LEGO Indiana Jones Review

On the DS you actually have to blow these up

This need to play the levels again greatly increases the replay value, particularly since by playing through more than once you often unlock some kind of bonus mini-game which is accessible from Barnett College, and many of these games are well worth the effort it takes to find them. They include various pattern-matching puzzles which you can play to greatly increase your stash of LEGO studs, suitably Indy-type mini-games such as having to survive being dragged behind a truck on your whip using the stylus to avoid obstacles, and more unusual ones such as where you have to correctly cook and serve some exotic bugs for a Thuggee priest! There are also a number of puzzles requiring you to manipulate various different shaped tiles to create a picture, as in the DS puzzle game Neves. Other bonuses include in-game extras, such as a x2 score multiplier. This might not sound like much, but if you, like me, spent many hours trying to fill the golden stud bars on every level in the previous LEGO games in order to earn those last few elusive Golden Bricks, only to find that on certain levels this was nigh-on impossible to do, then this score multiplier comes as something of a godsend.

At the beginning and end of each level, and at various points throughout, you're treated to rendered LEGO-style FMV cut-scenes which move the plot along, and offer a humorous tongue-in-cheek take on events in the films. My big worry with the DS version was that - owing to the limitations of the machine - these would not be included, so it's nice to see that they have been. However it's worth pointing out that the quality of these scenes on the DS is not the best, not by a long shot. It looks for all the world like someone just filmed the high-res original FMV sequences on a mobile phone, and then bunged them straight on here, with the result that the quality is NOT good. Still, better duff quality cut-scenes than no cut-scenes at all, and they ARE worth watching.

Bearing in mind that LEGO Indy is basically the same game on every format, it's obvious that some thought has actually gone into how the Touch Screen can be used for the DS version. In the main platform game, such actions as picking up objects, digging, working switches, and using Indy's whip to swing across gaps or grab stuff can all be carried out by using your thumb on the Touch Screen. In almost all cases though, you can also simply press the A button for the same action, which is often easier to do when things are hotting up. The only thing I've found so far which you can't do with the A button is a specific type of switch which requires you to turn a handle - the A button won't work for this, and instead you have to move your thumb in a circular motion on the lower screen. The microphone is also used in the game; for blowing out flaming torches (which sometimes gets you hidden bonuses) and also - in another neat touch - for blowing up inflatable rafts prior to travelling on any water. The Touch Screen then comes very much into play in all of the mini-games which you can access from Barnett College.

It's a shame there's no single-cart co-op

The DS version, like the other versions of the game, also offers a co-operative mode that allows you to play with a friend through the adventure, each of you in control of one character. Unlike the non-handheld versions of the game though, you obviously require two DSs in order to play, and - unfortunately - two copies of the game. This is presumably because there's so much crammed into the game already that downloading levels to another DS would simply take too long, but it's still a bit of a shame, as one of the best things about the LEGO Star Wars games on the home consoles was that parents could play them with their kids, and on the DS this obviously requires extra cost. With that in mind, if you've got both a DS and one of the other consoles, and want to play this with a friend, then I'd probably have to recommend getting a home console version. That said though, if you've got two kids, both with a DS, and you want to ensure they're kept amused on a long car journey or two, then it'd be well worth shelling out for two copies of this game as the wireless mode should keep them amused for many, many happy hours.

So in summary - this is basically exactly what fans of the last few LEGO games will be expecting: fun, not-too-taxing, enjoyable gameplay with tongue-in-cheek humour, loads of stuff to unlock and plenty of replay value. If you loved the last games and you like Indiana Jones, then you'll more than likely love this one too, although there's a tiny possibility that eventually you might start to feel that perhaps you've played it all before.