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Activist group finds LEGO Batman 'oppressive,' 'destructive' to kids

by Jason Dobson { Jan 23rd 2009 at 8:30AM }

It's difficult to imagine a property as insidious as Lego Batman. Go ahead, try. Labeling the game a "symbol of commercialized childhood," an activist group calling itself the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has called out TT Games' cubic take on the Dark Knight. Wait, is this a joke? A riddle? A two-faced lie?

The game was included among a handful of other toys as a finalist for the organization's inaugural TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award. Other playthings, including Hasbro's poop-happy Baby Alive and a Barbie tarted up as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, are also up for the dubious honor. But how many of these were also included in Happy Meals, one of the chief complaints of the Boston-based group? Only you can put the Caped Crusader over the top by voting for the "winner". Won't someone please think of the children?

Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of October 5th

by Jem Alexander { Oct 5th 2008 at 10:00AM }

Did anyone else think that the Fracture demo wasn't as abysmal as you were expecting? Sure, it was the epitome of mediocre third-person action with a gimmick attached, but at times it was almost fun. Well the full game is out this week in both the US and Europe and, unless you're a European lego fan with vigilante tendencies, that's pretty much it. Oh, except for basketball. Lots of basketball. Here's the full release list:

US Games

EU Games

Asian Games

Release dates are constantly subject to change, so be sure to check with your local retailer before making any sudden moves. Your PS3 will play games from any region, so go ahead and import anything you see above. Do be aware that DLC is locked to specific regions, though, so European games will require DLC from the Euro PSN Store. You may also be interested to know that NBA 09: The Inside is the only NBA game to support trophies.

Review: LEGO Batman

by David Craddock { Oct 2nd 2008 at 1:30PM }

I won't lie to you: I'm a huge Batman fan. A Bat-freak, you might say. From collecting comics and watching The Animated Series ad infinitum to camping out for tickets to the midnight showing of new Bat-films (barring the Joel Schumacher travesties), if it's Batman, I'll give it a shot.

So great is my Batman fanaticism that I purposely skipped LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures in order to maintain my anticipation for LEGO Batman. The two properties may seem unrelated, but the truth is, I knew full well that despite all the Batman lore that Traveler's Tales would no doubt cram into a Gotham built brick by LEGO brick, taking in too much of the LEGO action game formula would kill Batman's fun factor quicker than a whiff of the Joker's deadly gas. As I predicted, LEGO Batman is immense fun -- if you can look past the LEGO formula's reoccurring flaws that should have been fixed after the first LEGO Star Wars.

Gallery: LEGO Batman

Continued →

Metareview - Lego Batman

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 24th 2008 at 7:00PM }

It's time again for another Lego [fill in the blank] title from Traveller's Tales. This time the blocky series follows the Dark Knight and his ward as they attempt to recapture the criminals of Gotham City who've escaped Arkham Asylum. The reviews seem to either take comfort in the familiarity the TT Lego franchise has brought so far, or squarely takes aim at Lego Batman for falling into the same pitfalls that the entire series has been plagued by.

GamePro (90/100): "Full of surprises, humor and an all-star cast of playable characters, it's yet another solid reinvention of an established license. Plus, it has Batman in it!"
GameDaily (80/100): "If you're sick and tired of LEGO games, then LEGO Batman: The Videogame probably won't change your mind. However, if you enjoy them as much as we do, then you shouldn't hesitate to shine the Bat-Signal and answer the call."
IGN (77/100): "LEGO Batman is good fun, but it's really just the same thing we've seen before. I don't think the LEGO formula needs much of a change, but certainly the common issues with the series should no longer exist. If you're looking to have a laugh with a buddy or you want something kid-friendly, this is your game."
Game Informer (75/100): "The charm of LEGO blocks is exploring your creativity and building new things, so Traveler's Tales' habit of sticking to one formula stands in stark contrast to the entire LEGO philosophy. We've had fun with this series, but it's time to dump the franchise out on the floor and start piecing it back into something new."

LEGO Batman launch event transforms Museum of Natural History into carnival

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 24th 2008 at 11:25AM }

The American Museum of Natural History is known for being one of the most prestigious ... wait, is that a giant Batman made out of Legos? Yes, the fine folks behind the LEGO Batman video game have somehow managed to turn the sacred Museum grounds into a carnival, filled with good ol' fashioned carnival games. Popcorn, hotdog and suspect lemonade were all on hand as kids and games journalists of all ages partook in all sorts of classics like, er, whatever this game is.

Quite possibly the most attractive display at the event was this mini-warehouse, littered with various LEGO Batman characters. Quite possibly the most deadly display were the cupcakes, with not-so-edible Batman and Joker characters on top. (We found out the hard way. Ouch.)

Gallery: LEGO Batman launch party

Lego Batman PS2 bundle available now for $150

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 23rd 2008 at 10:00PM }

The PS2 Lego Batman bundle is now available, which was originally announced at E3 2008. The package will retail for $150 and includes the slim PS2 console with Lego Batman and Justice League: The New Frontier DVD.

Next bundle we'd like to see from Sony: PS3 bundled with PS2. Or the return of backwards compatibility ... just sayin'.

DS releases for the week of September 22nd

by Alisha Karabinus { Sep 22nd 2008 at 12:54PM }

Not only are there dozens -- well, almost two dozen -- games slated for release in the U.S. this week, but included in the list are a few particularly interesting titles. Kirby Super Star Ultra, though announced some time ago, comes seemingly out of nowhere after some recent wacky promotions, and My Japanese Coach finally makes it to shelves (we hope).

Barbie Fashion Show: An Eye for Style
Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4
Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6
Di-Gata Defenders
Dinosaur King
Disgaea DS
DropCast
Hi! Hamtaro Ham-Ham Challenge
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Lego Batman
Margot's Word Brain
My Japanese Coach
My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie's Party
My SAT Coach
Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase
Pipe Mania
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Shaun the Sheep
SimCity Creator
Time Hollow

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Shipping this week: Hell's LEGO hunting edition

by Richard Mitchell { Sep 22nd 2008 at 11:30AM }

We've got five (count 'em, five) new Xbox 360 games this week. Probably the biggest of the bunch is Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, which finally arrives after numerous delays. Aside from Brothers in Arms we have LEGO Batman, which we imagine will be an awful lot like LEGO Indiana Jones which was an awful lot like LEGO Star Wars. We question whether or not the somewhat addictive charm will hold out this time. To round out the week, we've got off-road racing, hacking and slashing, and ... um ... hunting. Consider the fall gaming flood postponed.

Baja: Edge of Control
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Warriors Orochi 2
Cablela's Dangerous Hunts 2009
LEGO Batman

Retail and download releases for the week of September 22nd

by David Hinkle { Sep 22nd 2008 at 9:00AM }

Click image for more screens

Well folks, just as stated, we've got a new Mega Man game to play this week. What's even better is that along with the sure-to-be-awesome Mega Man 9, we've also got some solid retail releases. And there's a surprise or two with this week's Virtual Console releases, as well. Head on past the break for the info. This week is going to be chock full of gaming goodness.

Gallery: Mega Man 9

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Worldwide PS3 releases for the week of September 21st

by Jem Alexander { Sep 21st 2008 at 5:25PM }

It's almost like magic. The first day of Autumn hits tomorrow and the game industry intends to start the season as it means to go on. In short, by throwing game after game directly at your face until your wallet sits empty and your hands are blistered from constant gaming. Ouch. Here's the full release list:

US Games

EU Games

Asian Games

Release dates are constantly subject to change, so contact your local retailer if you're uncertain. Feel free to go on an import spree if you feel like it, but keep in mind that DLC for any game generally has to be bought from the PSN store of the same region.

Warner Bros boss says LEGO Batman is 'the best TT game ever'

by David Hinkle { Sep 2nd 2008 at 7:08PM }

Warner Bros. boss guy Martin Tremblay loves Traveller's Tales. And we would think so, with his company having shelled out quite a bit of money for the UK-based development studio. "We're very, very happy with LEGO Batman," said Tremblay. "It's going to be the best TT game ever and will be our first big step in games for sure."

We wouldn't go so far as to say that ourselves, even after we had quite a bit of time to check it out back at E3. But, we will say that it certainly looks like a great game, as it contains a ton of options and replay value, thanks to its large roster of controllable characters and their unique abilities and skills.

Gallery: LEGO Batman

[Via Go Nintendo]

Lego Batman cartoon coming, same Lego Bat-time, same Lego Bat-Channel!

by Kevin Kelly { Aug 29th 2008 at 7:00AM }

Lego Batman is going to use his grappling hook to swing from consoles to television screens sometime in the near future. Traveller's Tales producer Rich Earl dropped the news that an unnamed studio is working on a spinoff animated show. Right now, it's a one-off 20 minute production, but they're undoubtedly looking to make it into a series. You've got Lego, you've got Batman... what else do you need?

We wouldn't mind seeing an Indiana Jones and the Mysterious Lego show either. The tongue-in-cheek humor that appears in these games is perfect for animated shows, and it could prep young, malleable minds to become Robot Chicken fans down the line. Speaking of which, where's Robot Chicken: The Game? Curse you television, for warping our young minds. Now pass us that video game controller.

Traveller's Tales talks more LEGO games

by David Hinkle { Aug 6th 2008 at 7:22PM }

Ever hear that expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it?" Traveller's Tales has, as the company has become quite the cash-earner with its LEGO line-up of games, so why change? "We've gotten started doing some LEGO games on the Warner IP... down the line," says Traveller's Tales' Jon Burton. Also, he wants to dabble in films and the like, while also keeping his "day job" in games development. What a multi-tasker!

"And for me personally, I think further in the future we're making a kids' TV show... using some of the tech we've developed for games," Jon said. So, what kind of kids' show? He wouldn't name anything specific, nor would he comment on what the next LEGO game from them will be (well, aside from the soon-to-release LEGO Batman). Looks like we'll just have to wait and see.

What kind of LEGO game would you like to see next?

Man-Bat is one ugly LEGO villain

by Candace Savino { Jul 28th 2008 at 9:00PM }

Those of you who've seen The Dark Knight probably still have Batman in your systems, so hopefully news on the superhero in LEGO form is enough to sate your batty cravings. Warner Bros. is certainly trying to indulge in your wants by revealing more news about the upcoming LEGO Batman video game.

Today, the company brings word of a new villain, one that Batman fans will be familiar with -- Man-Bat. Man-Bat is actually a scientist named Kirk Langstrom, who injected himself with a bat-based serum in order to gain sonar powers and aid his worsening deafness. Obviously, bad results ensue, and he turns into a bat-looking monster that attacks Gotham City. Fun!

For some Man-Bat related screens, just click on our gallery below.

Gallery: LEGO Batman

[Via press release]

LEGO Batman website gets some updates, Facebook group

by David Hinkle { Jul 23rd 2008 at 6:00PM }

We just got a press release sent in about some cool features at the LEGO Batman website. The only problem is, these features have not gone live yet. That isn't stopping us from telling you what to expect, though.

First of all, there's a downloadable widget for your desktop, in the form of Batman himself or The Joker. Also, there's a tool for creating your own custom wallpapers, if you're into that sort of thing. Then, there's the usual: screens, video (the E3 trailer you saw already) and other miscellaneous goodies. Keep an eye on the site for the new content, which is supposed to be live right now, but wasn't when we checked.

On top of that, there's also a new Facebook group for the game. That is, if you're into the whole social networking site thing.