GENRE
	Action Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Traveller's Tales
	PUBLISHER
	LucasArts
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

When the first LEGO Star Wars hit stores a couple of years ago it was a bit of a sensation. Unabashedly a kid-friendly game, the product nevertheless offered up such a charming and authentic take on the Star Wars prequel trilogy that it endeared both young and old alike. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy soon followed, carrying the theme clear through to Episode VI.

Now Traveller’s Tales is back with an upgraded compilation of all six episodes, with the additional promise of Wii Remote lightsaber action. This begs two questions: one, is this compilation worth picking up for owners of the earlier LEGO Star Wars titles; and two, is this the Wii lightsaber title fans have been waiting for? Answering either question is a murky and complex business -- more on that below -- but one thing is certain, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is one of the most definitive Star Wars experiences out there and a must-own for Wii fans who follow this franchise.

visuals

Traveller’s Tales has done a good job of making use of Wii’s graphical capabilities in other games, and that experience translates well here. Granted, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga sports a simple look when compared to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption or Super Mario Galaxy, but the game nonetheless feels like a noticeable upgrade from the GameCube versions, with minor upgrades to textures and some nice bloom lighting effects. As has long been the tradition, the game’s art direction is nothing short of brilliant, with a literal legion of individually designed LEGO characters, vehicles and locations stretching across all six movies. The cutscene cinematics are clever and often funny, although they are a little light on context, and thus, best viewed by those who have seen the movies.

audio

This game has one of the more masterful and nuanced musical efforts to be found in a game. The developer could have simply slapped on a few choice Star Wars tracks and called it a day. In an attempt to maximize the authenticity of the experience, however, Traveller’s Tales sought to correctly match the music to the individual episodes and scenes in the movies. Hardcore Star Wars fans who reveled in the scene-specific anthems from the Darth Maul duel or the titanic showdown between Anakin and Obi-Wan will be pleased to see them reproduced in all their glory here. Even the main Star Wars theme -- which was marginally different among the episodes -- reflects those differences in the game. In all, the music is so well done and so immersive that it’s easy to forget that this is a LEGO game.

The music also features minor, but significant, upgrades over the earlier LEGO Star Wars iterations. In the original LEGO Star Wars, the background music for the Episode III chapters came not from Episode III, but from Episodes IV through VI. The reason for this likely lies in the fact that the game came out before the theatrical release of Episode III, leaving the developer stuck with using stock Star Wars music. Here, again, Traveller’s Tales could have left the old game intact, but they instead went back and inserted the Episode-appropriate music in all the right places.

The sound effects, critical to the authentic Star Wars experience, are every bit as outstanding and nuanced as the music. Every lightsaber activation, swing and clash rings authentic and even buzzes out of the Wii Remote. Every blaster sounds exactly as it should, even to the point of giving the uniquely different sounds used by Han’s blaster, an Imperial blaster or a Trade Federation handgun. Wookies yell like Wookies, R2-D2 screams as it always did, and even Yoda and Jabba the Hut clock in with trademark grunts and chortles.

gameplay

Traveller’s Tales went back and rethought much of the game, especially in Episodes I through III, with the end result being a title that is much better than the two games that preceded it. More than that, the combined content -- plus several new extra missions and add-ons -- makes this game a grand adventure with tons of replay value. While a quick blast-through might only take six hours or so, a hardcore gamer could easily spend 25-30 hours scouring out all the extras this game has to offer, and the game is sufficiently addictive that such scouring proves well worth the time.

The difficulty of the game is nicely balanced. For young players, the game makes it impossible to die completely, although dying does incur a stud penalty. LEGO studs are the currency that allows for purchase of characters, abilities, hints and extras, and they prove a nice draw for more seasoned players looking to see all the game has to offer. There are also other hidden models and levels that require varying levels of skill to unlock, giving older gamers plenty of challenge if they want to take it on.

Everything in the game operates out of the hub that is the Mos Eisley cantina, with a bevy of doors leading off into all sorts of adventures and extras. (The hub is in itself entertaining, as various unlocked characters -- from Jawas to Jedi -- will saunter around and bar fights can break out with just the pull of a trigger.) There are, naturally, the six Star Wars episodes, each with six chapters plus extra challenge and super story modes. There are also a myriad of other bonuses that unlock through the course of the game and some side missions for those who want a break from the main storyline. Every level can be revisited and often must be in order to unlock everything the game has to offer.

As they did with the graphics and sound, Traveller’s Tales did a nice job of rethinking the game’s levels, particularly in Episodes I through III. Levels have received some extras and upgrades throughout the early game. Pod racing, for example, has been completely overhauled and now plays much more smoothly than it did before. (Purists who want to experience the original pod racing in all it’s grating frustration can unlock it.) Another example comes from Episode II, where the developer added in a whole new chapter surrounding the car chase scene over Coruscant. The ability to build items, the ability of blaster-wielding characters to dodge enemy fire, and the ability of bounty hunters to cross chasms are just a few of the small but much appreciated changes the game has made.

The controls are, for the most part, implemented nicely. Button controls are pretty basic: the A button jumps, the B button attacks, the C-button swaps characters, and the Z button performs actions and uses the Force. Motion control, meanwhile, is strictly optional. Swinging the lightsaber is effected by a swing of the Wii Remote. Shaking the nunchuck in tandem with the Z button -- which works pretty well -- will cause a player to build an item or use the Force much more quickly than normal.

Although swinging the Wii Remote is not required to play the game, this first attempt at a Wii motion lightsaber is something of a mixed bag. Because lightsaber swinging is basically the same as swordplay in Twilight Princess, those hoping for one-to-one dueling or even a Wii Baseball knock-off might be let down. Additionally, the LEGO Star Wars controls feel a bit less responsive than Zelda, meaning you have to swing harder and feel tired more quickly because of it. Still, you do at least get to swing a lightsaber by whipping the Wii Remote, and if that doesn’t do it for you, the B button is always there.

multiplayer

Sadly, there is no online co-op in the Wii version of this game (the PS3 and 360 versions do have it), but the well-constructed drop-in/drop-out co-op of previous games is alive and well. Two player co-op is smooth and enjoyable, whether it is with a friend or a younger child. There is a decided advantage to co-op, too, as AI-controlled characters don't actually damage enemies with their weapons.

For those wanting a more competitive environment, the game offers that, too, in the form of a two-player arcade that allows for several different versus modes, including dueling, enemy killing and stud-collecting. A variety of arenas, including a couple of places unaccessible in the main game, give this competitive mode some legs if you’ve got friends to duke it out with.

overall

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga is a solid compilation that is superior to the two games that preceded it. This is not just roughshod port, either; Episodes I through III have seen a serious upgrade in music and gameplay, while Episodes IV through VI get a few tweaks of their own. There is, admittedly, some redundancy for those who have played LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II, but there are also enough additions, changes, and tweaks to make it a fresh experience, too, especially in regard to Episodes I through III.

Whether you’re old or young, if you’ve never played LEGO Star Wars and you have any fealty to the series, get this game without hesitation. (Although this game costs a bit more than getting the used copies of the earlier iterations, this version is sufficiently superior to justify the cost.) If you’ve played the other two games through and through, you won’t go wrong throwing your old copies on eBay and scooping up this version, if just to experience the extras and a bit of Wii Remote swiping. Regardless, this is certainly one of the most solid games on the console to date and is a must-have for anyone who likes Star Wars.

8.5/10