Lego Star Wars pieces together gold

Eidos today announced that Lego Star Wars has gone gold and will now be released April 2. UK-based studio Traveller's Tales developed the title for the PC and PlayStation 2, and Amaze Studios, the team behind Shark Tale for the PC, developed the game for the Game Boy Advance. According to a statement from Eidos, an Xbox version is "soon to follow."

The quirky game, which seems headed for cult status, portrays the Star Wars universe as built by Legos. Each spaceship, character, and environment is entirely made of the simple toys. Lego Star Wars takes place during the prequel saga: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and the upcoming Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

The game features more than 40 playable characters from the franchise, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar-Jar Binks. Different characters may have unique abilities, forcing players to use specific Star Wars icons in different situations. For example, Jar-Jar can jump higher than other characters, enabling him to reach certain spaces grounded robot R2-D2 can't. But Jar-Jar is all thumbs when it comes to hacking computer systems, which would be a simple task for the adroit droid.

Lego Star Wars is rated "E" for Everyone and will retail for $39.99 on the Xbox and PS2 and $29.99 on the GBA and PC. For more information on the game, be sure to read GameSpot's previous coverage.