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.

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.

There are a total of 59 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 10 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 and his 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. You can even have good and evil team up, such as Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul, despite the fact that Darth Maul is the one who killed Qui-Gon Jinn. 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.

Characters in the GameCube, PS2, Xbox and PC versions
There are a total of 59 characters for LEGO Star Wars, 56 in the GameCube, PS2, Xbox and PC versions. The three missing are Gungan, Tusken Raider and STAP, playable in the GBA version. Every character has an ability, with the exception of the following three: Chancellor Palpatine can jump but that's it. The PK Droid can't do anything except move. The Gonk Droid is very slow and can't jump or do anything, but it is invincible. You always get one or more of every kind of ability with you in Free Play. There also some characters in the cutscenes that are unplayable such as Boss Nass, Mawhonic, Watto, and the Kaminoans.

The 56 characters for GameCube, PS2, Xbox and PC are:

Episode I

 * 1. Negotiations: Saak'ak, Naboo Orbit
 * 2. Invasion of Naboo: Naboo Swamps
 * 3. Escape from Theed: Theed Palace
 * 4. Mos Espa Podrace: Mos Espa, Tatooine (Podracer)
 * 5. Retake Theed Palace: Theed Palace
 * 6. Darth Maul: Theed Hangar and Generator Complex

Episode II

 * 1. Discovery on Kamino: Tipoca City
 * 2. Droid Factory: Geonosis Droid Factory
 * 3. Jedi Battle: Petranaki Arena
 * 4. Gunship Cavalry: Geonosis Deserts (LAAT)
 * 5. Count Dooku: Geonosis

Episode III



 * 1. Battle Over Coruscant: Coruscant Orbit (Jedi Starfighter)
 * 2. Chancellor in Peril: Invisible Hand
 * 3. General Grievous: Pau City, Utapau
 * 4. Defense of Kashyyyk: Kachirho, Kashyyyk
 * 5. Ruin of the Jedi: Jedi Temple, Coruscant
 * 6. Darth Vader: Klegger Corp Mining Facility, Mustafar

Episode IV

 * A New Hope: Tantive IV

Levels
Featuring a total of 17 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.

Chapter 1: Negotiations


Prologue: "Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic! With a blockade of deadly battleships, the Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo. The Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to settle the conflict..."


 * Playable Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, TC-14
 * Enemies: Battle Droid (Security), Battle Droid, Battle Droid (Commander), Droideka
 * True Jedi Status: 40,000 studs
 * Minikit: Republic Cruiser

Epilogue: After being attacked by hoards of battle droids, escaping two droidekas and finding a new 'friend' (TC-14), Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hide in a Trade Federation MTT as it is boarded onto a Trade Federation landing ship intent on leaving an army of Battle Droids on Naboo to conquer it. TC-14 stays behind with its true masters, leaving the two Jedi yet again alone.

Chapter 2: Invasion of Naboo


Prologue: Now on Naboo, there is little the Jedi can do to stop the hoards of Battle Droids as they leave the swamp in the direction of Theed. Qui-Gon notices a Gungan about to be crushed by an MTT and saves him just in time. Jar Jar Binks, the Gungan, introduces himself and leads the way to a mysterious underwater city where the Jedi hope to find help.


 * Playable Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks
 * True Jedi Status: 35,000 studs
 * Minikit: Gungan Bongo

Epilogue: Jar Jar and the Jedi meet Boss Nass, leader of the Gungans and, using the force, Qui-Gon manages to convince Boss Nass to help them out. The big leader gives them a Bongo, which they use to travel to Theed.

Chapter 3: Escape from Naboo
Prologue: The Jedi and Jar Jar were too late. The queen has already been captured by the immense army of Battle Droids, however they manage get rid of the few droids with her. The team splits up, but no longer would they find each other again.


 * Playable Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala, Captain Panaka
 * Minikit: Royal Starship

Epilogue: The team leaves Naboo in the Queen's cruiser and escape from Naboo. As they leave Naboo, they have to pass the Trade Federation blockade, but thanks to R2-D2, an astromech droid, they survive. However the ship is severely damaged and they are forced to stop at Tatooine for repairs.

Chapter 4: Mos Espa Podrace (Vehicle level)


Prologue: Unfortunately the part they need is on sale at an outrageous price. Luckily enough for them, a small boy by the name of Anakin decides to help them out by participating in a 'podrace' which, if he were to win, would raise the team enough money to buy the part.


 * Playable Vehicle: Anakin Skywalker's Podracer
 * Minikit: Sebulba's Podracer

Epilogue: Against all odds, the only Human with a high enough reaction level to participate in a podrace defeated Sebulba and won the money needed to buy the part. Anakin also chooses to leave Tatooine to train with Qui-Gon, in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a Jedi.

Chapter 5: Retake Theed Palace


Prologue: R2-D2, Anakin, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Jar Jar, Padmé Amidala and Captain Panaka return to Naboo. They request help from Boss Nass, who agrees on using his army as a distraction while the team attacks the palace to capture the Trade Federation Leader: Nute Gunray. While Jar Jar and the other Gungans confront a massive army of Battle Droids, the rest of the team infiltrates into the palace.


 * Playable Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks, Anakin Skywalker (Boy), Padmé (Battle), R2-D2, Captain Panaka
 * True Jedi Status: 40,000 studs
 * Minikit: Naboo Starfighter

Epilogue: The team finds itself in the hangar of the palace and prepares to leave when they are confronted by Darth Maul. Panaka and Padmé understand this is the Jedi's task and leave them alone, only to be confronted with Droidekas. Anakin and R2 jump into a Naboo Starfighter, hiding, but when they notice their friends' blasters can't affect the Droidekas' shields, they use their ship to save their friends, accidentally jumping into space at the same time.

Chapter 6: Darth Maul (Boss level)


Locations: Theed Hangar and Generator Complex

Prologue: Darth Maul instantly proves to be worthier than the Jedi, who can do little against his dual lightsaber, and Maul backflips over a hole and lifting the bridge up with the Force.


 * Playable Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Epilogue: Obi-Wan was late. He didn't manage to keep up with the other two and watched his master fight Maul. Maul suddenly hits Qui-Gon in the chin using the handle of his saber, making Qui-Gon nearly fall back, and as he does that, Maul stabs Qui-Gon in the stomach. Obi-Wan is shocked at this and attacks in a burst of rage. Yet Maul pushes Obi-Wan into a pit using the Force, making the Jedi lose his saber in the process. As Maul waits for Obi-Wan's hands to tire, thus making him let go of the outcropping he was holding onto, Obi-Wan jumps up, uses the force to pull his master's saber, lands and cuts Maul in half (the top half falling into the pit behind him), all so quickly Maul couldn't have moved. Obi-Wan runs over to his master and watches him die in his hands. Later there is a celebration of the victory over the Trade Federation and official peace between Naboo and Gungans, where everything seems to end well, for now...

Chapter 1: Discovery on Kamino (Boss Level)


Prologue: "The Galactic Republic plunges ever deeper into crisis. The mysterious Count Dooku leads a Separatist movement which threatens the future of the Republic. In this time of turmoil, Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the attempted assassination of Senator Padmé Amidala. With his astromech droid R4-P17, the Jedi Knight tracks the source of a poisoned dart to the remote world of Kamino..."


 * Playable Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Master), R4-P17
 * Boss: Jango Fett
 * Minikit: Jedi Starfighter

Epilogue: Obi-Wan found the assassin (Jango Fett) and his son (Boba Fett) on Kamino but was unable to prevent them from fleeing. He also discovered a big clone army for the republic, which he was unaware that the republic would need one. Fortunately, he placed a homing beacon on Jango's ship, the Slave I, and was able to track him down to Geonosis.

Chapter 2: Droid Factory


Prologue: As Anakin, R2-D2, C-3PO and Padmé secretly traveled through space, they received a message from Obi-Wan requesting help. They immediately travel to Geonosis and enter the Droid Factory there in search of Anakin's master

Playable characters: Anakin (Padawan), Padmé, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

Epilogue: Anakin and the team found Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, Jango found them. The crew was outnumbered and captured.

Chapter 3: Jedi Battle (Boss Level)


Prologue: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padmé were taken to the arena where their execution was about to be enjoyed by a massive crowd of Geonosians. Little did they know that Anakin and Padmé weren't the only ones to receive the signal, the other Jedi also received it. Mace Windu surprised Count Dooku, the evil Sith Lord who was leading the battle droids, and Jango Fett, as he and an entire army of Jedi tried to rescue the two Jedi and Padmé.

Playable Characters: Mace Windu, R2-D2, Padmé (Clawed), Anakin (Padawan), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Master)

Epilogue: With Jango Fett dead, and the three heroes freed, things were starting to look bad for the Jedi rescuers, but when Yoda and an army of clone troopers arrived and wiped out most of the battle droids in a few minutes, Dooku despaired and fled. But things weren't over yet, as Anakin and Obi-Wan jumped into a ship and left the arena into a massive war that was starting outside it. As the gunships lifted off, a saddened Boba Fett cradled his father's battle-scarred helmet, vowing revenge against the Jedi.

Chapter 4: Gunship Cavalry (Vehicle level)
Prologue: "The Grand Army of the Republic has been called into action. Led by Mace Windu and Yoda, the new Clone forces clash with the Separatist droid armies on the planet Geonosis. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker engage with the enemy, as they pursue Count Dooku in their Republic Attack Gunship..."


 * Playable Vehicle: Republic Attack Gunship

Epilogue: The ship fled as the giant Separatist Core Starship behind them exploded. Now that that was done, Obi-Wan and Anakin rushed to the hangar where Dooku was, prepared to defeat him and hopefully prevent a war.

Chapter 5: Count Dooku (Boss level)
Prologue: Dooku wasn't expecting the two Jedi, Obi-Wan and Anakin, to attack him, however using his superior abilities, he didn't have much trouble fighting them.

Playable Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Master), Anakin Skywalker (Padawan), Yoda

Epilogue: Yoda had come in just in time, for Anakin was on the ground and Obi-Wan had been injured to the point where he could not fight back. However, Dooku managed to hold Yoda back by using the Force to pull down a massive crane onto Anakin and Obi-wan, and while Yoda used the Force to save the Jedi, Dooku fled. On Coruscant, Dooku met with his sinister leader, Palpatine, with the Death Star plan secure and the war underway, they both laughed at their success.

Chapter 1: Battle Over Coruscant (Vehicle level)


Prologue: "The Republic is crumbling under a Separatist assault led by Count Dooku and General Grievous. In a stunning move, Separatist forces have swept into Coruscant and kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. As the Droid Army attempts to flee with their hostage, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a desperate mission to rescue the Chancellor..."


 * Playable Vehicle: Jedi Starfighter (Episode III)
 * Enemies: Droid Tri-fighter, Vulture Droid
 * Minikit: Drop Ship

Epilogue: After passing through the most adrenaline-filled space sequences, the two Jedi and R2-D2 reached Grievous's ship, however Obi-Wan's ship is damaged in the process of getting there.

Chapter 2: Chancellor in Peril


Prologue: Anakin, Obi-Wan and R2-D2 safely landed on the ship and started to search for Palpatine, unaware of what awaited them.

Playable Characters: Anakin (Jedi), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III), R2-D2, Chancellor Palpatine

Epilogue: They had saved Palpatine and defeated Dooku, all seemed well. All, that is, until they met Grievous, who ran away leaving behind his skilled Magna Guards (known as Grievous Bodyguard in the game). However, the Jedi were able to defeat them and land the ship on Coruscant as Grievous escaped to Utapau on a escape pod leving the two jedi behind.

Chapter 3: General Grievous (Boss level)


Prologue: With Dooku gone, the Battle Droids were left in the command of General Grievous. This meant that the Jedi had but one last enemy to confront to end the war. Jedi scattered all over the galaxy in search of the General, and Obi-Wan searched Utapau. There he met with Commander Cody (in the game the clone with a golden line down the front of his face, and an orange pauldron on his shoulder), and together the two ambushed the General.

Playable Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III), Commander Cody

Epilogue: With his four powerful arms, each holding a lightsaber, Grievous knocked out Cody and pushed Obi-Wan away who, like in the battle against Darth Maul, lost his lightsaber. As Grievous prepared to do a final slash against Obi-Wan, the Jedi pulled Cody's blaster to him using the Force and shot, thus finishing off the General!

Chapter 4: Defense of Kashyyyk


Prologue: As Yoda and Chewbacca walk to the Main Command Center, Emperor Palpatine gives Commander Gree Order 66, and the clones fire upon the two heroes!

Playable Characters: Yoda, Chewbacca, Wookiee

Epilogue: Yoda waves goodbye to his old Wookiee friends as he gets in the escape pod.

Chapter 5: Ruin of the Jedi
Prologue: Obi-Wan found Yoda at the entrance of the Jedi temple, now laid in ruins. They both seemed sad, until Obi-Wan spotted three hooded Jedi. He started to run towards them, but Yoda stopped him and observed them.

Playable Characters: Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III).

Epilogue: Their entire lives had been laid to ruins by the clones. As they traveled more and more through the temple, they just wanted to cry. There were no survivors from the attack, and the Temple was nothing more than a ruin. As they entered the hologram room, they took a look at a recording. What they saw filled them with terror: Anakin slaughtering Shaak Ti. Obi-Wan understood what had happened to his student and friend, and rushed to Mustafar to confront him.

Chapter 6: Darth Vader (Boss level)


Prologue: After the failed attempts of the Sith and Separatists, Palpatine seduced Anakin, podracing champion of Tatooine, Jedi of Coruscant, hero of the Clone Wars, and husband of Padmé, to the dark side as his new apprentice. His first objective was to wipe out the Separatist leaders on Mustafar. When Anakin saw Padmé's ship arrive, he was filled with joy. When he saw his pregnant wife, he felt like the happiest man in the Galaxy. But when he saw Obi-Wan leave the ship behind her, he was filled with hatred at her for betraying him, and nearly choked her to death. And as Mustafar's many volcanoes started to lose control, he prepared to destroy his master.

Playable Characters: Darth Vader (On the game still known as Anakin - Jedi), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode III)

Epilogue: The two heroes who had been friends their entire life started to grow tired of the battle that felt to have been going on for hours. But when Anakin tried to jump attack his master, Obi-Wan chopped off his legs and his good arm. Obi-Wan watched as his friend burned to death, deciding whether he should or shouldn't save him. Turning his back on his friend, he took Anakin's saber and went back to Padmé's ship. As Padmé gave birth to Luke and Leia, her twin son and daughter, she died. Meanwhile, Anakin was given the black body, making his transformation into Darth Vader complete.

(This level is unique in that the two players can fight against each other, but only when they reach the final stage—in the following cutscene, Obi-Wan emerges victorious, regardless of whether or not the player controlling him defeats Anakin. Also, on free play, you could pick any boss only on single player)

Episode IV: A New Hope
To unlock the Episode IV door (initially marked with a "?"), the player must obtain "True Jedi Status" on all levels. In order to obtain True Jedi, the stud bar that appears at the top of the screen for every level must be filled up; it flashes and the lights move around when this is achieved. The blue studs are worth 1,000 studs, the gold studs are worth 100, and the silver studs are worth 10.

Bonus Level: A New Hope
Prologue: "It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. Princess Leia Organa now has the blueprints for the Empire's new weapon, the Death Star. But her ship is intercepted and boarded by Darth Vader and his stormtroopers..."


 * Playable Characters: Darth Vader, Stormtrooper
 * Enemies: Rebel Trooper
 * True Jedi Status: N/A
 * Minikit: N/A

The two characters you start with are Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper on the Tantive IV. You walk through many halls full of objects and walls which can be blasted for studs, and encounter a handful of Rebel Troopers. When you defeat them, you get to a locked door that requires a protocol droid to open it. Behind the opposite door, you will find a puzzle to solve that requires good timing; doing so will free C-3PO himself, who will join your party and get you past the locked door, behind which is a room with various sizes and shapes of LEGO bricks strewn about. Use the Force to arrange the bricks so that they spell out the word L-E-G-O, and a shower of blue studs will fall from the ceiling. After that, you have a few more Rebel scum to dispatch, and then you enter the final room, where a cut scene shows that famous scene of Leia reprogramming R2-D2...and the message "To be continued..." indicates that a sequel is coming up.

Deleted levels
There are three (possibly four) known levels that didn't make it to the final release. Some, 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.

It is interesting to note that this would have given the game a total of 21 levels, 22 if you count the bonus chapter.

Episode I: Anakin's Flight
Prologue: "As the battle for Naboo rages on the planet's surface, a desperate assault has been launched on the Trade Federation battleships above. Anakin Skywalker finds himself at the controls of an N-1 Starfighter, heading for the Droid Control Ship..."


 * Playable Vehicle: Naboo Starfighter

Due to take place after Chapter 5 of Episode I, a few screenshots showing two Naboo Starfighters, shooting battle droids and droidekas inside the hangar of a Trade Federation battleship, were published in magazines and on the internet. The level would have run a lot like Episode III's "Battle Over Coruscant".

Episode II: Bounty Hunter Pursuit
This level would have been the first chapter of Episode II. Like "Anakin's Flight", it would have been another vehicle-based level with the player taking control of the speeder that Anakin "borrows" at the beginning of the film.

Although no published visual evidence for this level was released, there are a few clues to its existence. The English-language text file that's installed in the "Stuff" directory lists a few items that didn't make it into the finished game: Some work by some of the members of the FBTB.net forums has also unearthed a few character models that would have been used in this level.
 * Zam Wesell
 * Zam Wesell's Speeder

Episode III: Boga Chase
Planned to be part of the Episode III section, this level would have taken place between Chapter 2: Chancellor in Peril and Chapter 3: General Grievous. Again, it was never completed enough to be publicly shown – its existence was discovered due to a very crude 3D model of the Boga being found hidden away in one of the program's directories.

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 – see list below), devalued credits (grey pieces are worth 1, blue 5 and gold 10 credits), fewer levels and only one player character on screen at a time, while the cutscenes are renders of the home console versions. However, it still remains a fairly large cartridge (128-Mbit).

Characters in the GBA version


All lightsaber-users are able to deflect blaster shots aimed at them (provided they are attacking the shot), and each character has

Cast

 * Qui-Gon Jinn...Liam Neeson
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi...Ewan McGregor
 * Anakin Skywalker (young)...Jake Lloyd
 * Anakin Skywalker, Boba Fett...Hayden Christensen
 * C-3PO...Anthony Daniels
 * R2-D2...Kenny Baker
 * Yoda...Frank Oz
 * Jango Fett...Temuera Morrison

Sequel
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. The sequel was released on the 12th of September, 2006.