Legos and The Dark Knight? I'm THERE!

Ever since Lego Star Wars was released a few years ago, the runaway success of combining ABS plastic building bricks and popular character franchises to create fun yet challenging pick-up-and-play video games has been undeniable. Lego Star Wars II: The Classic Trilogy, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Lego Indiana Jones have all sold hundreds of thousands of copies across multiple platforms, and each release has had many gamers, old and young, salivating for more.

I'm happy to report that Lego Batman is no exception. And if you know me, that means a lot.



As something of a Batman aficionado, I pride myself on the modest collection of Bat-stuff that I own, from Pez dispensers to limited edition figurines. But one of my favorite areas of my tribute to the Dark Knight is my Batman Lego sets, which started appearing on store shelves last year. These are some of the coolest Lego sets around in my view, and they include a variety of awesome vehicles and excellent minifigures.

Naturally, when Lego Batman: The Videogame was announced, I was delighted. I already spent countless hours playing through both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, along with both of my sons, but as a Batman fanatic, nothing could compare to playing my all-time favorite character in Lego form.



UPS: Developer Traveller's Tales (TT) has stuck to the tried-and-true formula that made the previous Lego titles successful. Run around in an enclosed (but not tiny) 3D environment as your favorite Lego character, beat up on badguys, break stuff made of bricks and build various items and vehicles to solve puzzles and eliminate obstacles. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Additionally, TT has improved on some gameplay elements from previous titles as well. In Indiana Jones, your character lacked a Lightsaber, which left them open to attacks from projectile weapons, and without any effective blocking combat could get pretty frustrating at times. In Lego Batman, while still not armed with a laser-sword, Batman and Robin both wield Batarangs, which can be locked onto up to five targets on screen and then released. These can stun or eliminate enemies, as well as destroy some objects, often helping solve puzzles. Thus, you can enter an area populated by gun-wielding enemies, lock-on and buy yourself some precious time to close the gap between you and them.

Also new to the series are the 'Tech-suits'; Batman and Robin are well known in comics for the use of gadgets and technology to aid in their crusade against crime, and Lego Batman keeps this tradition alive with Tech-suits. At key points in each level, you will find glowing areas on the ground, indicating that you can build a Tech-suit station there. Once built, the station will allow Batman or Robin (depending on the emblem the station displays) to swap their current outfit for another. These enable special abilities such as Magnetic Boots (walk on metal surfaces), Hazard Suit (immunity to fire and toxins) and Glide Cape (my favorite), which allows Batman to glide across gaps or down to lower areas. Better still, while Batman or Robin wears a Tech-suit, they still retain all the other abilities they previously had, including their batarangs, grapple guns and combat skills.

Batman and Robin can 'grapple' enemies when they are close; pressing the 'Z' button (on Wii) causes them to grab the nearest enemy and hold him up by the collar. Pressing 'B' after this will result in a slam to the ground or punch to the head. Another awesome improvement is that enemies go flying in all directions when they are hit or kicked. It's purely cosmetic, but so much fun to watch!

Various other improvements include better collision detection, shorter load times and minor graphic tweaks.

Lego Batman is also the first Lego Franchised game that has you playing as a villain in half of its levels. There are fifteen Batman and Robin levels, and fifteen villain levels, for a total of 30 (not counting bonuses). To put this into perspective, both of the original Lego Star Wars games and Lego Indiana Jones included only 18 levels (again, not counting bonus levels).

DOWNS: A couple of the same issues that plague the previous Lego games are present in Lego Batman. Sometimes the environmental models don't show depth very well, so it can be easy to jump from a platform and miss the next one entirely. Goals or solutions to puzzles can be obscure at times, which can lead to frustration, especially for younger players. These are minor gripes, but nuisances nonetheless.

RECOMMENDATION: BUY, BUY, BUY! Okay, I'll settle down, but seriously, if you liked the other Lego titles at all, pick this one up. If you've got kids and you are looking for a fun way to play along with them, Lego Batman is the solution. If you're a freak, like me, you'd better not still be reading, but on your way to buy Lego Batman today.

Quick Reviews

Alrighty, in an effort to catch up on the backlog of stuff I have played and NOT written about, I'm going to post several very brief reviews here:

1. LEGO INDIANA JONES (Wii, XBOX 360, PS3, PS2, PC)
Ups: More great Lego fun, with simple, straightforward gameplay that most kids can jump in on, but adults can still enjoy. Levels based on the first three films, with a little bit of artistic liberty taken here and there, great vehicle gameplay (but no levels exclusively for vehicles), TONS of characters (who knew there were so many?) and some awesome humor. Add a few cool bonus levels, collectibles and awesome drop-in/drop-out co-op free play and you've got a winner.

Downs: No vehicle-only levels, combat can get tough when lots of gun-toting baddies show up, and I encountered a glitch that has prevented 100% completion.

Recommendation: BUY! If you have kids, or even if you just dig fun games, this is a surefire fun-fest. If you like Indy, it's even better.

2. Wii Fit (Wii)
Ups: Simple, easy-to-use entry level fitness software that will help anyone get off the couch and get moving. Think Wii Sports but with a BMI/Weight tracker, virtual trainer, many more options and a ton of fun. The Balance Board, included in the $90 title, works beautifully and is already being supported in many games yet to come, including Shawn White Snowboarding, Skate It, Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party and more.

Downs: If you are looking for a serious work-out, Wii Fit doesn't 'Fit' the bill, but can augment your regular regimen. Also, I wish there were a 'playlist' option, allowing you to set up a series of excersizes in sequence, without returning to the menu. Ah well, maybe Wii Fit 2.0...

Recommendation: Get it if you want some motivation to start a light to moderate fitness routine, and for some good ol' family fun. If you don't see yourself working out regularly with it, save your $$$. Hint: my wife and kids love it.

3. Okami (Wii)
Ups: This port of the PS2 Game-Of-The Year from 2006 is a beautifully crafted Zelda-like single player adventure. It draws from Japanese mythology for its story and incorporates a unique brush-painting visual style that I've never seen in another game. It adds widescreen and 480p support to the original, as well as Wii-remote gesture controls in places where it makes sense.

Downs: Single player only, so this is for the 'hardcore' gamer. Brush controls can take some getting used to, but are great once you get past the learning curve.

Recommendation: Hardcore gamers and Zelda fans, this is a must-buy. Okami is every bit as inspired, engrossing and beautiful as any Zelda game, and better than some.

Well, there's a few to keep you busy for a while! More to come later...

BOOM! Here come da Blox...

Much of the gaming world's press, bloggers and pundits agree that the Wii has really turned the market on its ear. Unique controllers, an emphasis on innovation over high tech system architecture and a steady stream of triple-a blockbusters this past year have all helped set the little white box apart from other console offerings.

But beyond all that, the very different nature of some of the games offered on the Wii have been the primary selling point. Wii Sports, packed right in with the system here in the U.S. has redefined what a sports game can be, especially as an entry-level introduction to gaming in general for an otherwise standoffish mainstream demographic. Add titles like Wii Play, Wii Fit, Carnival Games, Mario Kart, etc. and you get a whole new category of games: CASUAL.

While many in the 'Hardcore' gamer demographic have been a bit panicked over the emergence of the 'Casual' gamer, there are a few titles that I have observed successfully appeal to both crowds. Electronic Arts' Boom Blox, produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, is one such game.

See, after trying the Wii out alongside legendary Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto (some would say the 'Spielberg' of gaming) at E3 2005 (I believe they played Wii Sports Tennis), good ol' Steve-O was inspired to come up with a game idea or two of his own! As he used the Wii Remote to swing at a tennis ball, throw pitches, etc. he felt something familiar, something from childhood. He later told people that he recalled building block structures as a kid and then knocking them down with a ball, and hence, Boom Blox was conceived.

UPS:
Boom Blox is a delight to play; don't let the simplistic premise or vague box art fool you, this game is really fun! There are a number of modes, but the basic idea is that you throw a ball of some kind (there are several) at block structures. This seemingly childish concept has been taken to the nth degree, however, with different kinds of blocks (some explode, some shatter, others simply vanish), different challenges (how few throws will it take to destroy this structure? How many points can you get with two throws?) and even a clever story mode.

There's also multiplayer in Boom Blox, and that brings me to what is perhaps the most engrossing quality of the game. I've mentioned that several non-gamers in my family have been won over by the charms of Wii Sports in the past, but Boom Blox has captured the few anti-game holdouts that were still unconvinced. I've never seen anything like it; my wife, my brother and sister in law, my father in law... all of them ASKING to play Boom Blox with no prompting from me! The multiplayer games all echo the single player modes, but up to four people can take turns trying to score the most points by knocking blocks off of a stack, pulling them out of a structure (think Jenga, but even more fun) or a slew of other modes.

DOWNS:
Boom Blox has a bug or two; your cursor will occasionally freak out, mostly in multiplayer. It's not a deal-breaker, but an infrequent nuisance. I also wish EA had had the foresight to make multiplayer available for more than four people; almost every mode is turn-based, so you can even pass one remote around, but when your living room has five or seven people in it, and only four can participate, it's a bit of a downer.

VERDICT:
I recommend Boom Blox to ANYONE who owns a Wii. You will love it, your friends and family will love it, your kids and the other kids in the neighborhood will love it... On second thought, if you don't want your house full of visitors all the time, for pete's sake, don't buy Boom Blox!

The Latest and Greatest!

As I have been 'on a break' (sorry Ross & Rachel) from posting, I've accumulated some games to write about, so I thought I'd start with a list of some of my new faves!

1. Boom Blox - This game has been getting RAVE reviews and TONS of attention from the press and blogs, but hasn't been selling well at all (depending on your point of view). I picked it up on day one and haven't looked back. I'll be posting a Quick Review later.

2. Lego Indiana Jones - Awwww yeah... I loved me some Lego Star Wars back in the day, and this game ups the ante. I can only imagine that Lego Batman will be even better.

3. WiiWare! So far I've downloaded Dr. Mario and Lost Winds, two of the better-received titles on the service. Expect reviews of both.

4. Dr. Layton - On the DS front, I've really been enjoying this quirky puzzle game. No, not falling-blocks or colored-bubbles puzzles, but mind bending brain teasers! Really great stuff, and a totally well put-together package!

There's much, much more, but I'll save it for later!

The Experiment Continues...

So, it's been a LONG time since I posted anything here! Work, Family stuff, and just a generally busy life have kept me from staying with it, so please accept my apologies, if you are among the very small readership here!

Now, I am determined to get back to it, at least on some level. Keep checking back here for some great stuff!

Yet another awesome Brawl video

So, yet again someone in Japan who is already playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl (jerkwads) has been kind (jerky) enough to post some video footage. This time, a montage of every character's final smash move.

It's pretty interesting to view each one in succession; some are just downright brutal, while others seem only nominally mean. I tell ya right now, the Smash Ball is going to change the way I play this game for sure!

If you don't like SPOILERS, don't view the embedded video below. Otherwise, click play and enjoy!

HOLY PREVIEWS, BATMAN!

Computer and Video Games has a sweet preview for Lego Batman, one of my anticipated titles of next fall, for obvious reasons. Click on over for a decent read and some great screenshots!