If you build it, they will have fun: The Lego Phenomenon

Playing with Legos is something I’ll always remember. I used to stay up well past my bedtime building elaborate castles and space monorails all over my Smurf-wallpapered bedroom. For hours, I would send the Lego Space Police out to catch the Lego Space Villains and throw them in space jail. Then my sister came in and stepped on them and the whole society crumbled. That was…well, six months ago, and now that I’m older I need more sophisticated ways to pass time. So now I have a Playstation and I do what all mature Playstation owners do: I get all my Legos in video form, and now clean up is a breeze.

Few means of entertainment have ever given me as much time-killing joy as Lego Star Wars. No buckets were needed, because thousands of bricks fit into just one little disk. I know what you are thinking. Just like you, I laughed out loud when I saw the original ads for Lego Star Wars. It looked like a joke.

But in reality, the Lego Series, which now includes two Star Wars and one Indiana Jones installment, is one of the most enjoyable series of games in recent memory. The fact that you get to blow up just about anything is a selling point in itself. Everything explodes into a clattering pile of Lego pieces. Beyond that, these games echo memories of good old Super Mario brick-smashing days. Each one contains hours of puzzle solving, as well as plenty of reasons to return to the game and collect an endless array of bonuses. It’s gaming with a very low level of commitment: no worries about dying– you can’t, you can jump around to any level you want and your friends can come in or out of the game at any moment. If only life were that simple.

Coming soon from Lego is the long-anticipated Lego Batman: The Video Game. I can’t even pretend I’m not salivating over this one. It will feature 36 levels based on the original Batman comics. You can play as good guys such as Batman, Bruce Wayne and Night Wing, or as bad guys like the Joker or Bane. I can’t wait to smash my way through Lego Gotham City to catch Lego Joker. It’ll bring back those fond memories of…well, six months ago.