Tons of new content, improved old content and the same amount of fun and replayability make this game what it is- great.
Graphics
The game does a great job with the characters. Every single character, including your two custom created characters, is fully animated. The movements are smooth, with a great framerate, and the figures actually look like Lego. The backgrounds are quite well done, although there are a few drab ones- unfortunately, the Mos Eisley cantina, hub of your adventures, is one of these. However, even those backgrounds which aren't so great are complemented by the crazy variety of colourful, destructible objects everywhere. A large part of the game involves bashing these decorations to get Lego studs- the game's currency- but before they get broken, they still look pretty nice. And when characters or objects get broken, they break into a bunch of Lego pieces- a nice touch, and made me laugh out loud in a couple of situations. Humorous and well-made cutscenes are the icing on the cake.
9/10
Sound
The lightsaber effects are the standout here, sounding exactly like those in the movies. The blaster effects aren't bad either, and there's some variety in this game. There are about 4 different sound effects for blasters, depending on the character. Droids also make noises similar to those in the movies, although some, especially R2/R4/R5 can get quite annoying after they die for the millionth time. The game has only two lines of voice acting- "Roger roger" and "Uh-oh", both spoken by battle droids. The characters have various screams/grunts and other noises, but the cutscenes don't actually use dialogue. I, personally, like it this way.
9/10
Gameplay
A bunch of Lego characters running around and killing each other. Yawn, right? Wrong. There are several different classes of characters, for example Jedi, Sith, Bounty Hunters and Astromech Droids. You get a group of characters for each mission- either predetermined in Story or chosen by you in Free Play- and you need to use their special abilities to solve puzzles and fight enemies in order to beat each mission.
Exclusive to the Wii version is some motion sensing- swinging the Wii remote like a lightsaber, moving the Nunchuk and Wii Remote back and forth to build faster, etc.- which is fun, although it doesn't add much to the game.
There are tons of characters and vehicles to unlock, by collecting studs and minikits. They are all delightfully quirky- like the Beach Trooper, a stormtrooper in a swimsuit, or the Gamorrean Guard, who plays his axe like a guitar when the special button is pressed.
The difficulty is on the easy side, although there are some hard sections. The difficulty does not hamper the gameplay in any way.
The game has a near infinite amount of unlockables- special missions, extras, characters, vehicles and blue canisters, to name a few. It's to be expected, seeing as it's 2 1/2 games in one.
It's enjoyable for anyone new to the series, and the new & improved content is definitely still worth it even if you've played both of the previous games.
10/10
Value
Wow... where to start...
Well, there are 36 story missions- six in each of the six episodes. After you beat them they can be played through again in Free Play, in order to bring along characters you normally couldn't use and unlock new stuff. You can also play them in Challenge, which involves finding 10 blue canisters in a set amount of time. There are also 20 bounty hunter missions, a Super Story (all missions combined) for each of the six episodes, a character/minikit bonus (race to 1,000,000 studs) for each episode, six bonus missions which were either cut out or changed, a two-player arcade that will keep you and a friend entertained for hours, and a bunch of small minigames or puzzles in every level. All of this is accessed from your hub, the Mos Eisley cantina. Even though the missions from the second game, Episodes IV-VI, are practically the same, the new graphics and Challenge mode make them seem fresh. The missions from the original game, Episodes I-III, have been modified to include features like building, explosives, stormtrooper and bounty hunter doors, etc.
There is a bar in the cantina where you can purchase extra stuff. You can buy characters and vehicles, hints, gold bricks (to unlock extra missions) and extras. Extras are like cheats- they range from the insanely useful (stud multipliers, invincibility, minikit detector, super blaster) to the whimsical and hilarious (super gonk, disarm troopers, disguise, moustaches) to the cosmetic and cool (silhouettes).
And this game is so jam-packed, I know I missed something.
Can I give it an 11? No? Fine, 10/10
Audience
This game is playable by everyone. Its fun and addictive style and great presentation can draw anyone in, and the violence is toned down (all Lego blocks, no blood) so it's appropriate for kids. I recommend this for everyone. It's also easy enough and has a short enough learning curve that adults can play it. Seriously.
10/10
Overall
A delightful package. Recommended regardless of whether you've played the first two or not. Great for any age, and enjoyable to all. A staple in a Wii owner's collection- go buy it. Now.
9.5/10