ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON gameplayer.com.au 25/8/08


LEGO FOREVER?

With developer Traveller’s Tales’ LEGO-infused versions of popular licensed properties such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones usually both selling and playing better than more serious games based on the same IPs, and LEGO Batman about to swoop into stores and then invariably up the charts, it’s reasonable to expect that we haven’t seen the last of hot properties being given the blocky treatment. Traveller’s Tales’ deftness with bricks may just have set them up for life, having already hoovered mega-cash into their coffers from games behemoths LucasArts and Warner Interactive.

Now, suggesting possible future releases given a studly LEGO makeover isn’t new for games sites, however it’s usually come down to just picking a big movie franchise and bashing out a few words about it. Not here, however, no sirree Robert – we’re no slack-arsed molls, we’ve decided to give it a tad more thought!

Firstly, we ventured down – then did a U-turn and ran away from – the bad pun route, even though Men in Block, Block Hawk Down, The Block Dahlia, Block Rain and Duplo Indemnity all have some merit as potential games, as would kiddie faves such as Block Beauty and The Block Stallion. We even considered how sweet a ‘bloxploitation’ genre could be, with prospective titles like The Block Godfather, Block Fist and Block Samurai, all starring a stud-encrusted Fred Williamson or Jim Kelly. But then we thought we probably should take things a little more seriously; instead of looking outside the industry for future fodder, why not look within it?

Freaks, geeks and norms that popped by accidentally, we present you with what we believe are some of the best of the classic gaming IPs that are just ripe for a LEGO infusion. Oh, please note the use of the word ‘little’ in the preceding paragraph…

 
LEGO Rock Band (Note: Look at that 'originally published' date above - my, weren't we prescient? Humble ones that we are we still think our version would have been better than that which eventuated, too...)
You know how the hardware for Rock Band has a tendency to break if you so dare to look at it the wrong way? No more! This puppy will come pre-broken as a BIG set of bricks, from which you’ll follow painstakingly confusing instructions as to how to construct a blockular guitar and drum kit. Now, when the sucker inevitably breaks, you’ll know how to stick it back together! As for the software, naturally it will exclusively feature songs from Bloc Party – even the LEGO universe couldn’t deal with a New Kids on the Block revival.

LEGO Nintendogs
The perfect virtual pet for those who dig the concept, but simply can’t be arsed taking on the responsibility. LEGO puppies are made of plastic. They’re not alive. They can’t die. Brilliant!

Grand Theft Auto: LEGOland
Bored of lollipop-feallating prossies and V8 big bangers, Niko Bellic’s decided to eschew the whole ‘American dream’ thing in favour of a taste of Danish. After all, they have windmills.

LEGO Need for Speed
What better way to build your demonic speed machine from the ground up than to, erm, build it from the ground up? Forget all those torque wrenches and greasy tools, when you want to bolt on another turbo you just go ‘click’ and proceed to blow the opposition away!

LEGO Final Fantasy
Meh, we had to include the role-players somewhere, otherwise they’d start hurling hexes and shit at us – and, come to think of it, if they were made of LEGO they could be kind of pointy and hurty. Maybe we’d better brush up on our skills at…

LEGO Street Fighter
Bringing new meaning to the term “knock his block off”, the possibilities for a brick-based beat’em-up are many – imagine snapping off your opponents arm and bashing them about the scone with it! Or how about clicking off their head and using it as a football? OK, back to anger management therapy with us…

LEGO Halo
An easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy conversion as so many geeks have already constructed LEGO Master Chiefs, Warthogs and Banshees.

LEGO John Madden NFL
Well, at least it will look a bit different for a change…

LEGO Space Invaders
How could the chance to actually IMPROVE the resolution of those BOMP-BOMP-BOMP-BOMP aliens be passed up?

LEGO Tetris
Oh…

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