LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

I LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game

In a galaxy far, far away…
In this article, we'll go over what made this game the (timeless) icon it is today.

So together, we'll (re)discover this more-than-iconic game and wake up the nostalgia sleeping inside every Star Wars fan. Hold on tight, because when Chewie punches it, things tend to get bumpy!

II LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, an Icon

LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy is a game developed by Traveller’s Tales (the studio behind LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, LEGO Jurassic World and LEGO Harry Potter) and published by LucasArts, a Lucasfilm company, replacing Eidos Interactive, which published the first LEGO Star Wars game (LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, based on the prequel trilogy).

This video game adaptation is based on the three George Lucas films released between 1977 and 1983. The game was originally released on several platforms / consoles, and since June 18, 2024 it has also been available on PS4 and PS5 through the PlayStation Store (and the PlayStation Plus Premium catalog). The original platforms were:

• PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable (PSP) 🎮
• Xbox and Xbox 360 📺
• Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS 🕹️
• Windows and Mac OS 💻

Released in France on September 13, 2006, the game came with a real armada of characters and several gameplay features its predecessor didn't have. Don't worry, we'll get back to those features in a moment! 😉

A) Gameplay

The game starts in the Mos Eisley Cantina, an iconic location from the saga, which serves as the hub / base for every mission in the game. The Cantina acts as a "void" that lets players access the different levels.

Like the films, the game's storyline is split into three episodes, each made up of six chapters.

• A New Hope
• The Empire Strikes Back
• Return of the Jedi

Each chapter can be played in co-op / multiplayer with a second controller (two players max).

Players can also collect 10 minikits hidden in each level of the game, which let them build miniature LEGO brick ships outside the Cantina.

On top of these minikits, players can collect red bricks, known as "Extras", which make the game easier / faster (careful, some of these bricks are extremely expensive).

Players can also enter cheat codes, looked up beforehand on dedicated websites (or, back then, in gaming magazines), to unlock certain characters.

The game also includes bonus levels:

• Once the player has collected a total of 1,000,000 studs, they unlock a portal leading to LEGO City.
• The second bonus level unlocks once the game is finished: the "bounty hunter" missions, where you fight waves of enemies across different levels (Cloud City, the Bespin underworld, etc.).

While the original films have a serious tone, apart from a few puns and humorous scenes, the LEGO Star Wars game is much more tongue-in-cheek and funny.

Since the playable characters have no voice acting, the humor comes through as light slapstick comedy (slapping enemies / teammates, interactions between characters, grunts and sound effects, etc.).

The game has a total of 114 playable characters, from Yoda's ghost to Boba Fett, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, 46 of which can be unlocked with a saved game from "LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game" using a memory card (on home consoles) or a hard drive (on computers).

The rest of the minifigures / characters are unlocked by playing Story mode or by buying them at the Mos Eisley Cantina.

It's also worth noting that this huge roster has since been far surpassed: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (2022) has 380 playable characters in its base game.

Unlike its predecessor, this game comes with several new features:

• The ability to pilot ships that play key roles in the Star Wars saga (Millennium Falcon, TIE Fighter / TIE Interceptor / Darth Vader's TIE, X-Wing, Y-Wing, Slave I, Imperial Shuttle)
• Character-specific abilities, on top of the new characters (the Force, grappling hook, electric blaster, sticky bombs...).

B) What Is the Goal of the Game?

• Finish the 18 levels across the three chapters / films.
• Collect studs, the in-game currency (silver studs are worth 10 points, gold studs 100 points, blue studs 1,000 points).
• Collect all the Minikits (180 in total).

• Collect all the red bricks.

III Differences Between the Game and the Movies

A) Episode IV: A New Hope

• In the first film, the Stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire blast through the door separating them from the rebels, then wipe them out. In the game, they cut through the door and then knock the rebels out.

• In the film, Captain Antilles is strangled by Darth Vader and Princess Leia has to hand the Death Star plans to R2-D2, who escapes to Tatooine with C-3PO. In the game, Leia and Antilles chase after Darth Vader. At the end of the level Leia is captured, but Captain Antilles, R2-D2 and C-3PO manage to escape.
• In the movie, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Luke about his father before giving him his lightsaber and watching the message delivered by R2-D2, in which Princess Leia asks for help to save the Rebel Alliance. In the game, Ben only talks about Luke's father after seeing the message, and pulls out the lightsaber after a bit of slapstick, first pulling out a walkie-talkie and a blaster before finding the lightsaber.

• In the film, Luke just waves his father's lightsaber around experimentally, without doing any damage. In the video game adaptation, on the other hand, he swings it around more wildly and clumsily, which costs C-3PO his head, briefly.

• The Imperial meeting aboard the Death Star is missing from the LEGO adaptation.

B) Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

• In the film, when Luke is trapped by the Wampa in the cave, he first tries to grab his lightsaber by hand before using the Force and cutting off the Wampa's right arm. In the video game adaptation, Luke uses the Force straight away, then cuts off the Wampa's left arm.

• In the movie, Darth Vader's flagship is the Super Star Destroyer "Executor". In the game, it's a regular Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

• The scene where Darth Vader picks the bounty hunters is missing from the game (Boba Fett, Dengar, IG-88, Zuckuss, 4-LOM and Bossk).
• In the film, when Boba Fett follows the Millennium Falcon aboard his Slave I, he doesn't make a sound. In the video game, he turns to the camera and chuckles mischievously.

• Because there's no dialogue, Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he's his father by showing him a photo of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala and pointing at him.

C) Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

• In the film, R2-D2 and C-3PO enter the palace of Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, where they meet Bib Fortuna, Jabba's servant. In the game, all of these scenes are cut, and the same goes for the droid screening visitors at the palace entrance.

• In the film, Luke fights the Rancor alone. In the video game adaptation, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO join the fight too.

• Boba Fett's death is exaggerated in the game. His jetpack fires up, sending him flying wildly around the battle scene before crashing at full speed into the sail barge and then rolling into the Sarlacc pit.
• The scene where Luke tells Leia they're brother and sister and that Darth Vader is their father isn't in the game.

• Luke Skywalker never cuts off Darth Vader's hand in the game. They both fight the Sith Emperor Palpatine, whereas in the film Darth Vader fights his son, Luke Skywalker.

Since the goal isn't to draw up an exhaustive list, we'll let you discover the other differences and funny moments by playing the game, which, trust us, is well worth it. 😉

IV Conclusion: Is LEGO Star Wars: The Original Trilogy Still Worth Playing?

The game is more or less faithful to the source material, whether it's the minifigures (Imperial soldiers, rebel soldiers, the various protagonists from Master Yoda to Palpatine...), the powers used, the ships or the most iconic scenes.

The game does fall short, however, on the rawer and more violent scenes, which are mostly missing or made more kid-friendly to suit the audience the developers were targeting.

That said, every Star Wars fan has already seen the most memorable or shocking scenes, which is a real shame.

Slapstick and humor win out over the serious tone of the films and what's at stake in them (the rebellion, the Imperial reign of Palpatine and the Empire, or the dark side of the Force).

Still, it remains one of the most memorable LEGO video games, thanks to its unique gameplay and the attachment you develop to it as you progress through the different quests.

And on that note, we'll say goodbye to you, fans of the Danish bricks, and see you in the next article! In the meantime, if you prefer real bricks, take a look at our selection of LEGO Star Wars MOCs. See you soon, AFOLs, MOCers and fans of all kinds 😉!