Lego Battles
| Lego Battles | |
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| Developer(s) | Hellbent Games |
| Publisher(s) | TT Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & Lego Group |
| Distributor(s) | Time Warner Nintendo Lego Group |
| Composer(s) | Chris Rezanson |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Real-time Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
LEGO Battles is a video game developed by Hellbent Games and co-published by TT Games. It was released on June 9, 2009 for the Nintendo DS.[1] There are a total of three different stories in the game, each with the option of playing as the protagonists or the antagonists. There are 6 different quests (one for the protagonists and one for the antagonists of each story), with 15 different levels in each quest. Quests are divided into three acts, each act ranging in length of 4-6 levels. It is similar to Starcraft in that it has buildings, builders, fighters, machines (Specials) and Resources.
Plot
The wars are:
The Kingdom; led by the King & Queen, (who want to destroy the Wizard) VS the Skeleton Army; led by the Wizard (who wants to reclaim the Magic Crystal, part of his magical staff, to resurrect his lost love, the Sorceress). The King forms an alliance with the Dwarves led by the Dwarf King, and the Wizard forms an alliance with the Trolls led by the Troll King.
Pirates; led by Captain Brickbeard (the Pirate Captain), who want to find a hidden treasure, VS the Imperial Navy led by Governor Broadside & his daughter, Camilla, who want to defeat Captain Brickbeard and his pirate crew. The Pirates form an alliance with their Islander friends, led by King Kahuka, and the Imperial Navy form an alliance with the Ninjas, led by the Ninja Master.
Humans; led by Gemma & Biff (who want to conquer Mars & obtain green & purple crystals by any means necessary) VS the Aliens; led by the Alien Commander & the Alien Queen (who just want to repair their Mothership so they can go home). The humans form an alliance with the Space Police, led by the gruff Space Police Captain, and the Aliens form an alliance with the Space Criminals, led by Plisken, the Space Criminal Leader (who looks exactly like Kranxx from the Space Police 3 toyline. This is because Plisken was the original name for Kranxx.)
The King's story
Act 1
An aide very patiently attempts to explain the fact that the Wizard's forces are about to surround the castle to the King using a map. After mistaking the board for a game of checkers, the King realizes the seriousness of the situation. The scene cuts to the Wizard's army marching and trying to enter. Another guardsman tries to stop them by putting down a barrier, but it didn't work.
Act 2
The guardsman who was with the King earlier is now attempting to create an alliance with the Dwarfs. After getting a complete lack of response after showing that the rampaging army could destroy the mine and even the kingdom, he bribes them with jewels and gold. Suddenly, the Dwarf King and some soldiers come and stare at the bag of gold.
Act 3
The lead knight prepares his men to battle the Wizard's army. One of the guardsmen has decided to dress in the style of William Wallace, which he almost immediately regrets after the rest of the knights stare at him. But the men cheer instead and the guardsman's embarrassment is gone. As they lead off to start the battle, the knight falls off his horse and does a back flip.
End
The Wizard has been vanquished, and the kingdom is safe and blown up. In a nod to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, A builder and a guardsman are being congratulated for their duty in the war, accompanied by the Dwarf King and another dwarf soldier in a large cloak (The Dwarf King is on a soldier's shoulders, who is under the cloak to make him look taller). Then a dwarf in a bucket appears and the Dwarf King's cloak opens revealing the soldier underneath, making everyone laugh.
The Wizard's story
Act 1
The Wizard is sorting his work space around, and he knocks a picture of the Sorceress off the table. He manages to catch it before it hits the floor. He is then visited by a skeleton carrying a large box. When the wizard opens the box up, he pulls out a large staff, but notices that the end is missing. Using his crystal ball, he locates the broken end of the staff.
Act 2
The Wizard is hiring trolls for his army. The judges are two skeletons and the Troll King. The first giant troll gets a 7, 5.3 and a 6. The skeletons give him the thumbs down. The next giant troll's roar blows one of the skeleton judge's head off. This one gets two tens and a confused face.
Act 3
The black knight skeleton rides atop a dragon circling the king's castle. He lands next to the Wizard's army and orders an attack. They all shout battle cries, and during the cries the giant troll accidentally knocks a skeleton warrior's head off. The skeleton puts it back on, and they charge into battle.
End
The Wizard looks at the picture of his wife again and wipes a tear out of his red glass eye. He reconnects the wand ends together. He conjures up a giant troll, then a dwarf, then a forestman, then a monkey, then several others you can't see, then a space builder, then an alien builder, then Captain Brickbeard (who nearly pounces on the Wizard), and after all that, the Wizard finally manages to change it to his love, the Sorceress. They end the scene with a hug.
Captain Brickbeard's story
Act 1
Many years ago three men buried a treasure on a remote desert island. They all struggle over the treasure map and rip it in three. This tale is told to Captain Brickbeard by a drunken seafarer. Brickbeard orders him another drink. As he drinks Brickbeard switches the treasure map the seafarer is holding with a nearby crab and runs off. The seafarer looks at the crab and faints.
Act 2
A pirate with a striped shirt and a pirate with an oar take a small rowboat away from the main ship to an island, and they cross a rope bridge to find King Kahuka and his tribe. The one with the striped shirt and one of the islanders seem to know each other. The pirate with the striped shirt shows the islander the map piece. The islander points to the emblem on the map and shows them the island they are on. The pirate with the oar turns around and his oar and knocks the striped shirt pirate down.
Act 3
The lookout (a pirate with a green bandana on his head) spots the Imperial Navy approaching and shouts out. The pirates below are all asleep though. He throws a crab at the one with the striped shirt. The one with the oar spots the enemies' sails in the distance, and a stern look comes across his face.
End
The striped shirt one and the one with the oar row aboard with a chest full to the brim with gold! Captain Brickbeard sits in his cabin counting his gold looking awfully bored. Then a female pirate comes in and swipes all the gold off the table and produces another treasure map. A smile spreads across Brickbeard's face, because there is another adventure.
Governor Broadside's story
Act 1
Two members of the Imperial Navy are mucking about with Governor Broadside's telescope. The captain comes along and takes it from them. He returns the telescope to Broadside who spots Captain Brickbeard making fun of Broadside. He orders the men to follow that ship.
Act 2
The captain and a soldier are exploring the tropical jungle island of King Kahuka. They suddenly come face-to-face with some ninjas. The ninjas bow and show the soldiers what happened with their Master, (by changing their heads around,) that he has been captured by King Kahuka's tribe. The Navy befriends the ninjas and the ninjas then disappear with the help of smoke bombs (though one inexperienced ninja fails to disappear along with the smoke, instead creeping away to the side).
Act 3
In Broadside's ship the Captain offers the pirate lookout a gold coin for the location of the treasure. A soldier holds up a wanted poster of Captain Brickbeard. There are two islands one shaped like a skull and crossbones the other a heart. The pirate lies and says the treasure is on the heart shaped island. The captain flips the lookout a gold coin. The lookout shuffles towards the window and dives through it into the sea.
End
Governor Broadside and Captain Brickbeard are glaring at each other but it turns out that Brickbeard and his crew are buried up to their shoulders in sand. The pirate with the oar winks at Camilla. She runs off in disgust. Then a familiar looking crab comes along directing its pincers in the direction of Captain Brickbeard's face.
The Astronauts' story
Act 1
Astronauts Gemma and Biff head towards an unknown planet. Biff turns on some rock music for the ride, but Gemma switches it to opera, Biff switches it back again and the two fight over the radio. Biff accidentally hits the button that sends the fuel canister hurtling off into space. They make an emergency landing on Mars. Gemma tells Biff to go outside and find something to fuel the ship with. He eventually finds an energy crystal. He tests it out by putting it in the ship, and the ship has full power once again.
Act 2
An astronaut and a builder droid are exploring the planet, and discover a crashed spaceship. Another spaceship arrives and beams down the Space Police Captain and some officers. He asks them if they've seen the criminal, Plisken, and they explain they haven't. As a result, the Space Police Captain brainwipes them of the last few moments, using a device similar to those used in the Men in Black films,but switches the builder off as the mindwipe device would't work on a robot and leaves.
Act 3
A commando arms the astronauts with guns, except the guy at the back who to his disappointment just gets a clearance card. He swipes the card at a box and the box opens up into a robot astro suit (known as Gripley in the game).
End
Biff panics as he and Gemma (who are leaving Mars) are chased by two alien gunships. Gemma just pulls back behind them and blows them up. The astronauts below chase off the remaining aliens, who flee in their flying saucer, and the Astronauts finally claim Mars for Earth.
The Aliens' story
Act 1
The Alien Commander is building his Lego toy. The red alert sounds and numerous aliens are running through the ship in panic. Smoke produces from the ship, but the commander is so busy at completing his toy he doesn't notice. The ship crashes on Mars and the toy falls to pieces.
Act 2
A drone is gathering the biggest energy jewel to power the ship. The jewel is even bigger than him. Then the Space Criminal Leader Plisken runs up behind him. Plisken starts talking to the drone driving him away from the jewel, while the drone is distracted, Plisken's partner in crime sneaks behind them and steals the jewel. They run off with it to leave the poor drone at his wit's end.
Act 3
A Laser Trooper General sees the astronauts preparing for battle, and he brings the drone army out of stasis lock. He inspects the troops, and one of them is still asleep, holding a three-eyed teddy bear and wearing a nighty-night cap. When he stretches awake to find everyone staring at him, he hides his teddy bear and nightcap, then falls into line. The drones march into battle.
End
The drone army prepares to go into stasis lock again, and the sleepy alien once again gets out his teddy bear and nightcap. Meanwhile the Alien Queen sends the Alien Commander off to bed himself. When all is quiet the Alien Commander brings out his Lego toy again and continues building it, ending the scene, and the game.
Gameplay
Seven types of units are available for use by the player to aid them in their overall objective.
Builders-the most essential of all units but also the most vulnerable, builders gather resources and build buildings. He is weak at fighting but essential if one is to attain victory in most levels.
Hero- The next most important unit is the Hero- a powerful unit, no matter who he or she is. They have the ability to cast powers using their power points, and these powers have a wide range of effects, from Forest Growth to ESP to Earthquake to Fireball to Lightning, a Hero is the centerpiece of any army. Each Hero has different abilities and stats and heals nearby units and can speed up the construction of units from barracks and special factories. If they are killed, they can be rebuilt at the Fortress building.
Infantrymen- units who have a hand attack and are slower than knights. They are often the first military units available in any one game, and should be the backbone of a conventional army, but an army of infantrymen will fall to an army of infantrymen and archers.
Ranged- units who possess ranged attacks, albeit slightly weaker than the average infantryman. They won't win battles on their own, but can destroy enemy units in order for your stronger forces to move in and destroy the enemy's base.
Mounted- The powerful force in your army, they are strong and fast but expensive. They can hold their own in a fight against most other units, and an army of Knights can be a deadly foe if not countered properly. Towers are strong at defeating them, but an army of knights can rush in and destroy a tower, then be healed by the hero, and return to wreak havoc!
Transports- Used to move units across water or acid, transports are useful on some maps and entirely useless on others.Bridges can be used in their place, but transports can take units from any point to any other- bridges are set in one place and can be guarded. Used wisely, Transports can mean the difference between victory or defeat.
Specials- These are your most powerful units besides the Hero. Some can travel across water/acid. Almost always useful. All have Level 3 to Level 5 hitpoints. They have the very best weapons in your whole arsenal.
Maps
There are 12 maps in the game which can be unlocked and bought for use in freeplay mode, 4 of each type of map (the types being Mars, coast/island and forest/grassland), however there is no "random map" function, as in many other war based strategy games. There are also a number of maps of all types which do not need to be unlocked at the start of the game. Each map features a different arrangement of 4 types of terrain: grass, dirt/rock, water/acid, and cliff. Each map also contains trees on certain parts of the grass. Mine seams are also located in certain positions on the dirt. Buildings can only be built on grass, except for mines which must be built on dirt based mine seams, docks which must be built on dirt/water boundaries (the coast), and bridges which are built between bridge slots across water. water is impassable to most units except transport and some specials. Cliffs are impassable to all units. Some water based specials can't pass over dirt and grass either.
Units
In an army there are 9 types of units: The hero, builder, close combat, ranged, mounted (no range), 3 specials, and transports (also sometimes classed as a special). Every faction has their own variant of each of these, and some hero units can be unlocked by completing special tasks during the story mode or by doing other special things. Units are unlocked when they are encountered in the storymode but still have to be bought with blue studs - again, found in the story mode. Some units are only unlocked after collecting all the minikits (small treasure boxes) in an act. Each unit has four attributes displayed, attack (1 to 5), hitpoints/health (continuous), cost (in bricks, continuous), and speed (1 to 5). The hero is the center of the army; he or she regenerates nearby units health, can use special abilities, can regenerate health at your central building, and has a powerful attack against enemies and lots of hitpoints. The builder is trained in your central building, and builds buildings and gathers bricks from trees/crystals. Close combat, ranged, and mounted units are all trained in your "barracks" type building, and are all the bread and butter combat troops of your army. Some Special units allow you to pass over water/acid, others provide the heavy weaponry of the army; some even do both. Specials are trained/built in the special factory, except ships which are built in the dock.
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Freeplay Mode
The game also includes a freeplay mode, in which the player can customize the units in their army, choose the map, and certain other settings such as game mode and starting bricks. Both the characters/units and maps must be unlocked and bought with "LEGO studs" before being used.
Sequel
On April 12, 2011, Warner Bros. and TT Games released Lego Battles: Ninjago, the follow-up to LEGO Battles.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "LEGO Battles Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
- ↑ Vanburkleo, Meagan (July 2009). "LEGO Battles Review". Game Informer. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
External links
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