Development
Lego Star Wars II was created by the Cheshire, England, game developer Traveller's Tales. LucasArts—busy with other projects—had deferred publishing of Lego Star Wars to Eidos Interactive, but regained the "necessary resources" to publish its sequel alongside TT Games. Lego Star Wars II was created for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance (GBA), Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and Xbox 360. Differences exist between platforms: the DS and GBA versions have some different playable characters than the other versions, and the DS and PSP versions support a "Wireless Lobby" for multiplayer gameplay. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions of the game feature higher-definition graphics.
Lego Star Wars II uses a modified Lego Star Wars engine. However, many gameplay improvements were made over its predecessor, most notably camera angles and movement. Camera movement in co-op was a specific point of concern, as LucasArts received critical feedback from fans over this issue. TT Games looked to expand upon the concept of levels completed entirely in vehicles. These "vehicle levels" were explored more thoroughly in Lego Star Wars II than in its predecessor. In response to complaints from fans, LucasArts and Traveller's Tales granted the ability to build bricks to all non-droid characters. Character customization, an entirely new concept, was considered a significant improvement over the original game, and is one of three features highlighted on the game's final back cover. Tom Stone, director at TT Games, stated of the various improvements made over the original game:
| “ | We were surprised and, of course, delighted that the original game was played and enjoyed by so many people ... And with all of the new improvements and features along with the Original Trilogy we're implementing into LEGO Star Wars II, we're confident that the new game has what it takes to entertain even more gamers than before. | ” |
The designers attempted to recreate the films' characters and events in a "cute" way. Assistant producer Jeff Gullet said that, in the game's recreation of a Return of the Jedi scene where Luke Skywalker "jumps off the plank ... and somersaults onto the skiff", Skywalker "performs an all-out acrobatic routine with all sorts of jumps from the plank. It's hilarious". LucasArts producer David Perkinson said, "nless you've got the heart of the Emperor, you are going to chuckle at many of the first time you see them – you just have to. They're so darn cute!"
Read more about this topic: Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
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