Warner Bros. boss guy Martin Tremblay loves Traveller's Tales. And we would think so, with his company having shelled out quite a bit of money for the UK-based development studio. "We're very, very happy with LEGO Batman," said Tremblay. "It's going to be the best TT game ever and will be our first big step in games for sure."
We wouldn't go so far as to say that ourselves, even after we had quite a bit of time to check it out back at E3. But, we will say that it certainly looks like a great game, as it contains a ton of options and replay value, thanks to its large roster of controllable characters and their unique abilities and skills.
Ever hear that expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" Traveller's Tales has, as the company has become quite the cash-earner with its LEGO line-up of games, so why change? "We've gotten started doing some LEGO games on the Warner IP... down the line," says Traveller's Tales' Jon Burton. Also, he wants to dabble in films and the like, while also keeping his "day job" in games development. What a multi-tasker!
"And for me personally, I think further in the future we're making a kids' TV show... using some of the tech we've developed for games," Jon said. So, what kind of kids' show? He wouldn't name anything specific, nor would he comment on what the next LEGO game from them will be (well, aside from the soon-to-release LEGO Batman). Looks like we'll just have to wait and see.
What kind of LEGO game would you like to see next?
Those of you who've seen The Dark Knightprobably still have Batman in your systems, so hopefully news on the superhero in LEGO form is enough to sate your batty cravings. Warner Bros. is certainly trying to indulge in your wants by revealing more news about the upcoming LEGO Batman video game.
Today, the company brings word of a new villain, one that Batman fans will be familiar with -- Man-Bat. Man-Bat is actually a scientist named Kirk Langstrom, who injected himself with a bat-based serum in order to gain sonar powers and aid his worsening deafness. Obviously, bad results ensue, and he turns into a bat-looking monster that attacks Gotham City. Fun!
For some Man-Bat related screens, just click on our gallery below.
We just got a press release sent in about some cool features at the LEGO Batman website. The only problem is, these features have not gone live yet. That isn't stopping us from telling you what to expect, though.
First of all, there's a downloadable widget for your desktop, in the form of Batman himself or The Joker. Also, there's a tool for creating your own custom wallpapers, if you're into that sort of thing. Then, there's the usual: screens, video (the E3 trailer you saw already) and other miscellaneous goodies. Keep an eye on the site for the new content, which is supposed to be live right now, but wasn't when we checked.
On top of that, there's also a new Facebook group for the game. That is, if you're into the whole social networking site thing.
Gallery: LEGO Batman
Source - LEGO Batman website Source - LEGO Batman Facebook group
When I showed up at the Warner Bros. meeting room to demo LEGO Batman, I was excited, but also kind of reluctant. You see, the formula of these LEGO titles had started to show its age, as reviews of LEGO Indiana Jones weren't the most favorable. I was a tad bit worried that LEGO Batman would not be the game I was hoping it to be. Thankfully, my fears were never justified.
Posted Jul 14th 2008 8:00PM by Phil Larsen Filed under: News
Batman Forever and Batman & Robin (OH SICK! YUCK! GROSS!) were pretty awful. Nay, they were horrendous. However, that isn't actually evidence to suggest the upcoming LEGO Batman game will be bad. In fact, the LEGO series hasn't had one misstep so far, with both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones iterations achieving exactly what they set out to do.
The official LEGO Batman website has been launched, and it immediately causes a stir of excitement. All the cheesy parts of the worst movies that didn't work in a live-action setting should work just fine with LEGO characters, and the site presentation is incredibly engaging. With in-depth character profiles and new videos (check out the awesome campy clip above), you'll want to piece together everything you can in anticipation for LEGO Batman. Piece? LEGOS? Forget it.
Yahtzee's at it again, this time turning his sights toward the latest LEGO title, LEGO Indiana Jones. While he does do his usual rant against the game's faults, Yahtzee did manage to squeeze some favorable adjectives out. As usual, head past the break to check out his NSFW ramblings and be sure to tell us what you think of LEGO Indiana Jones in the comments.
Sick of the likes of Lara Croft jiggling up your video games? Looks like the LEGO games franchise has the answer to the bulging and bursting ladies of gaming. Poison Ivy might be a sexpot in other media, from comics to television to film, but in LEGO Gotham City, she gives a whole new meaning to brickhouse.
Check out her blocky style, as well as some other new images from the multi-platform title, in our gallery below.
In the video above for upcoming LEGO Batman, we get a glimpse into some of the co-op fun (which you might have seen already), as Batman and what we're assuming is Nightwing (been awhile since we read a comic, sadly) tear through downtown Gotham. They're not the only visible characters, however, as the Penguin gets some face time in also. And, speaking of downtown Gotham, the city really is brought to life incredibly well in the game, wouldn't you say?
With LEGO Indiana Jones releasing this week, many of you were likely dying to get your hands on it. But, wouldn't you like to see what some reviews say before you decide if this is a rental or a purchase? Well then, check out the snippets of text below.
IGN (80/100) liked what they played, lauding the game for keeping the formula fun: "Traveller's Tales has once again delivered an experience that boils down to smashing stuff over and over again while searching for secrets, while also managing to make that formula fun and addictive. It's certainly not a huge leap over the LEGO Star Wars titles, and in fact still has some of that series' issues, but it's no less enthralling and certainly a fun adventure worth taking on."
Gamespy (80/100) says that the game is quite fun, even if a bit simplistic: "The gameplay may be relatively simplistic, but with their great sense of humor, clever level design, and tons of hidden secrets, gamers of all ages can enjoy them. Now the real question is, how long do we have to wait until we see a LEGO-ized "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"?"
Gamespot (80/100) found the game to be quite charming: "Lego Indiana Jones serves as the expected progression from the Lego Star Wars games. The great pacing, humorous cutscenes, and challenging-but-not-cheap puzzles make this the most enjoyable Lego game yet. It's not the hardest game, but it has enough hidden goodies to make you play through more than once. Both newcomers and diehard fans of Traveller's Tales' previous Lego offerings will find plenty to enjoy here."
Nintendo Power (75/100) says: "Ultimately, the main draw of LEGO Indiana Jones is playing through many of the movies' most memorable moments in the charming LEGO style, and the game definitely succeeds in doing that." [July 2008, p.87]
Most of this week's releases are movie-tie-ins, so if that's your kind of thing, then prepared to be very happy. For most of us, LEGO Indiana Jones is going to be the hot item available on store shelves. Anyone picking this up? Anxious to see how Traveller's Tales have added their hilarious spin on the first three Indiana Jones movies?
We've got old man fever as hardened adventure veteran Harrison Ford once more steps into the shoes of Indy in the latest movie, and lends his block-headed likeness to Lego Indiana Jones. In preparation for the explosion of cool on the big and small screen, this blogger had a marathon session of all three original films. Checking out these latest screenshots for LEGO Indiana Jones after having just watched the movies gets one all giddy. LEGO Elsa looks so much like her real-life counterpart it's uncanny. Stop, Indy! She's evil!
Honestly, who never played Indiana Jones with their old LEGOs? Nobody, that's who. Break out your old box of bricks and head to the gallery to check out the latest!
If you're a human being and not a robot hiding in stolen skin (robots have not yet perfected the science of manufacturing a lifelike skin substitute, thankfully), then you're likely excited for the fourth Indiana Jones film. Well, releasing just shortly after the movie is a LEGO title that covers the first three movies. What? You had no idea? Well then, you need to read us more!
Above, you'll find a new trailer for the game, showcasing a few select scenes from each of the movies represented, as well as something we hope for in every single game trailer we see: lots of in-game footage.
Call the underside of a rock your home? Then you might not have heard that Indiana Jones is finally back in cinemas on May 22nd, and that as Harrison Ford is dragging his creaking frame around the silver screen again, there'll be a game released to milk the event some more. We'd like to be really cynical about LEGO Indiana Jones, but heck, the LEGO Star Wars games were actually surprisingly fun affairs, and we suspect this will be much of the same, only with a daft number of characters. Oh, and it's Friday evening. We're in way too good a mood to be horrible about games on Friday evenings.
Flee from a giant boulder and past the break for more screens, courtesy of our French chums at Wiiz.
No, we didn't mix up Indiana Jones with a Mortal Kombat game; the latest LEGO title, LEGO Indiana Jones. will feature more characters than you could possibly ever need. 60, to be exact.