Instead of a straight port, LucasArts has created Lego Star Wars II for the DS as an entirely new game. The benefits to creating the game from the standpoint of the hardware is obvious, as the levels fit the screen and the technical aspects without a struggle. On the other hand, you have a smaller team and lower budget to do that task.Sadly, that's the problem that completely kills this DS rendition. The lack of camera control leads to some issues with this third person adventure (sometimes obscuring key exits completely or making it impossible to see enemies), though that stands out as only one issue in a sea of many. Collecting coins, jumping across gaps, and defeating enemies feels almost exactly like it did on the home console. That's impressive for the hardware. Actually, the game does feel a little tighter as the characters do not slide around the levels. It leads to a better feeling of being in control at all times, and trickier jumps are completed without an unintended challenge. The touch screen only serves one purpose, which is switching characters. It ends up being a weak choice in the end, as unused face buttons would make this a far quicker process in heavily crowded situations. As in the home versions, extra characters are unlocked by completing levels based off the original Star Wars trilogy, or you can create your own by assembling pieces from those unlocked humans/creatures. While the levels are new designs, some common problems exist between this and the console versions. Targeting is almost entirely automatic, and it only takes one incorrect choice for the player to take a cheap shot. Death is common as well, usually not far from a section filled with enemies that can quickly overwhelm even an experienced player. Levels involving flight compound this problem, and are impossible to pass without a scratch thanks to some unforgiving controls as well. Compounding these problems are a slew of glitches that make entire portions of the screen flicker from sight. There's a strong chance what you're seeing as a pit is actually the next area you need to travel through. None of these problems lock the game up or require restarting, but lead to countless unintentional deaths into areas of the stage that were never meant to be explored. The clean graphics keep the comical nature alive and well, while the adventure aspects create some superb replay value. However, if you want to run through this more than once, you need to head out and purchase some more games. There are far too many other near-classics on the DS that require your gaming time. Lego Star Wars II is rated E (Everyone) by the ESRB for cartoon violence. This game can also be found on: GBA, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox, and Xbox 360.
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