WishList: LEGO Video Games I'd love to play
I'm not a gamer, nor have I ever been. I`m pretty bad at everything but the easiest games, partly because my pop-culture interest has never touched upon the gaming industry, so I rarely even try.
For years, a firm exception to this rule have been the LEGO Video Games series. Not only are they childishly simple and incredibly fun, but ever since they released their first entry, LEGO STAR WARS in 2005, they've adapted a wonderful wealth of fan-favorite properties which include Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, the comics (and in some instances films) from both Marvel and DC, Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings, to name some.
While it's a known rule that most video games based on movies are usually of poor quality (and the other way around), the LEGO adaptations are almost universally beloved among players of all ages. I've played every release they've made to date, and I'm always on the look out for their next title. Ever since they began branching from just Star Wars, I've been coveting they could get their hands on my other favorite franchises, and my wishes have been coming true with surprising regularity, coming full circle with the recent release of The Skywalker Saga, easily the largest game they're created so far.
However, there are still some other titles which I think would benefy enormously from the LEGO treatment, and which haven't materialized so far. In some cases, the probability of these being even considered is next to zero, but this list isn't based on realism; it's pure wishful thinking on my part.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER /
THE LEGEND OF KORRA:
Albeit LEGO has released a couple of sets based on these incredible animated series, until recently I would have think that the posibility of them adapting a franchise that reached its ends years ago was pretty low.
However, last year, there was an unexpected rise in the fandom when countless Netflix viewers discovered the story of the Avatar for the first time during the pandemic. Then there's the upcoming release of a live-action adaptation, as well as the creation of an animation division which promises that this universe will continue. In short, Aang and Korra are more popular than ever, and thus the very idea of a LEGO video game is not that crazy any more.
Besides, the franchise fits the LEGO style more than most. There's an expansive, beautifully designed fictional world akin to Middle Earth or other worlds from LEGOs past, which would be very fun to explore riding on a sky bison or an Airbender glider.
Then there's the diverse power set of the Four Nations' benders, which fit right at home with the character classes LEGO always employs. Imagine feezing water with Katara, assembling machinery with Asami, controlling other characters with bloodbenders or entering the Spirit World through meditation-spots. The game practically designs itself.
DOCTOR WHO:
Technically, there is a LEGO video game based on this property. In LEGO Dimensions, many disparate franchises collide in a single entry. However, I'm talking about a purely Whovian title.
Being that every Doctor has already been created in Minifigure form (as well as some suporting characters), the only thing that might be stopping them from releasing LEGO DOCTOR WHO is that the franchise is not as universally popular as they'd probably need in order to market it as a solo outing.
But think how fun would it be to control a brick-made TARDIS that gives you full acces to a series of levels based on the Time Lord's most classic adventures from 1963 to... Flux? (Ok, maybe they should wait for the new Davis era before releasing this one).
BACK TO THE FUTURE:
Again, this is a time-travelling franchise that was a part of LEGO Dimensions, but I've been wanting to get a direct adaptation of its film trilogy for a very long time.
The open world of this one would be immensely interesting, because it would always be Hill Valley, but it would change extensively depending on which year you're in.
Maybe there aren't as many characters as in most LEGO-worthy franchises, as well as a lack of differentiated skills for most of them, but the sole idea of revisiting this immortal film series in brick form is remarkably fun.
DISNEY:
Many individual Disney properties have already been adapted by LEGO, so the relationship between the companies is there. But the game I have in mind for this was actually inspired by my experience playing LEGO Jurassic World.
Imagine that your Hub is actually of a recreation of the most popular Disney theme parks, which are populated by Disney characters from all branches of the studios. The levels themselves would be based on the individual movies and accesed through related areas on the Park.
For instance, you would enter an Alice in Wonderland level at the spinning teacups' ride, science fiction movies through Tomorrowland, Princesses' stories at The Castles, and international-flavored films like Luca or Mulan at their respective country pavillions at EPCOT.
The sad thing is that there is a similar (non-LEGO) mobile game called Magic Kingdoms, but its gameplay is of very limited appeal to me, unlike LEGO's very fun missions.
This long running series is much more family-friendly than its reputation is probably making you remember, and in fact I would say that a lot of its humor could be very well adapted into a slightly more naive LEGO-version of Springfield.
Actually, the toy company has joined forces with yellow cartoons before: not only have they been a part of LEGO Dimensions and physical sets, but they even collaborated in the Season 25 episode Brick Like Me, one of the standouts of the series' recent years.
There's no lack of possible storylines, characters and locations to be explored in a fully Simpsons-centric title, and the potential for easter eggs is almost infinite!
Like Doctor Who, the magnitude of this universe is enormous, but in this case, LEGO has never adapted it in any form yet.
Think about the endless possibilities of using plastic minifigures of the crews of the many Enterprises, Voyager, DS9 and Discovery, while boldly exploring space and some of the highlighs of the over 800 episodes and movies in the history of this franchise.
STRANGER THINGS:
A very current franchise in terms of popularity, and one which has already crossed paths with LEGO (see the amazing set above). The ever approaching final season would mark a perfect moment to release this video game, which would be full of beloved characters with distinct abilities.
Beyond the obvious telekinetic powers of Eleven, or Dustin's radio capabilities, the fact that this cast is full of unique quirks would make collaborative gameplay a joyful experience, akin to discovering the series for the first time.
A wonderful feature of this title would be the posibility of exploring Hawkins both in its regular version as well as it's Upside Down counterpart.
JAMES BOND:
While not the most child-friendly franchise, it's place in popular culture could arguably manage to overome that obstacle by a bit of sanitation of its more violent or sensual components. And the goofy LEGO humor is basically the same that the series used during its Roger Moore years.
The Bond minifigures should come in as many versions as actors have officially portrayed him (six, probably seven by then), and their many gadgets would serve as the varied character abilities we usually get. Laser watches! Jetpacks! Explosive pens!
The villains, of course, have their own skills. Brute henchmen like Jaws and Oddjob are super-strong (plus can bite trough stuff o toss their hat), while SPECTRE members could access interaction points that no one else can. And they coud take a page from that random bit of LEGO Indiana Jones and give Bond girls a special ability like jumping higher.
Each film could constitute a composite level, and major locations would make up the hub. But probably the most fun aspect is imagining the humurous ways they'll need to use in order to circunvent the many over the top deaths these films are notable for.
LOST:
Another franchise that is definetely too dark for LEGO, and also past its date of popularity, so this one is one of the least likely suggestions I'm making here.
But the idea of throughly exploring the iconic landmarks of the island, uncovering its secrets and collectibles while playing through the general storyline fo the series is just too enticing for me not to try and imagine it.
GAME OF THRONES:
Even at the time when the HBO series was reigning in popularity, the chance of blending this property with LEGO were almost zero. The amount of sanitazing that would be necessary in order to make this notably violent and explixit universe ready for the general public would be unsusteneable, but again, nothing prevents me from dreaming.
Exploring Westeros and beyond with plastic versions of the many characters that inhabit it would be incredibly fun, given how extensively developed most of its locations were. The action-oriented nature of a large part of the story also lends itself nicely to a video game adaptation.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS:
By far the lesser-known property I'm suggesting in this article, I'm aware that, despite its more family-oriented nature, the chances of getting this made are about as unexistent as with the last two.
However, these 13 books by "Lemony Snicket", and particularly its delightful Netflix adaptation would be a perfect fit for a LEGO video game. There are many distinctivelocations, a quirky sense of humor, and all the characters have unique skills which match those from many previous games: Violet can construct special inventions like a Master Builder, Klaus can solve puzzles through books, and Sunny can cut stuf with her teeth and, latter on, prepare special recipes. There would be specialized access points for VFD members, while Olaf and company, besides starting fires, are able to disguise themselves within costume trunks.
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