LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (DS)

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Three years ago, when the original LEGO Star Wars was released, nobody imagined it would become a sensation among kids of all ages. How else can you explain why George Lucas didn't release the game though LucasArts, but instead let it come out via Eidos, which had the LEGO license?

Obviously, George is a guy who learns from his mistakes, since after the creative and commercial success of LEGO Star Wars, it would be LucasArts that not only issued the sequels, but commissioned this game, which gives a similar treatment to Lucas' other great franchise, Indiana Jones.

Not surprisingly, little has changed in the series' basic gameplay in its transition from sci-fi to serial-inspired adventure. As in LSW, Lego Indiana Jones uses plastic interlocking blocks and slapstick humor to retell the movie's epic stories in a hysterically adorable way. Running though familiar scenes from the films, you run, jump, and assemble piles of loose LEGOs to form ladders and other instruments of passage, all of which has to be done while you take on tons of bad guys who, when vanquished, collapse into the individual LEGO blocks used to make them.

Even with such basic similarities, though, there are a number of differences between this and past LEGO games, though most changes seem dictated more by the subject matter than by an inclination to evolve the form. There are now blocks buried in the ground, and if your character has a shovel, which Indy doesn't, you can dig them out. Yes, this means you do have to play as someone other than Dr. Jones sometimes, since some buried treasures are needed to proceed. Also, since Indy doesn't have a jetpack or little jets in his legs, like some Star Wars characters do, he instead uses his whip or hanging vines to swing around, which is as much fun as you remembering it being when you last played Pitfall.

Befitting the films, there are more environmental hazards to contend with than in LSW, such as statues that shoot darts when you step on the wrong floor panel. In fact, in some levels -- like the first one from "Raiders," for example -- you're more likely to be killed by a trap than by any bad guy, a welcome change from the heavily populated LSW.

The Nintendo DS version is noticeably different from its home console counterparts, but manages to be just as much fun. The levels are even more linear and side-scrolling, similar to the way Crash Bandicoot used to do it, with you going in and up, and up and down, as well as left to right. The game also makes good use of the touch-screen, utilizing it for the shoveling, turning cranks and whip-swinging mechanics, while blowing into the micropphone puts out flaming torches and blows up inflatable rafts.

Of course, this version neither looks nor sounds as good as its high-def counterparts. It's really only a problem when you're near a cliff, since it's sometimes hard to see where the edge is until you've gone over it. The small screen is also a detriment when the game gives you instructions, as the text sometimes blocks the thing with which you're being told to interact. The levels are also shorter, as are the cut scenes, though they're still funny.