LEGO Batman

History hasn’t recorded who exactly came up with the idea of combining the LEGO brand with other popular franchises to make a video game – but whoever it was should raise their hand and receive the rapturous applause they undoubtedly deserve. When LEGO Star Wars was first unveiled in 2004, there were some who were a little uncertain – worries that all faded away the moment they sat down in front of the game and sampled its delights.

Its success was thanks to many factors – mainly because it covered so many bases. Kids love LEGO. They also love Star Wars. Loads of adults love Star Wars. And most of them also have fond memories of LEGO. It’s a winning recipe. But it was more than brand that lead to the game’s success – it also played beautifully.

A simpler title you will probably never encounter, and few games are able to bridge the gap between adults and kids quite so effectively. For Star Wars fans, too, there were few delights as cool as seeing how TT Games had interpreted the next memorable scene from the movies.

The move into other franchises was always going to happen – it was just a question of what would be lined up next. Despite Warner’s buyout of the UK firm in late 2007, it was another LucasArts property that was next to arrive – and LEGO Indiana Jones was another huge hit for the series, topping the UK charts.

And considering what a big year the Batman brand has had, there couldn’t be a better time for the Caped Crusader to make his LEGO gaming debut. This latest adaptation does present some challenges, though – Star Wars is very strictly defined, with six films and six plots to follow. Batman’s legacy is spread across movies, TV and comics, so TT Games had a lot of thinking to do.

“Batman stands at the junction of myth and reality,” TT Games’ head of production Jonathan Smith tells MCV. “He deals in danger, fear and technological magic, but as a hero who is entirely human and believable. We’ve searched for the essence of LEGO Batman, his allies, his adversaries, and the city of Gotham to distil varied interpretations and visualisations over the decades a concentrated form, guided by the work of the mini-figure designers at LEGO.

“Gotham City is full of brilliant characters, and colourful, crazy villains with distinctive special abilities. We’re really pleased with the outcome, and confident that it will satisfy fans and newcomers alike.”

Considering the shock some have felt at the lack of a licensed Batman game to tie-in to the hugely successful Dark Knight movie that topped cinema listings across the world this summer, it’s reasonable to ask why Warner didn’t opt for a straight-up Batman title?

“In a LEGO game, anything is possible,” Smith asserts. “We can play with these brilliant characters in a distinctive way, and give players a special kind of relationship with them, filled with humour and surprise.”

With a city-sized marketing campaign to promote the title (see boxout) and expectations amongst retailers and consumers sky-high, there’s every reason to hope that Batman can live up to, and possibly even surpass, the huge performance of its successful LEGO-based console forebearers.

Warner’s head of UK sales Spencer Crossley is certainly confident of what the title is capable of achieving, telling MCV: “There is huge anticipation for LEGO Batman at retail and it is being hotly tipped as one of the key titles for retail this Christmas.”