LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game

LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game is a video game based on the Star Wars-themed toy line by the LEGO Group, taking place during the prequel trilogy (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith), and a small segment from A New Hope although all with some humorous sidelines. LEGO Star Wars was released on April 5, 2005, a full month before the final Star Wars film premiered, which surprised most people since the game contains many spoilers about the movie.

It was developed and published by Traveller's Tales and Giant Entertainment for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows, with Griptonite Games developing the Game Boy Advance version. All versions were distributed on April 5, 2005 by Eidos Interactive. It was later released on the Apple Macintosh by Aspyr in August 2005, then on the GameCube in October. David Whittaker was one of the videogame's composer.

While billed as a "kids game", it peaked at the top of the UK charts during early May 2005, losing the spot to the official game of Episode III, but remaining on the rest of the month on the top spots of the chart.

Gameplay
There are a total of 60 playable characters. Every playable character, modeled like actual LEGO parts (but with far more mobility) has its own unique skills. Jar Jar Binks, General Grievous, and Grievous' Bodyguard, for example, can jump higher than most characters. The 9-year-old Anakin Skywalker, and the 11-year-old Boba Fett can crawl in narrow or small spaces where other characters are unable to go. The astromech droids R2-D2 and R4-P17 are able to hover over chasms, open certain doors, and disable other droids, excluding General Grievous's bodyguards. Qui-Gon Jinn can swing his saber four times by attacking in the right pattern, instead of three like the other characters. Darth Maul uses a double-bladed lightsaber that is slightly faster, and General Grievous has four lightsabers, but cannot use the Force. All of the different Jedi and Sith have their own unique style of lightsaber wielding, and can use the Force to solve certain puzzles. Any unlocked character can be found walking around in Dexter's Diner, the area from which you choose what level to enter, excluding the Droideka.



LEGO Star Wars also has a feature called "free play", which enables the player to play the same level again, but with the ability to switch between characters and thus get into areas containing extras the player was unable to get before. A player can use any character in free play. The free play option will only appear when the player finishes a level. Levels that are played in vehicles cannot be played in free play. Some characters, such as Chancellor Palpatine, the PK droid, and the Gonk Droid, can't do anything but walk, but the droids, including protocol droids and astromech droids, will not be attacked by a computer enemy. Much of the game revolves around collecting "studs," small LEGO pieces that are used as an in-game currency.

At the time the game was published, a Revenge of the Sith album was not yet available, and the same applied to the Official Revenge of the Sith game. As a result, all of the music in the Episode III levels use recycled music from all other episodes, for instance the Battle Over Coruscant Level uses music from the Battle of Yavin. It is interesting to note, however, that Episode II uses music not publicly available, such as some music on Kamino.

Characters in the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC versions
There are a total of fifty-nine characters for LEGO Star Wars, fifty-six in the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, and PC versions. The three missing are Gungan, Tusken Raider, and STAP, playable in the GBA version though The Gungan and STAP are only available through cheat codes. Every character has an ability, (with the exception of Chancellor Palpatine, the Gonk droid, and the PK droid); when ever you enter free play, you get one character per ability, not including the two you choose. There are also some characters in the cutscenes that appear, but are unplayable such as Boss Nass, Mawhonic, Watto, and Kaminoans.

Unlocked Characters

 * Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi (as Padawan, Jedi Knight and Jedi Master)
 * TC-14
 * Jar Jar Binks
 * Captain Panaka
 * Padmé Amidala (Battle Outfit, Geonosis, Geonosis Clawed, Queen,and Tatooine disguise)
 * Anakin Skywalker (as boy, Padawan, Jedi Knight and Darth Vader)
 * R2-D2
 * R4-P17
 * C-3PO
 * Mace Windu
 * Yoda
 * Chancellor Palpatine
 * Commander Cody
 * Chewbacca
 * Wookiee
 * Stormtrooper

Bought Characters

 * PK Droid
 * Gonk Droid
 * Battle droid (as infantry, Security, Commander and Geonosis trooper)
 * Droideka
 * Naboo Guard
 * Darth Maul
 * Geonosian
 * B2 super battle droid
 * Jango Fett
 * Boba Fett (Boy)
 * Ki-Adi-Mundi
 * Kit Fisto
 * Shaak Ti
 * Luminara Unduli
 * Mace Windu (Episode 2 (Brown), Episode 3 ( Grey)
 * Clone trooper (as Episode 2 Clone, Episode 3 Clone, pilot walker driver, Swamptrooper and Disguised Jedi)
 * Count Dooku
 * MagnaGuard (Referred to as Grievous Bodyguard in game)
 * General Grievous
 * Darth Sidious
 * Princess Leia Organa
 * Rebel trooper

Vehicles
LEGO Star Wars also had 3 vehicle levels. No characters could be bought from these levels and free play mode was not accesible either.
 * Anakin Skywalker's podracer (Episode I)
 * Republic Gunship (Episode II)
 * Obi Wan Kenobi's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor (Episode III)
 * Anakin Skywalker's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor (Episode III)

Levels
Featuring a total of 18 levels, as well as one bonus level, the game plays out in a fairly standard 3D platform fashion. However, each episode also features a vehicle-based level, which runs to a predefined route. In the case of Episode I and III this takes the form of a behind-the-vehicle view, whereas in Episode II the action is played out in an isometric view. Later in the same level, the view is changed to behind-the-vehicle view.

Deleted levels
There are three, but possibly four, known levels that didn't make it to the final release. The levels were "Anakin's Flight," "Bounty Hunter Pursuit," "Asteroid Dogfight," and "Boga Chase." Some scenes, such as "Anakin's Flight", were practically complete. The remnants of these levels can be found with a thorough search of the install directory for the PC version of the game. The "Anakin's Flight" level can be found on the extras section of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, while "Bounty Hunter Pursuit" was added to the Episode II levels.

Game Boy Advance version
The Game Boy Advance version of LEGO Star Wars has several differences, (mostly for the sake of portability), including fewer playable characters (15, plus 23 with cheats), devalued credits (gray pieces are worth 1, blue 5, and gold 10 credits), fewer levels--including just three for Episode II--and only one player character on screen at a time, while the cutscenes are still renders of the home console versions. However, it still remains a fairly large cartridge (128-Mbit).

Cellphone version
The Cellphone version is also different. The goal of this version is to rescue Chancellor Palpatine by using movable LEGO blocks.

The Phantom Menace

 * Antidar Williams and Maoi Madakor were Royal Naboo Security Forces pilots.
 * TC-14 helps Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan through the Saak'ak. This was added to show the player how to switch characters and open doors.
 * In the game, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are together on Naboo, but in the film, they are separated.
 * In the game, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan meet Jar Jar Binks smelling the flowers. In the movie, they meet Jar Jar running away from animals.
 * The sando aqua monster scene is omitted.
 * In the game, Amidala and Captain Panaka shoot droids in Theed before their return to Naboo, but in the movie, they don't.
 * The Part where the Queen and Panaka shoot out a window on the ledge of the Palace happens in "Escape from Naboo" rather than "Retaking of Theed".
 * Also in the game, the Queen and the Jedi are separated, but in the film, they aren't.
 * The dinner at Anakin's home and Darth Maul's arrival on Tatooine are omitted.
 * Shmi Skywalker is absent from the game.
 * C-3PO is seen fully built, though in the movie, he does not have armor and is naked.
 * Mawhonic crashes in Lap 2 instead of Lap 1 of the podrace.
 * In the game, Qui-Gon doesn't fight Darth Maul on Tatooine, but in the film, he does.
 * All scenes on Coruscant are omitted, although the events that took place there are mentioned in the rolling title of the fifth level.
 * In a cutscene right before the Battle of Naboo, Padmé appears in the same outfit she wore on Tatooine after previously appearing wearing the outfit she wore in the film during this battle.
 * The Naboo Space Battle is omitted (See Levels Article). However, it does return as a bonus level in The Complete Saga.
 * In the movie, Obi-Wan gets separated from Qui-Gon during the fight with Darth Maul. However, in the game, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon don't get separated at all. Also, they have to chase Darth Maul across the hangar, and he sets droids on them.
 * In the movie, Darth Maul removes his hood before battling Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. In the game his hood stays on throughout the battle.
 * In the game, Darth Maul's lightsaber is not cut in half.
 * In the game, When Obi-Wan uses Sai tok on Darth Maul, only his torso falls into the hole. Darth Maul's legs were seen looking left and right.
 * Nute Gunray and Rune Haako are omitted, but they are featured in LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.
 * Mas Amedda is not in the game.
 * Daultay Dofine is omitted.
 * Qui-Gon's funeral is omitted.

Attack of the Clones

 * All scenes before the Kamino scene are omitted (the chase on Coruscant, Anakin and Padme on Naboo, Anakin's mother's death and all other scenes), although there were going to be two levels before it, "Tusken Slaughter" and "Bounty Hunter Pursuit". The latter was included in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
 * In the game, R4-P17 has a full droid body and follows Obi-Wan on Kamino, in the film, she stays behind in the starfighter. This change was made because there always needs to be at least two friendly characters on the screen at all times.
 * The Kamino security droids attack Obi-Wan.
 * Boba Fett actually flies the Slave I, rather than just firing the guns while it was still on the ground
 * Obi-Wan's and Jango's fight above Geonosis never occurs, although was originally going to become a level, "Asteroid Dogfight".
 * In the game, Anakin's first lightsaber is not damaged in the droid factory, but he nevertheless ends up with a green-bladed lightsaber and there is no explanation.
 * Our heroes meet C-3PO on Geonosis rather than Tatooine.
 * In the game, Anakin and others rescue Obi-Wan, but in the film, they don't even come close.
 * The reek, acklay and nexu in the Petranaki arena are all replaced with battle droids, B2 super battle droids, droidekas, and Geonosians. Padmé Amidala still gets clawed by the Nexu.
 * The execution posts are on different sides of the arena while in the movie, they are right next to each other.
 * Poggle the Lesser is a normal geonosian with Dooku and Jango Fett.
 * Jango Fett doesn't lose his pistol.
 * After the gunships arrive, Obi-Wan is seen holding a green lightsaber and Anakin is holding a blue lightsaber.
 * Padme does not fall out the Gunship but strangely appears later in the hanger. Also Anakin is the one flying the ship instead of a Clone.
 * In the second part of the Count Dooku fight, the two playable characters are Yoda and Obi-Wan. In the film, Yoda fights alone.
 * In the game Obi-Wan gets hurt but continues fighting, whereas in the film his injuries incapacitated him.
 * The speech about the shroud of the dark side, and the start of The Clone Wars, as well as Anakin and Padmé's marriage, are omitted. The end simply shows Dooku and Darth Sidious plotting in The Works.
 * The scenes on Tatooine are included only in the GBA version of the game.

Revenge of the Sith

 * R4-P17 is not killed by Buzz-droids, as she was in the film.
 * Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter has R2-D2 instead of R4-P17.
 * In the film, R2-D2 is with Anakin and Obi-Wan when they crash into the Invisible Hand, but in the game, they have to find him after they arrive.
 * The elevator scene is omitted.
 * The scene in which Grievous kills Shaak Ti followed by Anakin and Obi-Wan escaping to the generator room which was cut from the film was left in the game, though Shaak Ti is not present in this scene.
 * Anakin and Obi-wan enter the the generator room through a door instead of the floor, and escape the generator room in two separate pipes instead of the same one.
 * The generator room is not flooded.
 * In The film, after rescuing the Chancellor, they are captured and taken to meet Grievous, but in the game after defeating Dooku, they go to Bridge and meet him.
 * The Invisible Hand does not visibly break apart.
 * In the game, Obi-Wan isn't knocked out during the duel with Dooku. This was probably done to make it more co-op friendly.
 * In the movie, when Anakin uses cho mai on Count Dooku, both of Dooku's hands are severed. In the game, only Dooku's right hand is amputated.
 * Dooku's death is not properly shown, possibly due to censorship.
 * Anakin and the others don't get captured by the droids.
 * Tarfful is called Wookiee rather than his name.
 * All scenes in between the duel with Dooku and the duel with Grievous are not shown (e.g Anakin finding out about Padme's pregnancy, Anakin's conflict with the Jedi Council, Anakin's friendship with the Chancellor, and the Council's distrust of the Chancellor).
 * Boga and the Wheelbike are omitted, but they were going to be included in the game because there is a deleted level called "Boga Chase" and also unfinished model files of both Boga and the wheelbike are found in the directory on the PC version of the game. Also, the wheelbike makes an appearance in the Nintendo DS version of LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
 * In the film, Obi-Wan battles Grievous in hangar 10 and on the landing platform, but in the game, only the platform appears, without Grievous's starfighter and clones are not seen shooting droids in the backgroud.
 * Utapau is a grassy planet rather than barren land.
 * In the game, Obi-Wan and Commander Cody fight Grievous together, but in the film, they don't.
 * Obi-Wan uses Cody's blaster to kill Grievous, but in the film, he uses the cyborg general's own blaster to kill him.
 * In the game, Cody is knocked out or killed by Grievous, but in the movie, he isn't.
 * During the assault on Kashyyyk, most clones wear normal Phase II clone trooper armor instead of Clone swamp trooper armor.
 * The Battle of Kashyyyk is omitted.
 * The playable Clone Pilots (Episode III) wear helmets, just as the real-life minifigures produced at that time did. But in the film, they have exposed faces. This problem was fixed in 2010 when they released a new, more movie-accurate helmet design.
 * Mace Windu's battle with Palpatine is not shown, but it was one of the deleted levels from the game.
 * In the film, the clones keep fighting the droids while Order 66 is given, whereas in the game, they work on the same team.
 * The disguised clones did not appear in the film, though they were in a deleted scene.
 * The deaths of Jedi during Order 66 are omitted.
 * Anakin turning to the dark side of the Force, Operation: Knightfall, and his assassination of the Separatists are omitted, shown only as Anakin killing Shaak Ti in a hologram in the Jedi Temple, followed by another recording showing Anakin kneeling before Darth Sidious.
 * Anakin is not seen force-choking Padmé. They get into an argument instead.
 * The Mustafar lava arm is apparently broken into three pieces, with one still attached to the mining facility, one sinking gradually, and one almost completely submerged.
 * Darth Vader's lightsaber changes from blue to red in the last cutscene during the duel on Mustafar. This may be a sign to players that Anakin is turned to the dark side, for red is the usual lightsaber color for Sith. This is "fixed" in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga.
 * Anakin and Obi-Wan's duel on Mustafar is very different from the movie. Anakin tries to escape from Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan chases him. Then the two of them have to escape a lot of falling platforms and have to stop the control room from collapsing. Then the duel takes place on the big rock, whilst in the movie Anakin is injured trying to jump to it.
 * Anakin isn't burnt in the game; in the film he is.
 * Yoda is never shown dueling Palpatine.
 * Luke and Leia being brought to their homeworlds is omitted.
 * Padmé Amidala's funeral is omitted.
 * The under-construction Death Star is omitted.
 * Bail Organa is absent from the game.
 * All scenes on Tantive IV are omitted.
 * C3-PO is absent from Episode III, apart from making a brief appearance during Padme's death scene.

A New Hope

 * Darth Vader frees C-3PO from a cylinder.
 * C-3PO then assists Vader in his troubles with opening sealed doors.
 * Darth Vader finds R2-D2.

Because of these differences, the game is considered non-canon. In addition, there are always at least two characters that can be played, despite story inaccuracies; this was for co-op purposes.

Playable Characters in the GBA version



 * Qui-Gon (250)
 * Jar Jar (1,000)
 * Amidala (1,000)
 * R2-D2 (500)
 * Anakin (500)
 * Obi-Wan (1,000)
 * Yoda (3,000)
 * Chewbacca (2,000)
 * Darth Maul (3,000)
 * Jango Fett (10,000)
 * Dooku (12,000)
 * Clone trooper (5,000)
 * R4-P17 (500)
 * Darth Vader (15,000)
 * Tusken Raider (5,000)
 * C-3PO (Cheats)
 * Droideka (Cheats)
 * Battle droid (Cheats)
 * Gungan (Cheats)
 * Geonosian (Cheats)
 * DUM-series pit droid (Cheats)
 * Grievous (Cheats)
 * Droid on a STAP (Cheats)
 * Red and Yellow Astromech droid (Cheats)
 * Black and Silver Astromech droid (Cheats)
 * Repair Droid (Cheats)
 * Kit Fisto (Cheats)

All lightsaber-users are able to deflect blaster shots aimed at them (provided they are attacking the shot), and each character has his own style. They also are the only ones (with the exception of General Grievous, who lacks Force sensitivity) able to use the Force to interact with undeployed platforms and switches.

Sequels
A sequel, LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, has been released covering the last three movies in the saga, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. It was released on the 12th of September, 2006.

LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which combines the levels from LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars II, was released in 2007. The original prequel levels were updated to include powerbricks, vehicles in non-vehicle levels, and other aspects found in LEGO Star Wars II. Additionally, new playable characters, such as Watto and Boss Nass, were added, and the deleted level involving the pursuit of Zam Wesell. Other levels which were changed for the new release (such as "Mos Espa Podrace") or cut from the first game (such as Anakin's assault on the Trade Federation battleship) were included as bonus content.