When I think about my future children, as a gamer, I always imagine all the games I can introduce my children to. The Final Fantasy VII HD version that might have been made by then, Mario Kart, and even Halo are all titles that come to mind. Yet when I really get into the nitty gritty – thinking about age-appropriateness and enjoyable gameplay – I know that I’ll be buying every new LEGO game that hits the market.
Toy Tie-Ins: Building Games Are Great for Creativity
It’s rare that a video game is based on a toy franchises, and a toy franchise with potential educational benefits no less. Many scientists have argued that construction toys, including LEGOs, can help children with motors skills and creative thinking. In Parenting Science, Gwen Dewar Ph.D. argues that
It makes sense that copying models would improve a child’s ability to analyze spatial relationships…If you are going to spend money on toys, construction toys seem like a wise investment.
Assuming that children playing LEGO video games will want to play more with LEGO toys, parent’s get a built in system for enhancing a child’s spatial skills, at the very least.
Also, given that small children are very bad at assembling LEGOs without help (I learned this from my younger cousins last Christmas) it also provides parents with more opportunities to play with their children.
Not all LEGO games are two player, and not all parents are comfortable playing video games with their kids, but anyone can play with LEGO blocks. Just as long as you don’t turn into evil Wil Ferrell from The Lego Movie.
Popular Culture Tie-Ins Mean Harry Potter is Great for Both Literacy and Motor Skills
When kids get obsessed with something, say Cinderella, they’ll want to watch the movie over and over again, play dress-up, own the toys, and play the video game. The problem being that many video games based on other intellectual property are…less than ideal.
With LEGO adaptations, you can always expect a fun (and PG rated) game with solid mechanics. LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Indiana Jones, and LEGO Star Wars offer players a chance to have an adventure in a light-hearted version of their favorite universe.
For a multimedia franchise like Batman, the LEGO universe offers an out-of-continuity experience that offers a nice juxtaposition to Christopher Nolan’s gritty trilogy. There are age-appropriate Batman cartoons, and through LEGO there can be age appropriate Batman games. Everybody wins!
LEGO Games Are Easy and Enjoyable
When I was growing up, I was terrible at video games. What drove me to role-playing games like Final Fantasy VII and Legend of Legaia was my lack of fine motor skills.
I share this because most children are terrible at video games to a certain point. As an adult gamer, I might be able to hold the high scores in all the games my children play… until they hit puberty. The LEGO games are well-geared towards the capabilities of children, instead of catering to skilled adults.
Children can play LEGO games without getting too frustrated, and even non-gamer parents will also be able to play and have fun. You still won’t be able to beat all the challenges the first time through, but there’s never a point in a LEGO game where you’ll think it’s impossible to continue. More fun than frustration has a universal appeal.
Continued Innovation
With the announcement of LEGO Dimensions this week, it’s clear that LEGO intends to join the toys-to-life genre debuted by Skylanders and Disney Infinite.
This new game manages to tie in new toys that your children will want to combine with their other tie-ins to multiple cinematic universes. And as usual, there will be fun gameplay.
Will that be enough to rival Disney? We’ll have to wait for the sales to know for sure. I can name at least five amazing LEGO games off the top of my head – but I can’t say the same for Disney games.
