With the Skywalker saga around the corner, here are the best LEGO video games in a ranking to be … built, piece by piece
That the link between LEGO e video games is indissoluble shouldn’t surprise anyone, and with the imminent return of what is now a series it’s good remember what the best titles are. We wanted to go beyond simple stereotypes: that Traveller’s Tales (today TT Games) had shredded stereotypes about licensed games, after all, we know this from the days of the excellent adaptation of Toy Story 2. If anything, we would also like to mention the other great games (including those edited by other development teams) based only and only on the bricks, without involving other IPs. Those that do, by the way, are currently discounted (up to tomorrow).
Contrary to other tops we have curated, we will not be obsessed rules too strict. The only limit will instead be the qualitative one of the titles (obviously), but without going further one game for intellectual property. Put simply, don’t expect to find Marvel’s Avengers if Marvel Super Heroes is already on the leaderboard. There doesn’t seem to be anything to add; it only remains to go back to the past (and to galaxies of all kinds, without them being “far away”) to remember, among other things, how tiring it can be to unlock something. And let’s not allude to the “shoehorn” to disassemble the bricks (it has existed since 1988, if you want to browse the English version of the page)!
A more exciting island than Wawanakwa camping
Let’s start, precisely, from the LEGO video games belonging to the pre-TT Games era: among the best lies the first series ever released outside of Japan. In fact, the first transposition on screen was Lego Fun to Build from 1995, released only in the Land of the Rising Sun by Sega Pico. The tenth position goes LEGO Island, which represents the only exception to our rule as we are talking about an entire trilogy. Of course, for better or worse, the three games are united by almost identical thematic elements, passing to the cross-platform format only after an exclusive first chapter on the PC.
The plot, if you can call it that, sees us take command of the bellboy Pepper Roni (guess what he has to deliver; the winner is expected to stay in the New York cryogenics department). The reasons that push him (or the supporting actors, only in the first chapter) to try their hand at various minigames they vary from game to game (and from platform to platform), leaving the Brickster (from us “Briccone”) as the only antagonist. Worthy of note is Island Xtreme Stunts, the third installment with which it makes its debut … theopen worldyears before LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.
Ready, patience, go – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
Don’t want the guys at High Voltage Software, but LEGO Racers is the only other title not developed by TT Games to place (ninth) among the best video games we have chosen for the top ten. Those who have played it remember it mainly for two reasons: the atrocious framerate (on consoles in particular) and personalization of driver and car. Racers based their leagues on the various sets available in toy stores at the time, including (with an emphasis bordering on express promotional intent) Johnny Thunder. The character originated as a counterpart to Indiana Jones, which now boasts a set and two games.
The ability to combine the unlocked themed pieces allowed you to create cars of all kinds, but otherwise the formula is identical to the vein … built by Mario Kart. In other words, we are talking about races with the addition of power-ups to give them some spice. Power-ups are obtained by collecting bricks of different colors according to their function, to be corroborated with white bricks. Each championship rewards the winner with a different set, except one. To get the components of Veronica Voltaggio, sister of the champion (and final boss) Rocket Racer, it is in fact necessary to beat the best time in the mode proof in time. And it was her ghost that taught us new, colorful expletives.
“Erripotte, you are very BRV” – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
Who knows what Rowling would have thought, in hindsight, of the possibility of creating her own minifigure. Leaving aside the transphobic drift to which the author is associated, however, LEGO Harry Potter remains a phenomenal transposition of the now multimillion-dollar Wizarding World. You can choose whether to give the eighth position to the first game, Years 1-4, to the second, Years 5-7, or to the bundle that unites them on the most recent platforms. In both cases, however, you can expect a very clever use of the clean cut between the first four adventures of the wizard and the last three, more raw. Not that it does much, though.
The parody key for which LEGO games are so loved is in fact clearly present here too, from the innocent gags (the cinematic ending of The Prisoner of Azkaban is put a lot of fun) to the most sinister black humor (collect all the gold bricks in Years 1 -4, you will quickly understand what we mean). While not having a proper open world, LEGO Harry Potter boasts one of the hub more details: none other than Diagon Alley itself. In short, a title for which it is worth banging your snout against the wall at London station: if you get hurt, you can dismantle it brick by brick.
Incredibly unique for multiple reasons – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
You know that LEGO games are all the work of WB Games, real? In short, Warner Bros., Disney’s eternal rival in almost every respect. But yet, LEGO The Incredibles it offers us an equally … incredible introduction, complete with a version of the iconic castle revisited in an unprecedented guise made up of, as you may have guessed, bricks. Obviously the primary role of the game is to reproduce in a lighter version the events seen in the two Pixar films, which compete for the darkest film crown in the production house library. Also aided by a cynical approach to Watchmen-style superheroism, albeit more intelligently than The Boys.
We take this opportunity to remember the fan service prevailing that, thanks to a very strict balance in the skills of the characters, makes as many as possible playable. From heroes to villains, anyone can get into the hands of the player in the free play mode. And it is in this respect that the secret characters stand out in particular, who in the superhero adaptations are always the least known (and, therefore, the most appreciated). What about LEGO The Incredibles, then? In this case we have a guest from each of the other Pixar movies released before the game (including Woody, for the sake of closing the circle of Toy Story), plus a welcome return from the first short films of study.
Gran Turismo Armed – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
It’s undeniable: Wii U exclusives were mostly aimed at addressing the needs of very specific niches. One of these is particularly emblematic of the stereotypical image of an overly childish Big N: “But why are we always the bad guys in GTA?” Sure, Rockstar gave us an answer with LA Noire, but LEGO City Undercover it was more direct by putting the typical Grand Theft Auto protagonist in the role of the antagonist. In fact, it is Chase McCain that we will take the reins, between a parody of the detective stories and another. This is a game as ambitious as it is indecisive.
For better or for worse, in fact, there is a bit of everything in the game. In terms of settings, it is clear the intention to dedicate an entire title to the LEGO line par excellence, the eternal LEGO City (“Hey!”). Not for this, however, the development team has denied a few quotes to Nintendo itself, in a game as aimed at an audience of very young as to parents and older brothers (Chase himself loves to make quotes, like his imitation of Clint Eastwood). As for the gameplay, there is always that pinch of GTA but it is always the platforming that reigns supreme, while the alternation of characters gives way to costumes and related skills for the protagonist.
Excelsior – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
If calling yourselves True Believers is enough to send a shiver down your spine, probably LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is for you. Already from our opening words you will have guessed that Marvel’s Avengers would not have appeared in the ranking, but you are probably wondering why we also excluded Marvel Super Heroes 2. Despite having an army of playable characters capable of making that Avengers Endgame scene pale, no game can to boast the entire pantheon that Stan Lee and his unstoppable House of Ideas have built over the past sixty years.
The two sequels were further limited, however, dwelling too much on just the roster present in the films. In other words, the heroes at the time exclusive to the Fox adaptations, namely Fantastic Four and X-Men (including Deadpool), were torpedoed a priori. If you want a transposition as faithful as possible to the Marvel macrocosm and you do not want any compromise on the roster of heroes and villains at your disposal, the first New York of bricks is also the one best suited to your needs. After all, from a great roster comes the great responsibility of having great fun with a great classic. Great, right?
A portal with which to fund the cash fund – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
Stop us if you have already heard it: HAL 9000 and GLaDOS are in the same room. No, we didn’t make it up, although this is a love encounter that the entire nerdy community has been speculating about for years. What could two artificial intelligences ever say to each other outside like a balcony? To give us the answer to this and other questions that we had never asked ourselves, he has provided LEGO Dimensions in 2015, mixing the concept of toys-to-life seen with amiibo and Skylanders at the most crossover-driven toys ever. There is a central plot, but it soon expands far beyond the three protagonists.
The interdimensional raids of Batman, Wyldstyle (from The LEGO Movie, and no, she is not a DJ) and Gandalf soon lead them to meet icons of popular culture of all kinds, from Finn from Adventure Time to Beetlejuice, passing through the Teen Titans (although those of the wretched GO version!) and even Sonic. Obviously the development team wanted indulge yourself from the first minute, and wasted no time in inserting special dialogues based on the minifigures we will interact with. Have you ever wondered what Sonic’s delusional incitement to crime would be like (The Simpsons, season 7, episode 11) if Roger Craig Smith uttered it? Well, now you can get an idea.
And this is where John Williams’ fanfare knocks us off the chair – the top 10 of the best LEGO video games
Are we or are we not here to celebrate the arrival of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga? The game will be released on April 5th on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S boasts a worthy predecessor. Let’s talk about the equally multi-platform LEGO Star Wars: La saga completawhich includes…