Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Eidos
Xbox 360
Review by Hayden Meikle
Pum-ba ba. Pum-ba-baaaa. Pum-ba-ba pum-ba-ba pum-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
Picture the dashing hero, sweaty hat on head and whip in hand, racing time and the bad guys, using his archaeological brilliance and gung-ho attitude to track down the lost treasure and generally save the day.
Then picture our hero smashing into 1000 pieces of Lego.
Yes, the Lego video game series is back, and this time - after two recreations of the Star Wars movies - Indiana Jones gets the treatment.
The all-action hero has been resurrected for a fourth movie after a 20-year hiatus, but this game takes you back to the 1980s (remember them?) and the first three films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade.
Like Lego Star Wars, Lego Indy recreates all the characters and the scenes from the original trilogy in blocky brilliance.
From the ever-present whip to the five o'clock stubble to the dashing sex appeal, Indy himself looks as close to Harrison Ford as plastic can get.
The game follows many of the same paths as the Star Wars pair.
It's split into the three movies, with six levels within each.
Each level has enemies to fight, puzzles to solve, studs to collect as currency for purchasing new characters and extras, and treasures to find.
There is obviously no "force" in Indy's world, so you don't get some of the neat features of the Star Wars series.
The bigger focus in Indy is finding the right tool to progress.
There are spanners to fix broken machines, shovels to dig up goodies, and bananas to get monkeys to throw stuff to you (you'll see).
New characters are unlocked at the end of each level and, like Star Wars, you can then replay the level in Free Play mode, in which you can change characters at the push of a button.
Ask someone to name a few Star Wars characters and they'll probably rattle off Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt in no time.
Indy's supporting cast aren't as well known, but by the end of the game you will know all about Satipo, Marion, Rene Belloq and Colonel Toht.
My wife - who hardly ever plays video games but got highly addicted to the first two Lego games - and my stepson and I wondered how on earth Lego Star Wars could be bettered.
But I think Lego Indy manages to take the series further.
Kids will love it because it's not too hard and there's still something damn cool about Indiana Jones.
Casual gamers and movie buffs will like it for the same reasons.
Adults will enjoy the wink-wink, nudge-nudge humour.
In fact, it would surprise me if anyone did not find something they enjoyed about Lego Indy.
Lego Batman is due out later this year and the possibilities are then endless.
Lego Lord of the Rings, anyone? Lego Pirates of the Caribbean? Lego Girls of the Playboy Mansion?
