LEGO: Harry Potter Officially Announced

@Purple Dave: Don't forget that LEGO was already phasing out Batman sets by the time LEGO Batman came out. So Harry Potter won't be the first IP to be skewed between toys and game.

For LEGO SW2 and LEGO SW-TCS on DS, they are a world of difference. Completely new engine and TCS rocks. They also used that DS engine for Batman and Indy which also rock. LEGO Batman DS is the ultimate portable platform game. The 360 versions for all are my favorite console platform games. The level design are different enough between the DS and 360 that its refreshing to play through both.

If you look at all the LEGO games, they make lots of characters, vehicles and environment that were never made as toys. So even if LEGO does not make any more Harry Potter sets, TT can still do justice with years 5-7b.

If LEGO is smart, they will produce new Harry Potter sets when they release the game. Before LEGO Batman (game) came out, I went out and found some old discontinued sets. I actually have all those sets except for the Batman tank which looked silly.

@auni1996:
Never used the Force on a charging rank of Battle Droids, huh?

Purple Dave

@twistedmetalgear:
I never made it to the real problem mission (something to do with Ewoks), but I ran into a bug that beats all hands down. In one of the Ep4 Death Star missions, it's actually possible to fall through the floor. Normally, the LEGO/TT games include an instant-death barrier in such cases, which kills you and forces you to respawn in a nearby safe place. In LSW2:DS, not so much. I found my character standing (really tiny_ at the bottom of the screen, and the entire level map (also really tiny) showing at the very top of the screen. There was no way to climb back up to the level map from where I was, and there was no way to die and respawn. I had no option but to exit the mission, after which I exited the game, put it back in the case, and have never taken it back out.

I may actually give it a try again during Brickworld...

Purple Dave

@ramz888:
A Lego BAFTA award I think..

Bokkun

@grantanamo:
2.5 hours for just Story Mode sounds like you bare-bonesed even that part of the game. And there's no way you pulled off 100% completion in that amount of time. I just finished LSW:CS to 100% on Wii, it took me just shy of 70 hours, and I had already played LSW1 and LSW2 on PC, and LSW:CS on DS so I knew a lot of what I needed to do ahead of time.

100% completion can take a fair amount of hard work (in LSW:CS and LSW2, RotJ SuperStory is a real ball-buster), but doing Free Play with whatever characters you feel like using is where the replay value is at.

Purple Dave

@jcb231:
Er...LEGO _used_ to make toys based on the Harry Potter IP. They kinda stopped, having discovered after the fact that the books/movies have been getting progressively darker. They do still hold the license, but at present they have no plans to produce any new sets from here on out.

As for LSW:CS, that was partly due to a major shift in consoles from the time LSW1 was released, and when they followed it up with LSW2. LSW1 came out for XBox, PS2, Gamecube, and GBA, but by the time LSW2 came out they had upgraded to 360, PS3, Wii, and DS, with the addition of PSP. All these new systems got LSW2, but rather than rereleasing LSW1 on the new systems, they just combined everything into one game. Anything that got LSW1 _did_not_ get LSW:CS, which basically just includes PC, GBA, and PS2 as viable platforms at the time.

As long as HP1-4 and HP5-7b come out within the lifespan of the current consoles, I wouldn't expect to see any HP:CS release, but frankly I find myself wondering if they'll even release HP5-7b at all. HP5 only got one set, and that was the third version of the Hogwarts Castle (the original version being one of the best-selling sets of all time)

Purple Dave

What is she holding, a cup of some sort?

ramz888

....I don't know what to say really. >__>

If it's for the PC, I wouldn't be too surprised.

NekuSakuraba

pedobear approves

@grantanamo:

The game's not meant to be played just once through. "Free Play" is the meaty entree of the game...."Story Mode" is just the appetizer. I'd be surprised if you experienced more than 10% of the product in that playthrough.

Yeah...basic playthroughs of story mode without searching and puzzle-solving and unlocking are more kid-oriented.

But of course none of the games are that hard...they're not meant to be ball-busters. They appeal to kids but are also just intended to be simple-yet-fun diversions for the whole family or a lazy-Sunday sort of time. I personally love Free Play mode and get a blast out of searching for that missing Treasure Chest or secret area.

jcb231

Well...I was really dissappointed by Lego Star Wars (Complete Trilogy, for Wii). The game just seemed...kinda lame. The level design was good, but there weren't enough...uses...for the buttons??? Like...You couldn't really do a lot.
ex. As a Jedi/Sith, to fight, you just keep pressing A. It got repetitive.

auni1996

@TRT-X:

From what I understand, the final movies will be the two-part adaptaion of Book 7. I think it will hit in spring/summer of 2011, with the second part in the fall. I'm willing to wait two years, plenty of games to play and this isn't some multiplayer-heavy thing that will burn out its user base. The only way I will take the plunge early is if MS announces they are coming out with new hardware before then...which I highly doubt. If they did, I would buy the game now and assume that part two would release on the new platform. But I view that as having about 1% odds of happening.

jcb231

@grantanamo: The old Lego Games were better. Lego Racers is actually quite challenging.

cfive3

It better be like Chamber of Secrets for Ps2, that game was amazing! But it'll probably be just another over-head beat 'em up.

cfive3

Harry Potter lookin boi

@Ryguy226: It's "You're a first", my dear boy.

Thomas Henry Ward

@FoxHoundADAM: Man that would ROCK!!! Ow man, oh god, oh man, oh god, oh man! That would seriously be awesome.

+ Watch video

Ah, another LEGO game, another LEGO game FAQ by me. At least this keeps me occupied. :-P

CyricZ

@ThursdayNext: heeheehee... win.

@phicaluk: It would also be nice to see a duel mode of some sort. All under survaillance of Lego Gilderoy Lockhart ofcourse.

I'm actually kinda excited about this. Only Lego game that I would have more interest in would be Lego X-Men.

FoxHoundADAM

@Jippon: Don't forget the Quidditch section, where you zip around on broomsticks and tow the balls through the hoops/chase down the golden snitch, while firing spells at the opposing team.

@NeoAkira: Very well put.

mude88

Dear god, they need to stop now, they are milking this cow til the milk is dry. Don't get me wrong, the games are fun, and co-op is always a plus, but they haven't done anything groundbreaking with the whole Lego franchise since Star Wars: the complete Saga, and that was the last one to even have online co-op. I will check this out only if they actually put some effort to at least addressing some of the issues that were never touched upon in Indy and Batman.

@Jippon: Costume*... darn you lack of edit button.

@NeoAkira: Couldn't have put it better myself.

@TRT-X: Yeah that would be fun indeed... or imagine Neville and Snape in his vulture custume (unlockable/buyable ofcourse)happely prancing around.

@flyingsupernerds are go!:

Flyingsupernerds: Hey, how old are you?

Emma Watson from picture: 14?

Flyingsupernerds: 18? You go first.

Emma Watson from picture: Mom!

Flyingsupernerds: Oh I like where this is going.

The person who came up with the gimmick of Lego games is a genius.

@grantanamo:

Two wrongs don't make a right.

@flyingsupernerds are go!: Here, have a Lego Dress...

@grantanamo: Yeah, if you're just playing through the story mdoe and nothing else, you won't get much out of the game. I spent 30+ hours on Lego Indy collecting everything and getting 100%. That means playing each level 3 or 4 times with different characters. Certainly not for everybody.

@flyingsupernerds are go!: I didn't realize that.

I think she'll be one of those child stars I will never see grow up in my eyes. I couldn't understand why people were so excited when the Olsen twins hit 18, I just kept thinking "they're kids! D:"

And they're 4 months older than I am.

lol...

I can already picture the hilarity of using Voldemort, and watching lego people shatter when you hit them with the killing curse.

Wolzard

@DarKKendO: "Now, Natalie Portman... Theres a woman!"

That's a house, that's a fish, that's a bee!!!

ThursdayNext

@Jippon: The inevitable "fun" will be a Free Play session where you have Harry and Voldemort paired up.

@flyingsupernerds are go!:

I never really got the Emma Watson thing. She doesn't really do it for me...

Now, Natalie Portman... Theres a woman!

@4nonymo: I played the story mode in 2.5 hours. It seems like DBH's response is what makes sense. Looks like I'll be saving my money in the future.

grantanamo

@grantanamo: You unlocked everything in 2.5 hours?

Hurray, I can picture it now:
Some area's can only be accessed by members of the four different houses.
Some area's can only be reached by animagus characters.
Other area's are exclusive to teachers.
And so on so on.
Sounds like a really fun game and, having enjoyed all the TT lego games to date, I will most likely buy it.

@mude88: Isn't Harry Potter just a bastardization of literature? I don't see the crime here.

grantanamo

@grantanamo: They're intended for children like my cousin who is 5. So yeah for any competent person, they're easy.

Drew Blake Hall

i still want to try lego starwars for the DS.

apparently its so buggy that it will make you laugh. out loud.

twistedmetalgear

So I never really got into the Lego series but I recently picked up Lego Batman. Co-oping with my fiance (who is as close to video game inept as it gets) we beat the game in 2.5 hours. I was insanely confused at how these games get such high reviews and sales. Am I missing something, or are they all really short games?

grantanamo

Ah, the bastardization of both the gaming culture and Harry Potter, we all knew this was coming. Then again, I'm sure it can't be nearly as bad as the current harry potter games, but I guess we'll see.

mude88

@flyingsupernerds are go!:

I THINK I FIXED IT!

Check out this CP.... I am with the original poster on this subject by the way.

SwKninja

It was inevitable, Warner own Traverlers Tales!

@flyingsupernerds are go!: "I didn't realize that." I lul'd.

@jcb231: I'm in the same boat as you. I got burned on the Star Wars discs...and am now glad I held off on Indy.

I don't remember when the final HP movies are coming out...but I'm guessing shortly after that we'll get the "Complete Saga".

That's when I'll jump on.

+ Watch video

BarbeQueQ

@flyingsupernerds are go!: She always wears too many clothes

@Archaotic:

I didn't realise that. I hope they keep jail cells nice and cool...

@flyingsupernerds are go!: How young was she back then?

(Calls Chris Hansen)

Ashurahori

@flyingsupernerds are go!: Dude, wasn't she like 14 in that picture? Creepy.

YES!

I'm a grown-ass man, and I am totally cool with admitting that the Traveler's Tales LEGO games are fantastic fun...one of those rare gaming trends that I can play with folks of any age or experience level.

Having been burned on LEGO Indy's recently announced slightly upgraded re-release though, I think I'll hold off on purchasing this game until it inevitably comes bundled as "LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-7" on one disc. Star Wars initially came out as two games, one prequel, one classic...then they upgraded the whole package and released the full saga on one disc. Luckily in that case I waited to purchase it and hadn't dropped cash on the other games. The "Indy 2" fiasco pissed me off quite a bit though, and taught me to wait for the upgrade before purchasing any LEGO game.

As you say, this wasn't a surprise given the leak earlier in the year and the fact that LEGO makes toys based on the Harry Potter license (as they do with Batman, Star Wars, and Indy) but it is nice to see it made official.

jcb231

Emma Watson is wearing too many clothes for such a hot day. Better take 'em off.

Years 1-4? Wow. Well at least they wanna split it in to two games. Let the other 3 movies release and then. By 3 I mean movie seven getting the 2 part treatment.

mitch_93

@SpaceNinjaDino:
That's not true. They had just released their only planned 2008 wave around the time the movie came out, and the game ended up being delayed soley due to the fact that they had to crank out LEGO Indy in time to not really make the release of Crystal Skull either. There are no Batman sets this year, but the license is still active and they have not publicly ruled out the possibility of abandoning the line like they have with Harry Potter. The sets sell out unusually fast, so I can't imagine that they'd just give it up entirely, but between the number of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Space Police, and Agents 2.0 sets that are already out or still scheduled for release this year, Batman might have been more sci-fi-ish stuff than they wanted to release in a single year.

LSW:CS:DS was kinda meh, on the basis that it was pretty much just a trimmed-down version of the original LSW console games, with some DS-exclusive bonus games thrown in. I _loved_ the fact that the GBA games were a completely different experience from the console versions, and I was thrilled to find out that LSW2 would have three unique games (GBA, DS, and console)...up until I found out how bad the design was on the DS version.

And yes, while the TT/LEGO games do stick to LEGO-original designs whenever they exist (other than some podracers, the SW games barely have any unique vehicle designs. Indy, on the other hand, barely had any pre-existing designs to work with, since the line had just debuted that year, and the initial four sets only featured five vehicles (two of which were motorcycles). I was actually kinda disappointed to find out that the flying wing from Raiders and the runabouts from Last Crusade look nothing like the sets that were designed for this year (the plane came out months ago, but the boats are still coming). The TT designs look _much_ better than the sets.

As for the Batman sets, I buy them all (often even a second copy), but mostly all I care about are the minifigs. As for the vehicles, the only official design that doesn't bring me close to tears is the bat-skiboat from the Batcave set...so I just create my own:

[www.brickshelf.com]

Purple Dave

@Purple Dave: lmao! i call that a void. void rooms own all.

twistedmetalgear