Gadgets Blog » lego

I will do my best to contain my joy at getting to review something as wonderful as Lego King’s Castle, but it will be a difficult task. Lego blocks remain one of the most glorious staples of my childhood. The small bricks provided hours of entertainment as my brother and I constructed whatever complex system the bricks were originally intended for, be it a Mayan temple, a space ship, or a racecar. Then the bricks would meet their ultimate destination: the large bin of Lego blocks, where they were recommissioned for whatever imaginative fancy we envisioned. The sublime beauty of Legos is in their versatility. There are no limits upon their potential.

The Lego Castle series is one of the longest-running themes in the Lego kingdom, and with good reason as well. In 1978, Lego first introduced the castle pieces, with bricks designed especially for the ramparts, towers, and dungeons. Along with the building bricks, pieces shaped like medieval war machines were included, featuring siege equipment and elements of the fantastical, such as dragons and trolls. Under this wide thematic Umbrella, Lego introduced a number of different Lego Series, bearing names such as the Forestmen and the Black Knights. For 2010, Lego is preparing to unveil the latest entry, the Kingdoms series.

Unlike the last few Castles, the new Kingdoms series will move away from some of the fantasy elements that had been present since the early 1990s. Instead of trolls, dwarves, and dragons, there will be a focus on traditional medieval building, with plenty of castles and knights to go around. The King’s Castle piece in particular looks impressive, with stone-grey blocks building a set of two towers and a drawbridge. A catapult affixed to the tower will be able to shoot projectiles at any encroaching armies. While the set won’t be out until June or July of this year, there is certainly plenty of potential for fun with these castles.

If you simply can’t wait til this summer, there are still plenty of Lego Castle options available from the 2009 run. There’s some great fantasy pieces as well, with the Troll’s Mountain Fortress and Troll Battleship having some excellent designs with lots of unique pieces included. If you’re looking for a great toy for your kids or grandkids, it’s hard to top a good Lego castle. Make sure to find a set with a solid number of pieces, usually more than 500, and let imagination do the rest.

With the modern era of game consoles, it seems that great innovation and technology unfortunately comes with increases in price as well. While all three systems, the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the Playstation 3, have become more affordable as they’ve become older, there has sadly been no corresponding drop in price for the games. A brand new Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 game can cost $60, which is a serious chunk of change (especially for me, being a college student and whatnot). Wii owners are graced with a slightly lower price tag, but even $40 can be expensive for a brand new title. Luckily, today we’ll seek out some great video games available for less than $20, and also include some strategies for finding games on the cheap.

Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (Rated M for Mature).
This science fiction action game is getting a sequel next week, but that doesn’t mean that the original isn’t still entertaining. Mass Effect combines numerous gaming elements into an engaging complete package. The game has exciting shooting action, space exploration, and a deep involved storyline that is determined largely by the player’s actions. If you’re a role-playing fan, this title will offer hours of action on many diverse and hostile planets. It’s also a great example of how to find games for under $20. If a sequel has come out recently, or is in the works, the original title will often be available for significantly less than its successor. Just because a game is older doesn’t mean it’s less fun to play. After all, other titles like BioShock and Assassin’s Creed thrilled audiences to the point they triggered sequels!

MLB: The Bigs for the Playstation 3 (Rated E for Everyone).
With sports games, there sometimes are minimal improvements from year to year. A classic example is the storied Madden NFL franchise from EA sports. The games look and feel very similar to each other in consecutive years. If you can live without up-to-date rosters, older sports games are often inexpensive compared to their newer brethren. Or, as is the case with MLB: The Bigs, look for sports games that are slightly outside the normal scope of sports titles. Here, the developers took a steroids-be-damned approach to the game, with fast-paced and accessible pitching and batting, oftentimes with bursts of fire errupting from the bats and balls. The result is a game that remains engaging compared to other, simulation type baseball games. For similar alternative sporting games, check out Blitz: The League or Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for the Nintendo Wii (Rated E for Everyone).
While it may seem like a bizarre combination of ideas, the Lego video game series has had some great titles, with the familiar Lego characters enacting all types of familiar adventures in their block-constructed world. The original Lego Indiana Jones title is made less expensive by having a successful sequel out on the market, but this old-school title is a lot of fun for all ages. The quirky level designs and bright colors make this a great game for kids, but gamers of any age will appreciate the recreation of the classic Indiana Jones films. A final great tip is to look for undiscovered, quirky games like this Lego title. These more “underground” games oftentimes fall in price before titles from larger publishers. Other great games like this are Viva Pinata! and titles from the Katamari Damacy series.