Lightsabers in Wii's Lego Star Wars exactly what you hoped for

by Justin McElroy { Oct 3rd 2007 at 4:25PM }

...that is, if you hoped for shaking the Wiimote to swing your lightsaber and shaking the nunchuk to use the Force. If you were hoping for something a little more ... ~~fun~~ intuitive from Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga on the Wii, you're out of luck. If it sounds like we're disappointed, we're not, we know that the real 1-to-1 Star Wiirs experience isn't due until The Force Unleashed. Still, it was nice to dream.

We wish there was some sort of geekiness conversion chart to help us figure out if the presence of Indiana Jones is enough to make up for mediocre lightsabering. We suspect it is not.

Tags: forceunleashed, legostarwars, lightsaber

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

jaybird1905 @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:29PM

Wii = dead gimmick
Star Wars = dead franchise
Legos = Rocks your f***kn socks off.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:33PM

Yup, it's a dead gimmick, alright. I guess someone forgot to tell consumers though, because they're still flying off shelves.

jaybird1905 @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:36PM

Uh yeah, the Wii is flying off the imaginary shelves on which they do not exist.

OrganicShadow @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:42PM

I concur....sort of.

I don't think it's a dead gimmick yet, but I do think that this is a great video for me to provide a link to each time im arguing with someone about weather or not the Wii has innovative control, and how it doesn't really correspond to the on-screen action. This video is a great demonstration on how not to do Wii controls.

You just giggle the wiimote, the nunchuck, or both, and some crazy shit happens? Gimme a fucking break. Yeah, I know, mashing buttons on a pad are even further from what's going on screen, but at least we can concentrate on the action, and our trigger buttons sort of mimic a gun trigger.

As far as Star Wars is concerned it unfortunately will never die. I bet even Bush is a fan. If all of the star wars toys, games, and overall merchandise in the world were to suddenly vanish the earth would implode from the sudden absence of 32% of it's mass. Without all that junk though, what is going to help run global economy into the ground? Bratz dolls?

Back to Wii though, I think that the "well it's still selling like crazy" argument is officially dead. Yes, it's selling like crazy because it has been marketed perfectly to the parental wallet. It has been marketed perfectly to the little kid, and when you have both of those audiences' attention, only chaos can ensue. It doesn't matter how well it's selling, it doesn't make it a great product.

*See number of copies of any Windows OS sold
**See number of ipods sold regardless of the closed nature and lack of format support
***See number of "Game Boy"s sold, even though the only thing that ever changed was the size incrementally and eventually some semi-colored screens.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:47PM

Regardless of how well the controls are executed, or the quality of the product, sales determine whether or not a gimmick is dead; not a random guy on the internet.

jaybird1905 @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:57PM

Random guy on the internet who works for GamePro :)

Anyhow, not trying to throw around credentials and make you look like a juveneille .... please looks at the sales numbers for the Wii today, compared to say 6 months ago. By sheer reduction in units sold ...

Gimmick dead.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:26PM

"please looks at the sales numbers for the Wii today, compared to say 6 months ago. By sheer reduction in units sold ... "

You mean because it went from "sold out everywhere" to "available in some places"? That's the worst argument I've heard. You can call it a gimmick if that's your opinion, but don't deny the sales figures.

Now go back to your job at GamePro (the great bastion of journalistic integrity it is) and continue sorting some mail.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:31PM

Yes yes, the "gimmick" that could sell in 10 months what the 360 couldn't sell in 22 months with no competition and XBox Live. It's just like the pet rock or the Tamagotchi, amirite? It'll be gone tomorrow!

xyz @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:57PM

So because you work for a flagging and generally disdained magazine that covers video games your some sort of expert on the market?

Seriously, if you are going to name drop, at least have it make sense and offer real credibility.

Sales in Wii have dropped off, but I have yet to see any on shelves in my area, and the sales, despite not living up to what they had been, are still HUGE.

Did you expect to sell at launch pace ad nauseum? If that is your criterion for success than you are setting unrealistic standards.

The Wii has sold at record paces. It's had a mediocre software library but the install base is not going away. The PS2 had an ABYSMAL software library in the early days but the massive head start it had gave it the edge.

I can't see the future, but I'm not blind enough to see the Wii selling tremendous amounts and calling it dead. You may work for the all mighty game pro, but that doesn't really preclude you from being either an idiot or a fanboy.

Killjebus @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:51PM

Jaybird, it is against the law to say anything negative about the greatest console evar. Sure you could point out facts and sales declines in Japan: however,theyy are all meaningless I tell you.

bm @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:58PM

"***See number of "Game Boy"s sold, even though the only thing that ever changed was the size incrementally and eventually some semi-colored screens."

You're calling the Gameboy a sucky system? Well.

"Anyhow, not trying to throw around credentials and make you look like a juveneille .... please looks at the sales numbers for the Wii today, compared to say 6 months ago. By sheer reduction in units sold ...

Gimmick dead."

ROFL, if there's anything that would make someone look like a juvenile it would be:
1. That first post you made.
2. Mentioning you work for some magazine to try to bolster your credibility.
3. Mentioning that it's selling less than at launch (that happens with consoles? NO SHIT!) and then calling it a dead gimmick based on that.
4. Typing like a 13 year old, grammatically and stylistically.
You score on all points, nice work!

If you really work for Gamepro, which I doubt, then by god I hope someone fires your incompetent ass, real quick.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:17PM

"Sure you could point out facts and sales declines in Japan"

KillJebus, you're my favorite. According to your logic, not only has the Wii gimmick died, but also the PS3 gimmick (as it has also been declining in Japan), and the 360 gimmick never got off the ground.

Pikachief @ Oct 4th 2007 7:12AM

jay bird i went to circuit city early in the morning on sunday, asked for a wii and they checked, they got the shipment like a few hours that day and the guy was SURPRISED they had any left.

I have searched for the wii once a week since its release and BARELY got one. It is not dead obviously.

Fullmetal Salchemist @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:34PM

I will agree that the waggle does seem poorly implemented in this game, however.

ch82 @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:34PM

I guess it depends on how much this game will cost. Looks like fun but the waggle control doesn't really add anything to the game.

phattie @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:36PM

lol ... welcome to next gen. on the Wii.. lmao

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:34PM

Welcome to Trollville.
Population: you.

bm @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:03PM

Hmmm, there's more than just him in Trollville. Then again, from reading their incoherent garbles they might as well all be the same person. :)

Lemmiwinks @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:40PM

lol... welcome to diabetes.. lmao

michas_pi @ Oct 3rd 2007 10:46PM

DIABEETUS

AirIntake @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:39PM

Wow, this game looks like a good example of how NOT to implement motion controls. They'd have been better off just turning the Wiimote sideways and using classic controls.

ch82 @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:43PM

sadly this is about as good as the motion controls for the last zelda game.

NvM @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:55PM

Everything except the sword was fine.
Just because it's not 1-1 dosn't mean it dosn't work. just replaces a button press.
This game is a port, was anyone expecting a 1-1 lighsaber experience?
It was like expecting online play for MP3, I don't get it.

phattie @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:57PM

RED STEEL

h2c @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:49PM

Terrible title for this post. It played with my emotions.

First, excitement. I thought, just for a second, that waggle would finally reflect a one-to-one motion on screen.

Then, depression. I scrolled down to read more. Another wagglefest. Dammit.

Last, frustration. A little waggle to shake things up (See what I did there? Hurrrrr.) is nice, a la No More Heroes, but another game that just replaces the act of pressing A with flicking the controller? Come on.

Just let me press A.

Sean @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:55PM

The waggle is strong with this one.

Lemmiwinks @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:41PM

I despise the word "waggle," but that was damn funny.

Saria the Cat @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:08PM

Wow, am I the only person who thinks this looks fun? For those of you who were happy with the PS2 controls for II, how can you be displeased with these? I don't see how you could add much more innovation. Not that this video is amazing, but in general, how much more realistic can you really get? The Wiimote is a longish stick-like object, and so is the lightsaber. You move a lightsaber left, right, forward, diagonally, etc. to use it. Same with the Wiimote. What were you guys looking for?

(Now replace "Wiimote" with something dirty and giggle to yourself).

Admiral_Mike @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:19PM

I think it looks good. I don't mind general waggle, It's better than button mashing anyday. But it is nice when a game like metroid uses motion really well.

Steve @ Oct 3rd 2007 8:17PM

I agree that Lego Star Wars isn't really suited to any kind of intuitive motion control. It's unfortunate then that they forced them on the game by replacing button mashing with copious waggling. Thinking back to just how much I mashed buttons in Lego Star Wars, I wouldn't like to think about just how much waggling you'd have to do with the Wii version.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:32PM

Welcome to Trollville.
Population: you.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:33PM

Oops. Redo!

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:34PM

i liked lego star wars 2 on xbox, no waggle :)

but why didn't we get indy? :(

DrXym @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:34PM

Anyone who has played Lego Star Wars would realise what a horribly bad idea this would be. You spend half the game waving a lightsabre around. I can imagine how terrible it will be for Wii owners to actually have to do it for real. Gestures suck in general, and really do when shoehorned into games that don't need them.

mr nimblewick (SegaDF - Jogurt Ring) @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:34PM

The graphics look refreshingly nice.

If the controls turn out to be "wag the remote and the light saber will start swinging," it will be terrible (I'm looking at you Raving Rabbids!). If it is "swing the remote to make the light saber swing," it'll be fine.

Still want some sweet 1 to 1 action.

Blazur @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:51PM

That looks incredibly uncomfortable to play. I can think of better exercises for my wrist...

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:56PM

"I can think of better exercises for my wrist..."

Dammit dude no one wants to hear about that.

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:04PM

Yahtzee or Craps?

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:05PM

Yahtzee or Craps?

Blazur @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:27PM

12 oz. curls

Shmil @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:09PM

12 oz curls? so that's what they're calling it now?...kids today i tell ya

Grey Fox @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:22PM

Before everyone starts complaining about the Wii or whatever just remember what this article is about: how lame and gimmicky those controls are for LSW.

cuso26 @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:26PM

"Star Wiirs"? I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Killjebus @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:00PM

Yet another AAA title that is worthy of the greatest console EVAR.
I am in awe of the originality of character control in this game.
$250 for the greatest console evar, it should cost 3x's that amount just for the Nintendo name. And the power, such awesome power. Nintendo is the bestist company on the planet.
Thank you Nintendo for your innovation.

bm @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:16PM

Hahahahahahaha

Oh man, so bitter. I could imagine you saying that in real life, your eyes nearly watering... followed up with "why don't you go marry your wonderful console if you love it so much!"

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 8:19PM

Hey Killjebus, you should save this post and repost it in the metareview threads for Galaxy or Brawl and see how well it works.

3 points:
1) Every system has shovelware to make fun of.
2) This isn't shovelware.
3) It's on ALL systems.

baby sea tuna @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:16PM

"Wait until _____ comes out! Wait until _____ comes out!"

Man, am I sick of hearing that.

Majortom1981 @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:12PM

Come on. Its not in a first person view so why would you make it do 1:1 light saber when your character on screen wont show it doing it that way?

Come on people the controls need to make sense. ITs a small little lego character . What good is 1:1 controls for the lightsaber if those actions wont be shown onscreen?

ThornedVenom @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:30PM

Can someone tell me why the Lego Star Wars franchise is popular?

Rubang B (NDF - Heart) @ Oct 3rd 2007 8:16PM

The game is like crack. You can sit down with a friend and run through all 6 episodes in one sitting. You make characters out of LEGOs, you collect LEGOs, you build stuff out of LEGOs, but you don't have to clean up the mess at the end. Instead you just go back through to collect secrets and whatnot.

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