From the moment I first started playing Lego Indiana Jones something was bothering me that I just couldn't put my finger on. Something felt off, but for the life of me I simply could not figure out what it was. At first I though it might have been that left over Chinese food I had for lunch, but once I started unlocking characters I realized what the problem really was. There were no Nazis. Now, don't interpret this as meaning the violent Germans featured in the first and third films have been replaced by goblins or giant rabbits or something of the like. No, the Nazi characters are all still there, but all Nazi terms and symbols have been removed leaving them, much like the original villains of the G.I. Joe toy line, simply "Enemy Soldiers." When I first realized this, I was incensed. There was even a little smoke that came out of my left ear. I hate censorship in all its forms and this seemed like a particularly egregious alteration to the source material. I mean, Indiana Jones fights Nazis! That's what he does! How could they cut the Nazis from an Indiana Jones game, when arguably the best part of the old Last Crusade PC game was being able to have Indy scream, "I hate Nazis!" and punch Adolf Hitler in the face? Looking at the blocky little non-Nazis I was filled with a deep sense of frustration at how out of control this political correctness business had really gotten. Obviously the Nazis were a truly reprehensible group, but is the best way to react to their evils really to just eliminate all mention of them except in very specific situations dedicated to condemning them? Can't we just have a simple adventure story where a patriotic American wails on America's one inarguably evil foe without all the associated baggage?

   That, at least, was my initial reaction. But then I got to thinking; Traveler's Tales' Lego video games are based on both the films as well as the associated Lego toy line. The ideal marketing scenario would have kids watch the DVDs of the films, play the game, and then go out and buy all the toys they remember from the game. And I would imagine that, much like how one could buy Star Wars Lego sets of the Imperial forces with nary a Luke or Chewbacca in sight, one could likely buy sets of the Indy villains without necessarily purchasing a Lego Indy or Short Round. So you could theoretically have kids going out to Toys 'R Us, purchasing, and then playing (shudder!) with cute little recreations of Nazi death machines, all without the context of an Indiana Jones film. And while having a blocky, bullwhip wielding, roguishly grinning Lego Indy kind of offsets the creepiness of Lego Nazis, as soon as you remove him from the mix all you've got are a bunch of squat, smiling symbols of Aryan pride and the uncomfortable feeling that consumerism has just wandered someplace it shouldn't have. Okay, I guess we don't need Lego Nazis.

In Latin Jehovah begins with an "I"!

   Anyone who has played the Lego Star Wars games should feel immediately familiar with the gameplay of Lego Indiana Jones. The game is broken up into three parts, each one corresponding to one of the original three films, with Barnett College serving as a hub area in the same way the Mos Eisley Cantina and Dexter's Diner did in the two Lego Star Wars games. From there the player can venture into the worlds of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. Each film is in turn divided up into six chapters that correspond (theoretically) to six of the film's more exciting scenes.

   Upon beginning a level the player is placed in control of the blocky, unshaven titular hero, and is accompanied by one or more companions that he can switch to on the fly. From there the player must explore every nook and cranny (just pretend you're fumbling about on a giant english muffin), solve a number of puzzles that usually involve constructing things out of Legos, and fight off a host of foes ranging from Nazis (excuse me, "Enemy Soldiers"), to Thuggee cultists, to giant spiders, to Indy's greatest enemy, women with paternity suits. A great deal of the gameplay revolves around teamwork, with a number of the puzzles involving a "one guy stands on a switch while another guy pulls a lever" type of dynamic. Most of the boss fights are also made easier if one character holds off the swarms of respawning grunts while the other pummels the big cheese himself. The game really is designed to deliver maximum enjoyment when there are two human players. Not that it isn't fun when flying solo, it's just that it was clearly meant to be played by two people sitting in the same room yelling encouragement or insults at one another as the situation demands. Thankfully the game implements the same smooth drop-in/drop-out mechanism as the Lego Star Wars games, allowing a second player to jump in at any point just by pressing start on the second controller, and leave in much the same manner once they get tired of you endlessly quoting the films at them. "Give me the whip," indeed.

Unlocking the mysteries of the universe. And by "mysteries of the universe" I mean "bonus content."

Sometimes you just want to see Nazis' heads explode.

   The game is fun, but I'll be straight with you: I didn't think it was as fun as Lego Star Wars II. Part of that might be because I simply like Star Wars better, but there are some other issues as well. For one, the game is ridiculously easy. Now, both Lego Star Wars games weren't exactly difficult either, but Lego Indiana Jones is even easier than that. There was only one level I had to play more than the requisite two times to get everything, and that was only because of one particularly obtuse puzzle. The sloppy fighting system and some awkwardly positioned jumps will likely kill you a few times, but like Lego Star Wars, death is hardly an obstacle as you respawn almost instantly right where you died. Sure, you drop four thousand Lego studs (the game's currency), but there is so much money in each stage that it's hardly a setback. Plus, in Sonic-esque fashion you can even pick up the studs you drop when you're killed if you're fast enough. Not only that, but most of the puzzles seemed a lot simpler too. Most of them boiled down to simply interacting with everything in the room to find what you needed to advance.

   Another issue is the excision of possibly objectionable content that I alluded to earlier. While the Star Wars series does have the odd bit of lightsaber related dismemberment, it's overall a more family-friendly series than Indiana Jones, what with the fair amount of face shooting, heart from chest yanking, and booty tapping that takes place in those films. And while this material may not be as suitable for children, it's absolutely vital to the films' unique style and tone, and the removal of it in order to secure an E-10+ rating makes the game feel somewhat neutered. Combine this with the aforementioned idiot-proof difficulty and a sense of humor that's more childlike than that found in Lego Star Wars, and you have a game that really does feel targeted squarely at kids.

You have chosen... wisely.

   But, hey, don't get upset Indy fans! Like I said, the game is still fun. It's just not Lego Star Wars II fun. And let's be honest, Lego Star Wars II set the bar pretty high. There's still plenty to like about Lego Indiana Jones, from the John Williams score, to the clean, crisp visuals (although I would have liked to have seen more made out of actual Legos), to the plethora of unlockable content. Also, if you've got kids it's a great way to introduce them to the franchise without having to awkwardly explain why Indiana is pissed at his dad for knowing that Elsa talks in her sleep. Overall it's a solid enough title that simply had the misfortune of having a more talented older sibling. Just like me. Hey, writing for GameLemon is just as respectable as being editor of Wired magazine. Really, it is...

       ... Mike Zeller