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Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

gamecentral — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:11:17 +0000

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a 2008 video game developed by Traveller’s Tales and published by LucasArts. The game allows players to recreate moments (albeit more humorously) from the first three Indiana Jones films. It features the same drop in/out co-operative play mode as seen in the Lego Star Wars video games, although it is restricted to local console play. The game was released on June 3, 2008 in the United States and Canada, and June 6, 2008 in Europe. A downloadable demo for Windows was made available on May 13, 2008.

As introduced in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, new moves include clinging onto branches during a jump using Indy’s whip. As a promotion, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga features Indy as an unlockable playable character.

The game often follows the events in the films, however like the Lego Star Wars series, some scenes from the film have been altered to become more family friendly or just provide comic relief to the player.

Development

In an effort to make the game more family friendly, all references to Nazis have been removed, and the game refers to Nazi characters simply as ‘enemies’. Also, at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the death of Belloq and the Nazis is not nearly as graphic. Also, in the Temple of Doom, Mola Ram does not rip out a victim’s heart.

It was initially reported that the game would allow up to four players in co-operative mode,[9] but this later turned out to be a miscommunication. While four characters may be visible on the screen, only two can be controlled by players. On the Nintendo DS, up to eight characters may be in the party, but only two may be visible on the screen. Neither the Xbox 360 version nor the PlayStation 3 version support online play through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

Gameplay

The game follows the storylines from the original Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. However, the developers modified the storylines to fit the events into 6 game chapters per movie. Barnett College, Dr. Indiana Jones’ teaching location from the movies, serves as the main hub of the game, and different rooms allow access to each of the missions as well as the extra unlockable content and options. Once a player chooses a mission, a cutscene begins that introduces the section of the movie being played. Notable scenes have been recreated from the movies, such as the memorable boulder escape and the battle on the rope bridge, as well as Walter Donovan choosing the incorrect Holy Grail.

Instead of canisters like in Lego Star Wars, the characters collect treasure.

There are 83 regular characters in total plus the two custom figures which can be made by the players and a few extras only playable on certain levels. Each character featured in the game has his/her own unique ability, which are required to access new areas when replaying a level in Free Play mode. Lego Indiana Jones allows players to mix and match parts to customize characters and make their own creation like “Belloq Jones” or “Colonel Toht”. Unlike the Lego Star Wars custom characters, they can be taken control of in the Art room at Barnett College where they are created.[10]

New features were added to the gameplay from the Lego Star Wars series, such as the ability for the player to interact with objects in their environment, e.g. bottles, swords and guns. Players can also build and ride vehicles. The game also incorporates character phobias from the films; for example, if Indiana Jones sees a snake, Willie sees a spider (excluding giant tarantulas), or Henry Jones Senior or Elsa see a rat, they will be frozen with fear and have limited movement capacity until the animals are either gone or out of range. Also, new melee attacks, such as the Whip snag (trips enemies), have been added.

Once the game reaches 100%, studs begin and continue to fall from the sky of Barnett College.

Nintendo DS Gameplay

The handheld version has some significant changes to accommodate both the memory and size limitations of the DS as well as its unique touch screen controls. Characters’ special abilities, such as Indy’s whip or Satipo’s shovel, and elements such as switches can be controlled by using the touch screen. In addition, the built-in microphone comes into play, allowing the player to physically blow out torches in some levels and inflate rubber rafts to cross water hazards.

There are four classes of characters that can use special access panels to enter hidden areas; these all require the player to match a four block sequence by solving a mini-puzzle on the touch screen. Scholars can access scroll panels, and must flip pages in a book to find the correct blocks. Thuggee use red skull panels and move a torch to illuminate the blocks on a darkened screen. Military characters can use the green radio panels and scroll through a set of slot-machine wheels to match the pattern. Brotherhood characters enter the red sword panels and solve a block switching game. In addition, Marion (and Monkey Man) can transform into a monkey on special red pads to climb to otherwise inaccessible areas, and throw bottles of alcohol into flaming trash cans to blow up certain obstacles.

The DS version features cameos by Star Wars characters, including Wicket the Ewok and Luke frozen in an ice cave resembling the Wampa’s, but unlike the console versions none of the characters are playable. Santa Claus, Strong Man, Castle Knight, and the Clown are the only non-movie characters who are unlockable. There are also no hidden levels and no bonus reward for completing the game at 100%.

Red power bricks remain in the DS version, despite being replaced with red parcels in the console/PSP versions. Also, the characters do not suffer from fear of creatures as they do in the console versions.

More Information

Developer(s) Traveller’s Tales
Publisher(s) LucasArts
Engine Modified Lego Star Wars II engine
Platform(s) Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
Release date(s) NA June 3, 2008, EU June 6, 2008, AUS June 4, 2008
Genre(s) Action-adventure

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed DLC now available

blogtopia — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:44:02 +0000

Not long after LucasArts loosed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on a galaxy not so far away, the publisher said it was already melding a fresh batch of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions. Included in the pack, according to LucasArts, would be an all-new level featuring the Secret Apprentice that augments the single-player campaign. Without much of a warning this week, LucasArts said that the content is now available.

The aforementioned new mission will be set in the Jedi Temple, former center of the vanquished order’s power, on the city-world Coruscant. Playing as Darth Vader’s understudy, players will explore the ruins for clues to his origins in general–and his father in particular. The download will also include nine new character skins, letting gamers play through the single-player campaign as a variety of Star Wars staples ranging from purple-lightsaber-wielding Mace Windu to the sinister Darth Maul.

Gamers can pick up the lot for $10 (800 Microsoft points). Alternatively, the new costume set is available alongside the previously released costume pack for $5 (400 Microsoft points).

Incoming search terms:

star wars the force unleashed 2 new dlc

Tomb Raider Underworld Lead Joins Demiurge

gamecentral — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:22:37 +0000

Independent developer Demiurge Studios announced the addition of Harley Baldwin White-Wiedow as lead designer for an unannounced project. She will head the studio’s original property development efforts.

Most recently, White-Wiedow served as the lead designer on Tomb Raider: Underworld with Crystal Dynamics, where she worked for four years. The multiplatform title ships in the U.S. and Europe this week.

White-Wiedow also previously worked at LucasArts for seven years, helping develop games for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series in several design positions.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and founded in 2002, Demiurge is best known for providing development services — such as pre-production, co-development, and ports — for titles such as Mass Effect for PC and Brothers in Arms: Double Time for Wii.

Demiurge announced in October that it had become an officially licensed iPhone developer and that it is working on its first iPhone title.

“We are thrilled to welcome Harley to the Demiurge family,” says studio director Albert Reed. “We’re well positioned to continue to expand key franchises for our customers with Harley’s AAA experience and tremendous leadership presence at the helm of our design team.

Gamasutra

The Force, Released

gamecentral — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:52:35 +0000

Thirty-one years ago, the first Star Wars movie galvanized audiences around the word, sparking a phenomenon that has spanned generations. With today’s release of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, one of the most highly anticipated video games of the year, LucasArts proves that the Force is stronger than ever.

Available now on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii home videogame system from Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed completely re-imagines the scope and scale of the Force and casts players as Darth Vader’s “Secret Apprentice,” unveiling new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy seen through the eyes of this mysterious new character, who is armed with unprecedented powers.

“The development teams here at LucasArts, at Krome Studios, and at n-Space, Inc., have put a tremendous amount of effort into creating this all-new Star Wars story and innovative technology,” said LucasArts’ President Darrell Rodriguez. “I am extremely proud of what Executive Producer Haden Blackman and his team have been able to accomplish in The Force Unleashed, and can’t wait to hear what fans think of it when they’ve played through the game.”

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is not only LucasArts’ first internally developed title for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems, but also represents the first in-game collaboration of talents and technology between LucasArts and sister company Industrial Light & Magic. The end result is a game authentic to the world in which it is set, unique in its presentation and unforgettable as a Star Wars experience.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed also breaks new ground on these consoles by taking full advantage of newly developed technologies experienced for the first time together: Digital Molecular Matter, by Pixelux Entertainment, and euphoria by NaturalMotion Ltd. These technologies imbue objects and enemies with the ability to react with incredible realism, bringing depth and richness to the Star Wars galaxy that is unprecedented for a video game, and showcasing the unique blend of storytelling, technology and interactive entertainment that is the hallmark of LucasArts.

Working with Lucas Licensing, LucasArts has prepared an unprecedented promotional effort for today’s launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, including toys and games from Hasbro, Lego and Wizards of the Coast, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey, Prima Games, and Palace Press.

More information about the game can be found at the official website, www.theforceunleashed.com.

The Force, Released – Video Game News – Yahoo! Video Games