It doesn't have to be Christmas to give the gift of LEGO -- virtually or through brick sets. The LEGO Movie is playing non-stop on HBO these days and a sequel is coming in 2018. LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Batman will also be hitting the big screen in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games have several cool LEGO video games available now and The LEGO Group always has new sets for kids of all ages. Here are some great gifts for any time of the year for the LEGO fan in your life (or for yourself). LEGO The Hobbit The Video Game, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, PS4, 3DS, Vita, Mac and PC; $30-$40Thanks to the new DLC for The Battle of the Five Armies, this game covers all three movies in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. Gamers can take control of LEGO versions of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, alongside dwarves Thorin, FÃli, KÃli, Ãin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori and Ori. Brick locations from An Unexpected Journey and Desolation of Smaug include Bag End, Hobbiton, The Misty Mountains, Goblin-town, Mirkwood, Lake-Town, Dol Guldur, Rivendell and The Lonely Mounta
in. This tongue-in-cheek version of the films makes for great two-player gaming for kids of all ages. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3, PS4, 3DS, Vita, Mac and PC; $30-$60Over 150 DC Super Heroes and Super Villains are playable in this new game, which takes the action out of this world (literally). Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and a cast of Super Heroes unite to stop Brainiac and his cast of bad guys like Cyborg, the Joker and Solomon Grundy from destroying Earth. Brick versions of the Lantern Worlds like Zamaron and Odym are available to explore. This game also introduces spaceship combat to the mix. Keeping things wacky is a '60s version of Batman and Robin voiced by Adam West and Burt Ward. New DLC added characters from the Man of Steel movie and the Dark Knight trilogy, as well as a special Batman 75th Anniversary storyline to the mix.LEGO Super Heroes Batman: The Riddler Chase, $35Batman fans can also celebrate the Caped Crusader's 75th birthday with this new play s
et. The Riddler has robbed the Gotham City bank and is getting away in his dragster. This set includes a cool Batmobile as well as The Riddler's dragster, complete with bombs and money bags. This collection includes a brand new Batman minifigure (with exclusive suit), along with The Flash (who's hot with his on CW TV series) and The Riddler (who's featured in the new Gotham TV show). LEGO Star Wars General Grievous' Wheel Bike, $25The evil General Grievous is best known from Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. This collection is set beneath the planet surface of Utapau, where Obi-Wan Kenobi is in hot pursuit of General Grievous on his all-terrain Wheel Bike. The bike has cool details like a real turning wheel, double laser cannons and flick missile. When the terrain gets tough, Grievous can extend the foldout clawed legs and ride the steepest slopes. This set includes an Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous minifigure, as well as an electrostaff, blaster pistol and four lightsab
ers.LEGO Star Wars The Ghost, $90Straight from the new Star Wars Rebels animated TV series on Disney XD, The Ghost play set comes with five never-before-seen minifigures with assorted weapons: Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, Zeb Orrelios and a new Stormtrooper. But the starship is the real focus here. It includes two cockpits (the front cockpit is detachable) and a 360-degree rotating gun turret with spring-loaded missile shooter. With two spring-loaded shooters and storage for a spare missile and a lightsaber, this ship has plenty of weaponry on board. There are even detachable escape pods that eject. And The Phantom ship (sold separately) can dock in The Ghost's hangar.LEGO Super Heroes Milano Spaceship Rescue, $70The Guardians of the Galaxy are available now on Blu-ray and DVD from Disney, but fans can build the Star-Lord's Milano spaceship in LEGO form. This play set includes five minifigures, including Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Ronan and the Sakaaran. The Milano spaceship features an opening and removable cockpit, detailed interior with space for three minifigures, adjustable wings, fire extinguisher, old-style tape recorder, two flick missiles and two stud shoote
rs. This collection also includes Ronan's personal Necrocraft, backed up by the Sakaaran and holding his all-powerful Cosmi-Rod ready to strike. It's a great way to make your own adventures until Guardians of the Galaxy 2 hits theaters in 2017.For the latest information about videogames, visit http://www.gamerhub.tv (c) 2014 GAMERHUB CONTENT NETWORK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY,Lucas S ChristmasSamuel ChristmasChristmas Wish ListNadia ChristmasChase 79013Chase PlaySweet GiftguideLake Town ChaseGiftguide ChristmasForwardThe Hobbit : Lake-Town Chase Includes 5 minifigures with assorted loot(the ring is my fav) and weapons...Escape from the Master of Lake-Town !SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3) REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5) After the success of “LEGO The Lord of the Rings,” it comes as no surprise to see a LEGO game based on “The Hobbit.” What is surprising, however, is that “LEGO The Hobbit” has been released before the final movie in the trilogy hits theaters, so it’s essentially incomplete!
Nevertheless, anyone who finds their dwarven gaming needs to be in … err … short supply will surely find much to enjoy. Based on the first two Hobbit movies, “LEGO The Hobbit” follows Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and his newly acquired band of merry dwarves as they attempt to reclaim the lost Kingdom of Erebor. Of course, Bilbo eventually obtains the One Ring from Gollum, but I’ll have to wait for the next game to see the rest of the story. Just like past LEGO games, this one tasks players with guiding iconic characters as they engage in simplistic combat, collect LEGO pieces and reconstruct items. One cool new feature is the ability to mine certain areas for special pieces used to construct useful items like weapons and equipment. This simple addition can add hours to game play for those willing to scour Middle Earth for the correct pieces to construct these rare items. In addition, each character has at least one special ability that comes in handy for solving basic puzzles.
However, the problem is that random abilities are assigned to the dwarves, and there are so many dwarves that it’s hard to remember which one is needed in each situation. I appreciate the open-ended nature of the game as it allows me to explore well-known Middle Earth locales such as Bag End, Mirkwood and Rivendell. It’s also cool to discover hidden locations and secret quests that are all optional. “LEGO The Hobbit” offers lots of content, but the experience isn’t much different than “LEGO Lord of the Rings.” REVIEW RATING: 4.0 stars (out of 5) “Trials Fusion” is the official sequel to the unexpectedly popular 2-D motocross game “Trials HD.” This series takes the “easy to learn, difficult to master” concept to the extreme because it’s more likely that players will quit in frustration before they actually master the game. Regardless, it’s hard to top the overwhelming endorphin rush that comes from finally beating a difficult level after countless attempts.
This version still incorporates the challenging simulation-style controls but also injects an arcade-like futuristic element in the form of surreal courses. What other racing game lets players ride on tracks made of solar panels or cruise on floating blimps floating above skyscrapers? Early levels offer simple courses with standard jumps while later courses require an understanding of weight distribution and physics. Speaking of which, the physics in this game are eerily accurate and are also what makes the game play so entertaining. Every single motorcycle, and even the new quad bike, handles differently, so what works with one likely won’t work with another. For example, the Pit Viper has an extremely sensitive throttle while the Fox Bat seems to spin in midair if you accidentally breathe on the controller. Over 40 standard tracks are at the player’s disposal as well as skill games and the new FMX tracks. These trick-oriented courses let players perform cool freestyle tricks in mid-air, which offers yet another level of challenge when negotiating the courses themselves.