Joystiq impressions: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (DS)

by Zack Stern { Sep 27th 2007 at 3:30PM }

LucasArts recently showed off the in-development DS version of Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. The company tried to remain positive -- or at the very least, civil -- about the previous DS bomb, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. But this showing was clearly to prove to journalists that the DS version of the new game won't follow the murky fate of its predecessor.

Lego Star Wars creator, Traveller's Tales redeveloped the game for the DS instead of re-using the old DS engine, and it shows. The new game more closely resembles LSW on other consoles. In my brief play session, I was impressed with the top-screen 3D graphics; LSW Complete could be the graphical leader for 3D DS games with its November 6 launch.

Gallery: Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (DS)

Basic D-pad-and-button controls moved my Lego characters around the Star Wars world. Action felt snappy, and the Lego textures looked realistic. The touchscreen controlled force powers, throwing certain objects around with the stylus. That DS-specific control felt tacked-on, but maybe it'll be refined before the game's release. Two players will be able to locally network to cooperatively re-live the six Star Wars stories. Beyond that, it seemed to be a standard Lego Star Wars game.

LucasArts showed only the DS version of Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga at an event promoting another title. So that also implies the company has pride for the new version, if not embarrassment of the previous. My glimpse suggested that the game is on-track for its November 6 release, and LSW fans will be satisfied. Similar PS3, 360, and Wii versions will also launch that day.

Tags: ds, lego-star-wars, lego-star-wars-the-complete-saga, legostarwars, lucasarts, nds, nintendo, star-wars, starwars, travellers-tales, travellerstales

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

soups @ Sep 27th 2007 3:38PM

glad to see a developer change a crap engine into something worth playing.

J-Guy @ Sep 27th 2007 3:49PM

I was thinking of getting the LSW: Complete Saga on Wii. Can anyone who has played the other two give me an opinion on them? Is it worth buying? Replay value? etc.?

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Sep 27th 2007 4:10PM

I played through both Gamecube versions last year, and am looking forward to the Wii version. If the controls are better, the graphics are better, and it's all 6 episodes efficiently integrated into one main game, I say go for it. It's got a lot of replay value as you go back to collect hidden legos to build new ships and whatnot. And the create-a-character system is one of my favorites, 'CUZ IT'S MADE OUT OF LEGOS. You can mix and match any torso with any head, pants, weapons, etc. from the game. It's pretty radtacular.

daniel @ Sep 27th 2007 4:18PM

well theyre not particularly long games if you just play through them, but theres quite a few things in the levels to find and plenty of unlockables so id say the complete saga would be worth buying

J-Guy @ Sep 27th 2007 4:27PM

Thanks for the replies, I probably will pick it up.

Chris @ Sep 27th 2007 4:03PM

I bet developers hate how gaming journalists picked up on catchy little phrases like, "Tacked on".

Usually you say something like an ending is tacked on. Like the story for Ninja Gaiden.

Wasn't this game built FOR the DS? How can a control scheme for a game that was made for a specific system be "tacked on"? Either the controls work or they don't.

Or perhaps you were looking for the other geek sheik phrase: "Gimmicky".