There’s nothing like hearing your son sing, “I’m Going Faaaast!” only to hear his friend echo the same thing about a major third higher. I got to appreciate this aria this afternoon as my son and his friend enjoyed the Pod Race sequence from Episode I in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

My parents took me to see the original Star Wars (now known as Episode IV: A New Hope) in the summer of 1977. I’ve been a die hard fan of the franchise ever since. As far as the new trilogy (Episodes I-III), one scene has been the source of more videogame content than any other. The Pod Race sequence from Episode I. I own the original Star Wars Episode I Racer for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Star Wars Racer Revenge for the PlayStation 2. I even own Star Wars Super Bombad Racing thanks to a friend who was working at LucasArts during the development of the title. Though each of these is a fairly kid-friendly title based on this part of the film, Lego Star Wars offers a simplified, yet fun re-interpretation.

There’s no question that if you’re looking for more advanced gameplay and a more strategic experience, the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 incarnations of Racer offer much more depth. However, for a kid-friendly dose of speed-based-fun, the simplified version offered in Lego Star Wars is sublime. And keep in mind that it is one level of a larger adventure. Often children can get a little bored with repetitive gameplay (as offered in the racer games themselves). The variation in these comes from unlocking different tracks and characters, but the primary experience is the same: go as fast as you can and avoid all obstacles. The Lego Star Wars games offer platforming, shooting, simplified puzzle-solving, and flying sequences in addition to the Pod Racing. So there’s less of a chance for your child to get bored with one aspect of the game. And even if he/she does, plenty of genres are represented for other gameplay options.

Enjoy!