At Toys R Us, we have all the latest Nintendo DS consoles and games. We have a range of colours in the Nintendo 2DS and 3DS, as well as good value bundles – why not get your child started with a couple of games for their new console? All of the current games are available at Toys R Us – current favourites include Kirby, Mario World Golf Tour and Disney's Frozen. We also have a wide selection of accessories for the Nintendo DS, including Disney Infinity figures, Skylanders characters and colourful carry cases. Xbox 360 Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Starter Pack Available for Click & Collect PS3 Disney Infinity 3.0 Star Wars Starter Pack Nintendo 3DS Pokemon Sun Nintendo 3DS Pokemon Moon Nintendo amiibo Smash Wario Figure Nintendo 2DS White/Red Console and Tomodachi Life Pack Nintendo 3DS Selects Mario Party: Island Tour Nintendo 3DS Super Mario Maker Nintendo amiibo Smash Kirby Figure Nintendo 3DS YO-KAI WATCH Nintendo 3DS Selects Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Nintendo 3DS Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Nintendo amiibo Smash Falco Figure Nintendo 3DS Selects Yoshi's New Island Nintendo 3DS Rhythm Paradise Megamix Nintendo 3DS Selects Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros. Nintendo 3DS Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Nintendo 3DS Pokemon Rumble World Nintendo 3DS Selects Nintendogs + Cats - Golden Retriever Nintendo 3DS Selects The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Nintendo 3DS Super Mario 3D Land Nintendo amiibo Super Mario Bowser Figure Nintendo amiibo Super Mario Toad Figure Nintendo 3DS Mario Party:Star RushIn the first of our “All About Video Games” series where we will be looking at a particular video game franchise, we are focusing on the Lego video games. Although there are other types, the main Lego video game titles are platform games. Players progress through the game by solving puzzles to reach particular platforms, jumping across gaps and fighting bad guys.
As they do this they can unlock new Lego characters, locations and play modes. Some of the older Lego video games were PEGI 3 rated, but the majority of more recent titles are PEGI 7. Mature themes are helped by the fact they are made to look like Lego bricks. When characters die for instance, they fall apart and cry out but don’t bleed. Soon afterwards they re-appear and the player can carry on. As these games progress the complexity of the puzzles and difficulty of the fighting and exploration does increase. My seven year old daughter, for example, found that she needed some assistance with some of the puzzles in Lego Batman 2 for instance. More advanced players will be able to complete the main story mode of these games in a few days. However, they offer longevity by the fact that unlocking characters on the initial play through enables you to access new areas on subsequent plays. This means that keen players will play through the game a number of times. It also means that younger players can get frustrated trying to reach particular levels before they have the appropriate character — something parents should bear in mind when called in to help.
The Lego video games generally use a checkpoint save system that means you need to reach a certain point in the game to save your progress. This can make it difficult to get younger players to stop for mealtimes and the like. However it should be remembered that the game can be paused to take breaks and there is usually no more than 20 minutes between save points. Additionally, the sleep feature on handheld consoles like the DS and PSP enable players to pause the action until the next time it is needed — even if that is in a few day’s time. One of the more popular aspects of the Lego platform games is that they can be played co-operatively. Two people can work together simultaneously to progress through the main adventure. The console versions of the games (Wii, Xbox, PS3) offer this mode on a single system. Each player connects a controller and works together to solve the puzzles and beat the bad guys. It’s a great way for family players of different abilities to play together.
The handheld versions of the games (DS, 3DS, PSP, PS Vita) offer this mode with a link up system. This means that you need two handhelds (and usually two copies of the game). It enables players to work together as described above for the console game. Additionally, because the systems are connected wirelessly the players don’t need to be in the same room to play together — something that adds a little novelty for younger players. The exact offering of multi-player modes in the Lego games varies through the different editions. Here is an overview of what each game offers on both handheld and console versions: As you can see from the list, some of the handheld versions offer a “multi-cart” multi-player. This means that for two people to play together you need two copies of the game and two handheld systems. The other handheld multi-player mode is “single-cart” which enables two people to play together with one copy of the game that is downloaded from one handheld system to the other.
The Lego video games are usually based around different Lego film franchises and follow the stories of the related movies. This means that they also relate to (and draw on the designs from) the physical Lego sets that are also developed. The games use these Lego sets and mini-figures to retell the related movie story in a comical, tongue in cheek fashion. This can be a little over the heads of younger players, but should appeal to parents who will appreciate the “in” jokes and film references. Some Lego games such as the Harry Potter and Star Wars game split the franchise up into separate video games. This enables the game to spend longer on each element, but does mean you need to buy two or three games to experience the complete story. Other Lego games such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars The Complete Saga contain the whole film series in a single game. This offers better value for money as only one game needs to be purchased. Lego video games are a great place to dip your family gaming toes into the world of platform games.