I have been so busy lately that I have neglected games at home. This has happened to me multiple times during my school career, and each time I feel myself getting increasingly anxious. Neglecting games means denying a real passion of mine, and I have decided that I really must make more time for fun games. So made a date with my sister tonight to play LEGO Star Wars II, a game that was released a week ago last Tuesday and I have talked about excitedly to no end. It was wonderful to finally sit down and play it with a pal; after all, its real strength is the co-op mode.

I was a huge fan of the first LEGO Star Wars for its cleverness and good-natured fun. There were unlimited lives and simple puzzles that depended on each player’s unique abilities. I had played it multiple times, with five different people between the ages of four and 24. I have found few games that can match it in appeal for a co-op game that even non-gamers can enjoy.

LEGO Star Wars II is based on the original trilogy (whereas the first was based on the new trilogy). The sequel is based on the movies I grew up with as a child, making it much more of a nostalgic experience for me. We didn’t have a large amount of time to play this evening, but it was enough to notice a few key differences.

In the first game, you would lose health points if you shot an object close to you (in order to get money inside it). You are not harmed by the exploding objects in the second game, which is nice since you don’t have to be as careful. There are also a couple of doors specific to characters you can unlock later. There were only a couple of locked doors in the first game. The new design really encourages the free play mode, which I have found to be one of the best features in the original game. Free play is an excellent way to show off the kitschy value of Star Wars scenes completely redone with LEGOs, as non-gamers can enjoy exploring the familiar worlds with less pressure. Also, the levels are more detailed. The graphics are better and there are more intricate interactions with the environment (such as sliding off awnings and sandhills or riding creatures and vehicles). The expanded environments can make it more difficult to determine where to go next, but it’s simple enough for most older players.

The original game also had a large dependency on characters who could use the Force to manipulate the environment. A Jedi was necessary in almost every situation, but it fit with the story. In the classic movies, the Jedi aren’t always around. This problem was easily overcome by allowing any character (except droids) to build with LEGO pieces. I had wished that characters could build in the first game, since it seems such an integral part of the LEGO theme. It is also very funny to watch a character’s arms flailing as the LEGO pieces are assembled.

From the small amount of time I have spent with the new LEGO Star Wars, I am quite pleased. While it is no perfect, there seem to be a lot of nice features to help keep the game challenging for adults but still accessible and fun for children. I am excited to play more and learn about all the new features. I hope it is another keeper because I do love playing games with non-gamers friends.