LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is a video game released by LucasArts on September 12, 2006, based on the Star Wars-themed toy line by the LEGO Group, and the sequel to the highly successful LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. The game was released concurrently with the highly-anticipated DVDs of the original, unaltered films of the original trilogy. The game is available on the Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and PC. The Mac version, published by Feral Interactive, was released on 4th May 2007. The Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance versions are in portable style, as opposed to the original's presence on only the Game Boy Advance. While the original films were fairly serious, besides a few puns in the later movies, LEGO Star Wars II is much more tongue-in-cheek, with large amounts of bizarre physical humor (there is no voice acting, so all jokes involve slapstick comedy). It covers the first three films (episodes IV, V, and VI), unlike LEGO Star Wars, which covers episodes I, II, and III.
The game was developed by Traveller's Tales, which was also responsible for the original. Publishing duties were taken up by LucasArts (replacing the original's Eidos Interactive). It features a total of 114 playable characters, 46 of them unlockable by having a saved game from LEGO Star Wars on the memory card or hard drive (and the others must be bought in the Mos Eisley Cantina, or unlocked during gameplay). The game also includes several new features, including vehicles, character-specific abilities, and customizable characters. The game holds the Guinness record for most playable characters in an action-adventure video game. Much of the game revolves around collecting "studs," small LEGO pieces that are used as an in-game currency. Some of the characters have special actions such as slapping or punching enemies, or interacting with friendly characters. There are also levels where you must pilot a ship. You can unlock Slave I if you collect all canisters in the game.
Because of these differences, the game is considered non-canon. For the Game Boy Advance, the game is altered for portability reasons, such as lower quality graphics. This version has 36 playable characters, which is fewer than the console versions, although it does feature characters not available in console versions such as a Baby Rancor, R2-Q5 and K-3PO. Also, Vader is unlocked at an earlier time, and the scout trooper and mouse droid are now playable without using the extra toggle mode. The generic Ewok is gone, and Wicket's slingshot is replaced with a spear. There are not any power bricks to find, but there are still extras to buy. For example, the Jedi Spirit extra turns characters into Force ghosts, something that can only be done when one of the three ghost characters in the 128-bit version is used. There are five levels in Episodes IV and V, and six levels in Episode VI. A character in each level is unlocked when all ten minikits are collected. The Dagobah level is not in the Game Boy version.
Mos Eisley Spaceport and Through the Jundland Wastes are formed as one level (Tatooine). The console versions' levels "Jedi Destiny" (Emperor Fight) and "Into The Death Star" (Death Star 2 Battle) are switched. So are "Cloud City Trap" (Cloud City Rescue) and "Betayal Over Bespin" (Cloud City Trap). For the Nintendo DS version, like the Game Boy Advance version, the game was altered for portability reasons, such as having lower quality graphics. The DS version has 50 characters, though they do not exactly match the ones from the console games. In addition to cooperative multiplayer, the DS version allows up to four people to battle wirelessly, where they can choose to fight over Han Solo (Carbonite) in Jabba's Palace or battle in a Tatooine-themed arena. Character swapping is performed by touching icons on the touch screen. Though generally praised for its gameplay, the original release of the DS version was criticized for its bugs and graphic glitches. Many Internet sites accused it of being rushed to shelves with the other versions of the game and the reissued Star Wars DVD films.
One website was supposedly contacted by anonymous employees of the developer which claimed that the US, European, and Japanese versions were different from each other regarding the bugs, and that a new fixed version would be shipped to shelves after the first print run was sold out. One of the most notable glitches is in Episode VI, where many have considered the first main boss entirely unbeatable.[3] This has not been verified by either the publisher or developer. However some people have beat the boss (Jabba's Rancor) using Luke Skywalker to use the force, to bring down the gate, crushing the boss. Other glitches include dagobah Luke being able to shoot blaster bolts from his lightsaber if he attacks immediately after rolling. Salacious Crumb, Wuher, K-3PO, Zuckuss, and the four members of the Bith band are DS version exclusives. Some levels are renamed. Just like the GBA version the levels "Mos Eisley Spaceport" and "Through the Jundland Wastes" are formed as one level, "Into the Death Star" and "Jedi Destiny" are both also renamed.
The Nintendo DS version of Lego Star Wars II also replaces LEGO City with the Sand Box. The Sand Box includes plenty of objects to destroy, but has no defeatable enemies besides a giant Ewok. It can be accessed through a door with a question mark over it in the Mos Eisley Cantina, between the Bounty Hunter Arena and the hangar. In the story mode you play as Princess Leia with slave outfit and Salacious Crumb. The only objective is to build and destroy everything in the level. As a prize for beating the level you unlock the Emperor for purchase at the cantina bar. Objects in the Sand Box include two Sand Skiffs, the Sarlacc Pit, one giant Ewok, a lever you can pull to turn big, another one where you can see your custom characters, some Imperial Vehicles that fly around that you can destroy, and one space worm. Once you have completed all story mode levels with Jedi status in the game, you can go into the door leading to the Sand Box. The PlayStation Portable version of Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy contains exclusive material including the final levels from Episodes I, II and III of the first Lego Star Wars game and a challenge mode for each level in LSW II, where the player goes through each level to find all 10 blue minikits in a time limit.
If completed, the player will achieve a character from the original Lego Star Wars game. Unlike other versions, the player can use characters from the original Lego Star Wars game in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Similar to the DS version, it contains a Wireless Lobby. The cantina's area is made an empty place featuring only the player and one other character, to make sure the game runs lag-free due to the PSP firmware capability at the time. The bounty hunter missions are excluded from the game in place of the prequel episodes' levels. Gold bricks cannot be bought from the cantina, and there are longer loading times. The goal of the cell phone version is to rescue Princess Leia and then reach the Millennium Falcon by using characters' special abilities: Luke can move Lego bricks and create bridges and new paths, R2-D2 can use switches and Leia can shoot enemies. It has 18 levels, all based on Episode IV. The game was mostly favorably received with fans and critics, who praised the gameplay, which focused mainly on fun and exploring.
Many considered it superior to the original, mainly due to the improved gameplay, the many new features, such as the character creating aspect and free form vehicle sections, and other aspects. However, some gamers considered it childish, too simplistic, and even with the adaptable difficulty, very easy. On December 13, 2006 the game received an award for "best video game based on a TV show or movie" at the Spike TV Video Game Awards. declared LEGO Star Wars II as Number 1 in Star Wars: The Best of 2006. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga was released on May 25, 2007. It combines the levels from LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II. The levels from the first game are updated to include power bricks, vehicles, and other aspects found in LEGO Star Wars II, and most prequel characters will have the ability to build. New or redesigned levels, new playable characters, new bounty hunter missions, and new bonus missions have been added. ↑ "LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy"