Remember the Star Wars toys? Were they not the coolest looking most exciting toys you had ever seen? I remember begging my mum to buy me a four-legged imperial walker as a child, but try as she might, those little babies were rarer than rocking horse poop and as such, to my utter despair, I was never the proud owner of said article. So what did I do? I did what other kids up and down the country did (or tried to do) - I built the Star Wars toy of my choice out of LEGO and it was probably about the most fun I have ever had (not counting the time I dreamt I had a Champaign-powered helicopter that was capable of interstellar travel). I can only surmise, but my guess is that the person behind the idea for LEGO Star Wars had a similar experience as a child.

The equation is disarmingly simple and yet gratifying on so many levels that whomever came up with this is surely some sort of higher being, like Yoda; pick two fondly remembered childhood memories, stick them inside a console, shake well and then watch as wide-eyed adults happily indulge in the most potent cocktail of nostalgic reverie ever conceived for a video game. The first LEGO Star Wars was aimed directly at a younger market, but became a surprise hit with adults, so Travellers Tales has played to the strengths of the brand, by pandering to the nostalgia that enticed gamers of an older age group to the first game. In LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, not only are those brightly coloured bricks glowing with radioactive levels of charm, but also the much loved original Star Wars characters, sets and storylines from the halcyon days of pre-CGI film making are all present and correct.

So the idea is sound, and from a marketing point of view was destined to be successful from the off, but what of the actual game? Well, in short, the execution of LEGO Star Wars II is masterful - from the gameplay mechanics to the handling of the storylines, everything exudes a lightness of heart and sense of fun that never dips below 'just one more go' style gaming. In much the same way as Star Wars is from a golden age of blockbuster film making, and LEGO from a golden age of children's toys, this game harks back to a golden age of video games, where physics and textures are unimportant and all that matters is the potential to elicit a big dumb grin from the player; put simply, like real LEGO, this game is all about playing. There is no learning curve to speak of and there are no laborious tutorials to wade through - just pick up and play, with the prime inhibitor being the player's imagination as opposed to any game-related restrictions.

Bounding cheerfully into the action packed set pieces is like a Jedi jamboree, due to the simple and intuitive controls that are largely comprised of simple double jumps and some character-specific abilities. Combat is similarly carefree, with auto-aim firing, straightforward lightsaber swinging and, for certain characters, context-sensitive use of the famous Jedi force powers. The player always has the option of interchanging between at least two characters throughout the game, so that unique abilities can be used in order to finish levels. For example whilst R2D2 is not exactly helpful in a scrap, he is a dab hand at using electric panels to open doors. In spite of how quickly the simple controls can be mastered and how easily enemies are dispatched, there is a weighty sense of satisfaction involved in taking out a roomful of Stormtroopers, helped in no small part by what must be the greatest collection of weapon sound effects in anything, ever, backed up with liberal use of classic Star Wars music.

The other prime gameplay mechanic is of course concerned with building objects out of LEGO. These objects lend themselves to the comedic tone of the game seamlessly, with the inclusion of tractors and other misplaced bits and pieces interspersed throughout the Star Wars regalia, making for some good old fashioned duck out of water style laughs. Building objects out of LEGO is also the prime basis for solving the game's many puzzles, which despite having a difficulty level pitched at a younger gamer, still had this reviewer scratching his head from time to time.

This game is also a completist's dream, with a veritable cornucopia of collectables on offer. Whenever a character is defeated in-game, the player is able to purchase that character in the Mos Eisley Cantina (which doubles as a sort of portal to all the aspects of the game) who can then be used as a playable character. These characters can be used to unlock areas within already completed levels in the Free Play mode, where collectables such as LEGO kits and comedy costume parts can be found. Replaying the levels in order to collect all that is on offer never feels like a chore and in Free Play certain restrictions from the Story Mode are lifted in order to make exploration less laborious. There is no online aspect to speak of, which is a bit of a shame, but there is a very robust two player cooperative mode to be enjoyed.

The overall level of polish is nothing short of seamless in the audio and visual departments. Despite having an obvious cartoony style, there are some impressive visual tricks, such as blurred out of focus foreground detail and fully reflective textures. The solidity of the characters is such that one would be forgiven for thinking at times that the characters are actual LEGO models as opposed to renders. With source material as rich as Star Wars, creating iconic sounds and visuals should be easy, but with so many Star Wars games failing to recreate the atmosphere of the series, it is ironic that the caricatured visuals and dialogue of LEGO Star Wars II feels much more resonant than many of its contemporaries set in the same universe. The dialogue in the game is less of a dialogue and more a series of humorously mumbled incoherencies. It serves the game's style well and Travellers Tales should be applauded for knowing their audience well enough to avoid patronising them with the retelling of stories that they already know off by heart.

If there could be one prime criticism levelled at LSWII, it would be that the vehicle sections are a tad on the rubbish side. The controls are unwieldy and the levels repetitive. Additionally, in the absence of the characters that give this game its unique personality, these sections seem a bit joyless and out of place - a disappointment to be sure but a rare misfire in a game that ticks almost all of the right boxes.

Everything remains jovial and good humoured without succumbing to pastiche. In a lesser game the humour and unrelenting effervescence would wear thin before long, but the LEGO characters have a real symbiosis with their big screen counterparts, providing an excellent canvas for the idiosyncrasies of the many Star Wars characters to be keenly observed, albeit in the form of a knowing caricature. It is this mutual affection for the Star Wars universe and the LEGO franchise that shines the brightest throughout and the inventiveness of execution is compelling enough to hold the attention of hardcore and casual gamers alike.

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy goes out on a charm offensive and delivers on almost every level - you could argue that the gameplay is overly simplistic and repetitive, but with this much charisma and so much to explore and collect, it's hard not to be seduced. Simple and rewarding gameplay dynamics seem to be enjoying something of a resurgence at present, and as an example of how this can be realised on a next generation console, LEGO Star Wars II is the most convincing example to date.

Reviewed by Fraser MacInnes for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).