LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Review

LEGO Batman 2:  DC Super Heroes

After the disappointment of LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7, LEGO Batman 2 does not disappoint.  This is a great game.  If you liked the first LEGO Batman game, you will love this one. 9/10

As the title suggest, this game features major DC Comics' characters.  Making their LEGO debut is Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, etc.  For the first time ever in a LEGO game, the characters talk.  This happens only in the cinematic sequences, not during game play.  A nice addition, since I do not like to read.  Seriously, if I wanted to read, I would pick up a book.

Speaking of sound, this game features Danny Elfman's Batman score, or at least a modified version.

Game play is what you would expect from a LEGO title.  There is more a sense of 'teamwork' in this title as you often need multiple characters to complete a task.  One feature they added is the ability to swap  your entire cast of characters while in the game.  In Free Play, you have your eight characters.  Often times the character you need is not in your eight.  In older games, you had to chose your characters and you were stuck with them.  If you needed a special ability, you would either know to select before game play...or replay the level from the beginning with the 'correct' character.

I am playing this on the Nintendo DS, which is usually limited in graphics and some game play.  So, any other format would even be better and worth playing.  This game is definitely worth a repeat play.

LEGO Harry Potter - Part III

Finally, I finished playing LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7. It took me a while.  Why?  Because it was kinda lame. This one did not live up to LEGO standards as far as game play, good but not great.  6/10

LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7

As I have mentioned, the controls of the game are lacking compared to Years 1-4. In a way, could not really get into the game as I did with Years 1-4.  Felt like I was completing the game just to complete it...and so I can complain about it here.  When you create a great game like the first one, it is hard not to compare the two.  I waited a while before I got these games, hoping they would combine the two, as they did with the LEGO Star Wars.  Based on how different the two Potter games are, this can never happen.

It seems the main focus on Years 5-7 is dueling.  About 25% of the game is dueling...boring dueling.  You have to dueling against about fifty characters to get your 100% game completion.  How boring is it?  After about five duels, you pretty much figure out how to beat anyone.  Spoiler alert:  All you need to do is keep blocking their shots...uh, spells...and wait for them to make a mistake.  Boring!

As for the rest of the game, the levels, or books and chapters, do not seem as thought out, and a lack of puzzle solving.  I am wondering how the games would have played if I got them on another system.  Really, the use of the stylus and microphone was simply genius.

Hoping to get my hands on LEGO Batman 2.

LEGO Harry Potter - Part II

I just finished LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 1-4 for the Nintendo DS, good game. As I have mentioned here,  it is a relatively easy game to play.

Interesting note, the maximum number of LEGO studs you can collect is 4,200,000,000.  The game took be about twenty-four hours of game play to complete.  Well worth the price of $20, and worthy of a repeat play.  8/10

Now, I am on to Years 5-7.  I just finished the Story level of The Order of the Phoenix.  I have to say that this game is not as good as the first one.  For some reason, the game developers decided to eliminated the 'casting of the spells' with the stylus.  The touch screen is used to select spells, which is 'casted' by pressing the Y-button...or you can use the shoulder buttons to shuffle through your spells menu.

Another feature different from Years 1-4, the use of the microphone to speak Parseltongue is gone in favour of a Simon-like memory game.  Although Years 5-7 does make use of all the buttons on the DS, I really enjoyed the use of the mic and stylus.  Poor choice on the part of the developers to eliminate this and the casting elements from the game, you could say that they took out the magic.  It makes it seem like these are two completely different games and licenses.

The game play is average. The lack of the features I mentioned really hurt the game play.  Also, I find myself just walking around as I have no clue what I need to do.  The direction is not clear to the users as it was in the first game.

I will finish the game and give a final review, but I do not think I will play this one again.

LEGO Harry Potter

LEGO Harry Potter Year 1-4 on Nintendo DS

I think this is my first video game review.  I generally suck at video games.  So, I stick with the 'easier' games.  One of the best games out there are the LEGO series games.  I have played the LEGO Star Wars series, LEGO Batman, and LEGO Indiana Jones.  After watching the final movie of the Potter series,  I got both LEGO Harry Potter games (Years 1-4 and Years 5-7) and see if the game lives up to the movies and the rest of the LEGO games catalogue.

Now, I am only about half way into the Year 1-4, and I have to say that it is a great game.  I should mention that I have these games on the Nintendo DS.  I also have Star Wars on Wii and PC, but found that this style of game is better suited for handheld.  The other LEGO games have been played on the DS platform. 

Like the other games, the Potter series loosely follow the movie outline.  For the Potter game, there is a better use of the stylus as your magic wand as you 'cast spells'.  The game also makes use of the forgotten mircophone so you can speak in Parseltounge, quite a neat feature.  Not sure how Parseltounge would translate (get it?) on other platforms. 

Being a 'simple' game, it does not take advantage of the use of the many buttons on current video game platforms.  In fact, other than advancing through menus, the buttons are pretty much useless.  Everything can be executed by using the D-pad, stylus, and mic.  One thing that may bother some (like me), it is hard to by left-handed and use the stylus, since the left hand is busy with the D-pad.

LEGO Harry Potter Year 5-7 on Nintendo DS

Graphics are what you expect on a DS.  Honestly, it is good enough.  I have played similar LEGO games on the Wii and PC and better graphic, while perfered, does not really add to the game play.  Sound does not matter all that much either.  There is no dialogue (although a lot of reading in this one), just a soundtrack and and sound effects. The only drawback to the smaller, lower resolution screen of the DS is the cinematics between levels.  You can tell it was ported over from home consoles.  

I know this is not much of a review since I have yet to play Years 5-7, or even complete Years 1-4.  But, if you are a fan of LEGO and Harry Potter, I recommend this game.  Heck, if you just like the properties and just acknowledge the fact that LEGO exists, then I highly recommend the other series.  After I 'beat' these games, I will be looking into the other games by LEGO.