Lego Star Wars is nothing new. In fact, the complete Saga (first and second trilogy) is nothing new either. However, for parents who are looking for a kid-friendly title after the holidays, it’s hard to beat this one for sheer fun and replay value. And speaking of value, the current $19.99 price (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and NDS) makes this title hard to resist!

I picked this up at a local GameStop this past weekend and my son and I played through the first three chapters of Episode I. I couldn’t tell who enjoyed it more – him or me! The version that we played (PS3) has co-op 2-player local and online. This is great for a parent/child team-up. It gives your kids a chance to explore a little while you try to protect them (kinda like our daily job as parents). Another great thing about the game is that even though it provides a bit of a visceral experience (light sabers and blasters), all of the characters in the game are made of Lego. This keeps the violence toned down and when a character is down for the count, he or she simply turns into a pile of Lego bricks. No blood. No guts.

The title has quite a bit of variety too. You play different chapters as different characters and while the default mode of the game is 3-D action platforming and exploration, there are flying and combat levels too. Also, the sense of humor in this title is really quite clever. Many of the jokes were lost on my son who has yet to see the films. However, as a lifelong fan, I was chuckling the whole time. Check out the clip from GameTrailers for an idea of the experience:

The game can be played in single-player mode and characters can be switched on-the-fly to use special skills, but the real fun comes from playing with a teammate. I know that my son hopes to put in more time this coming weekend. (Between you and me, I do too!)