I won't deny that I used to play with lots and lots of Lego when I was a kid and I'm sure, if you're honest, there were some of those small blocks lurking at the bottom of your toy chest too. [At the bottom of the toy chest? They filled the toy chest! Ed] Whether you just had a couple of models, or you had one of those big space stations, I'm sure all of us had Lego. During my childhood Lego was massive and relatives were never short of ideas of what to get me for those special occasions. Lego. And while good old Granddad used to shower me in little Lego men and models every time I saw him, some of the more distant relatives would buy me the fake Lego. You know, that fake stuff that won't click with the real McCoy. The whole point of Lego is to click new things together and make things that make dreams. But here stands a helicopter model that I can't add a laser cannon onto, because they won't click. I was gutted.

By that time I had learned of the consoles, so Lego got shelved. But now the two are being clicked together. Most Lego games haven't caused much of a stir in the games market, but today I can say that I've played the best Lego game, combined with the massive Star Wars, accessible on all our favourite consoles. Kiss my face.

Lego Star Wars is extremely well presented and I won't surprise anybody when I say that it brings back loads and loads of memories for a Lego veteran like myself. All the Star Wars environments and characters not only look like Star Wars, but also manage to keep in tradition with the Lego theme, with only the odd 'hey, that's not made out of Lego' moment, cropping up rarely from time to time. It's amazing, the characters are Lego models with very basic detail on their faces, just how you'd expect, and then the bodies, with drawn on clothes, rags, or whatever those crazy Jedis wear. [Robes? Ed] Spaceships, space stations, planets, environments, all are Lego looking and breathtaking. And key Lego objects like Lego switches that you'd build on, flick and pretend that they did something are all here, all looking true to those exact switches and actually doing something here! I'm not kidding, it has to be seen to be believed. And with the vast environments, character detail and everything else made out of Lego, the graphics department needs a pat on the back.

So, the game actually lets you play through various stages, spread out over all three episodes. If you've seen the films, then you'll know what's going on and you'll probably be able to guess what's coming next. Those that haven't seen the films and are just playing this game for the Lego and lightsabers won't be disappointed, but on the other hand, might have a hard time grasping the story. All the cut scenes have no voices at all, they just have mimes, facial expressions and some over the top comedy. While discussing this with Chris Martin, he declared that when we used to play Lego, we probably used our own voices to express the Lego even more. Whether this is just a clever way of getting you to think about narrating it yourself remains a mystery. I think it works, as most people will be able to catch the drift, but some places could really use a little bit of voice acting. However, each level is set in concrete with the traditional yellow text going away from you, with stars in the background, before showing you the very expressive video - as long as you read and watch carefully the majority won't have a problem.

Before you go through the doors, to those various levels, you get to walk around 'Dexter's Diner'. To be honest, as soon as I saw that Dexter's Diner played a big part in this game, it was an instant hit for me. You can do a lot in Dexter's Diner. You can buy characters that you've fought against in the various levels you have played - and if you buy them, you can control them in the Diner and even play through levels you have already completed, going through as whoever you like in free play mode. You can also buy new hints and tips, along with dozens of extras like moustaches and bigger blasters. Dexter's Diner is just a nice bridge between episodes and levels, it's like a 3D menu, it's thoughtful and it's innovative. What's more, it allows you to play any Episode any time you like, so your gameplay will be varied more.

Once you've landed on a level you're faced with quite a few choices with regards to making your way through it. There's only one way to get to the end though, so the game plays like a good platforming game, basic in the way of routes to take, but advanced in all the little diversities the game offers, to give you a feeling of freedom. Each level sees a party following you like a RPG. These party members can be useful too, as one might use guns, one might use lightsabers and the other might be a little floating R2-D2 droid who can open locked doors and disable enemies for a short while. Knowing your team maximises your playing experience, as one strategy here would be to get R2 past the wave of enemies, poke them all from behind with his little disabling stick and get one of the other two to knock them down. Something else that enhances the playing experience is an extra player, who can just plug in a controller and help you handle the party. Two players are better than one, always. Unfortunately, when there are not two of you, the other players just stand there and take fire - many of them won't fight back, but then again, if they die there's no penalty, it's just a shame that the lazy buggers won't help you advance!

Controlling the characters is simple, easy and effective - just how it should be. There's nothing complex getting in the way of pure fun here. If you're controlling a Jedi, you have one button to use the force and another to use the lightsaber. It's what you do with these two buttons that count. You can combine lightsaber moves with things like jumps and strong directional pushes, so you can have your Jedi pulling off some pretty nice, visually pleasing moves with just one button, using other obvious buttons to compliment it. Other characters are more or less the same, as characters with blasters can use a special grapple hook that allows them to reach high places, some characters can fly; it's all about team play. The Jedi has force on his side though and with this force comes great responsibility… sorry, wrong film. Basically, your force power can move just about any object in the game, although that's not just as exciting as it sounds. Second Sight allows the main character to move anything where he wants and using the force animates an object. It could move something to a specific place, could make something explode, open things, switch switches and uncover hidden cash - as well as pushing the basic enemies back. Moving objects can sometimes be used to reach ledges, or you might have to build up a model moving pieces of Lego in the right order, which results in some type of reward. Force isn't crucial for every level but it can be nice to uncover secrets and solve puzzles, varying the gameplay even more.

Replay value? There's loads! Obviously there are things to buy from saving up the Lego currency, studs. Then there are levels to play again with unlocked characters, which is always a nice bonus. In addition there are ten special pieces to collect on each level and these ten pieces make a special Lego model that can be viewed in the Diner's Car Park. It even shows you how to assemble these models after completing the level, so if you have the pieces, you can actually make the models! You can also fill up a Jedi Meter in every level by collecting lots and lots of studs, which unlock special things. There really is a lot to come back for; even the co-op is fun, so you can go through the whole thing again, with a friend.

The graphics, as I've said, are fantastic. Apart from the fact that there are no voices behind the FMV's, the rest of the sound excels greatly in my expectations. There's loads of Star Wars epic music behind levels and FMVs alike, which really adds a lot of atmosphere to the gameplay. The lightsabers sound like they should - dangerous. And then there are other noises like blaster pistols, little droid noises and many other effects that just give the gameplay that edge.

I close this review with more love for Lego than I've ever had before and feeling very anxious to see the new Star Wars film. From start to finish, Lego Star Wars delivers; looks, presentation, gameplay, replay value, none of it lacks polish. There's plenty of humour in the cut scenes and they are done very well, regardless of the lack of voices. Lego Star Wars is definitely worth a look and while the levels are linear, there's plenty to play through and loads to enjoy. Don't be put off by the Lego history of terrible games and don't just opt for the Episode III film game either; let those little Lego men win you gaming hearts over. As for me, I'll be spending studs on Lego Lager, drinking out of a plastic cup and sitting on a barstool in Dexter's Diner. Why not come join me?

Reviewed by Dexter Pearson for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).