Lego Star Wars II updates News

LucasArts has thrown some more info our way on the forthcoming Lego Star Wars II, detailing special content exclusive to the two handheld versions.

Following on from the cute and comical brilliance of the original, Travellers Tales has gone back to the drawing board to make it a bigger, better and more engaging experience.

The PC and console versions (Xbox 360 was included as a late addition) were covered earlier and include new features such as character specific attacks (like Chewbacca tearing arms from sockets), the ability to ride vehicles and mount creatures, and the endless possibilities of the new pick 'n' mix character creation system.

As for the handhelds, the PSP version follows the theme of its console parents, but adds Wi-Fi co-op play and the option to share over fifty unlockable characters with friends. The new Challenge Mode lets you play through timed versions of each of LSWII's levels, collecting character pieces to construct 18 classic heroes and villains from the original - all of which can then be used in free-play mode.

PSP owners also get "the story so far", which gives a typically comical recap of Episodes I-III and lets you play the last level of each episode so you can battle it out with Darth Maul, Count Dooku and evil Anakin once again.

As if all that wasn't enough for the developers to be getting on with, the DS is getting its own unique version that makes use of the touch-screen to switch characters and vehicles on the fly, control the camera - we're not sure how that's going to work just yet - and customise characters with an assortment of traditional Lego accessories.

Wi-Fi is used for two-player co-op as you might expect, but there's also a new Battle Arena at Jabba's Palace. Collecting ten mini-kit pieces in each level provides you with bounty hunters to fight in the arena, and up to four players can then fight it out to be the first to find and capture Han Solo in carbonite!

Traveller's Tales is making a real effort to expand on everything we loved so much about the original game, and all versions are due for release in the US on September 12th - to tie in with yet more DVD releases, if you're interested.