Publisher: Lucasarts
Rated: E10+
Genre: Adventure
Platform: Nintendo DS (also available on Wii, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 and PC)

I got my hands of an early copy of LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for Nintendo DS, and can strongly recommend picking this game up. However, if you are not a fan of the original films, this game will seem childish and probably boring. For those who have been long awaiting a decent Indiana Jones game, I can say without a doubt this is one of the best installments to enter the world of gaming.

The game starts out with Indiana Jones in an office. From there, players have the option of picking which movies from the original trilogy they want to play. If a player wants to start playing The Last Crusade while there in the middle of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the option is there. Throughout the levels, players will be met with hoards of Nazis, skeletons, natives, and other assorted characters who are essentially the same villains, just with different skins put on them. When going into the game, there is the choice to play in Story Mode or Free Play. Free Play is unlocked for each level after it is beat in Story Mode. Since not all of the tasks can be completed with the characters given per level, Free Play is essential if one wants to complete all tasks in the game.

This game is simply fun. I found myself laughing at the very first cut-scene, which completely sets the tone of the game. Fun twists are given on the films that keep the entertainment quality high from beginning to end. The makers of the game clearly have a appreciation for the source material that transcends into the game. The game play follows the story of the movies nearly perfectly. All of the key scenes are playable, and between the cuts-scenes and game play, the story of the films is nearly all squeezed in.

The controls on the DS are very smooth. Character movement is fluid and the controls are very simple. The game is set up to be playable for both younger audiences and adults. The interesting part about the DS control is that the touch screen is utilized by the players thumb, instead of the stylus. The touch screen controls are something that could have been easily replaced with the touch of a button; but it seems that the developers were just searching for a way to utilize the lower half of the screen.

There are some issues with the game. The two biggest complaints are the ones that also plagued LEGO Star Wars: the game is too short and is too easy to beat. The game plays in a very linear fashion and offers little difficulty in moving from the beginning to the end of the level. Additionally, the enemies are too easy to defeat. The game is a bit of a button masher and fights do not involve any real skill. Indy does get the occasional gun to go with his arsenal, and I find that I never really know where my shots are going to land. Along with the guns, the whip is problematic. It is supposed to be used to disarm enemies, but half of the time I find the whip going to the right of left of their bodies, leaving Indy to be shot at repeatedly. The boss battles are also ridiculously easy to beat, however, the fun of the game lies more in the story than it does in the fights.

One thing I am curious about in this game is how to lose. It does not seem to matter how many times I get broken apart, Indy just keeps coming back for more. Every time you lose all of your health, money is lost. Even if your currency count is at 0, the game will not end. My only other complaint is that the game does have some glitches. I have fallen through the occasional floor, finding myself in an endless sea of baby blue.

In the great Indiana Jones tradition, every level is full of hidden artifacts and other treasures. All of these lead to different unlockable components of the game, and as mentioned before, some of these must be found using the Free Play option. Like in most games, coins are collected. These can be used to purchase characters and other items that will be of use for those who want to do more than just play in Story Mode.

Overall, this is an entertaining game. I cannot say that it has a lot of replay value, but for those who love the Indiana Jones films, and are looking for some mindless fun, this game will not disappoint.