Lego gets the formula right for a great video game
Lego Star Wars focuses on the first 3 episodes of the Star Wars franchise. Not the original 3 episodes (those would be featured in the sequel), but the prequel trilogy: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. You control the numerous characters of the movies, from Anakin Skywalker to Jedi Master Yoda, through various parts of the movies, from the opening sequence from the Phantom Menace to the duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin on Mustafar. A bonus level at the end lets you play as Darth Vader in the opening of a New Hope, which lays the ground for the sequel: The Original Trilogy.
The basic aim of each sublevel in the game is to get to the end of the level. To do this, you have to figure out how you can get all characters in your party to the next part of the level. There are 4 different types of characters in this game:
Jedi: They use lightsabers as their weapon and are able to double jump and use the force.
Blaster characters: Characters who use blasters as their weapon. They can only do a single jump, but are able to use their blasters to get across various crevices by the use of grappling hooks.
Droids: Mainly consisting of probe droids (ex: R2-D2) and protocol droids (ex: C-3P0). Both kinds of droids are used to open various doors. However, the probe droids are able to hover for a short amount of time.
Boy characters: Consisting of the young versions of Anakin Skywalker and Boba Fett. They don't carry weapons but can travel through passageways only they can get through.
The overall main focus for this game is to get Lego studs (round lego pieces) which are used as currency in the game. They are mainly used to acquire characters featured in the game, but not playable in the main story mode. However, if a certain amount of studs are acquired in each sublevel, then True Jedi status is achieved. Achieving this in every sublevel will let you play the bonus level I mentioned earlier.
Another big thing to collect in the levels are 10 minikit pieces. When all minikits in a level are collected, they are built to form a vehicle from the Star Wars universe.
You can't get all minikit pieces in the regular story mode, and there is a possible chance that you don't get the True Jedi status as well. So, you can with the Free Play mode. It is like the Story mode, but has no cutscenes and you can use any character you have unlocked.
In short, Lego Star Wars is a game that should belong in any Star Wars fan's collection. It may be pannered more to kids, but is very fun to play. Probably the best thing about it is that if any kid wants to see what happens in the PG-13 rated Episode III but their parents don't let them watch it, this is a perfect solution.