player co-operative mode, and all three prequels’ storylines feature, offering a bit of a sneak peek as the third film has not even been released at the time of writing. To make the experience more real, the game also features sound sampled straight from the movies. So if you like Lego, Star Wars or video games, or some combination of the three, surely you can’t ask for more than this.