It's tough, really, to convey how completely and utterly George Lucas dropped the ball with the most recent Star Wars trilogy, laying waste to the hopes and dreams of an entire generation. (I realize I'm overstating here, but as a member of said generation, it sure doesn't feel like it.) Thankfully, there has been some manner of redemption lately, at least on the video-game front. For older players, the deservedly vaunted Knights of the Old Republic RPG series got it absolutely right, restoring the sweep and geek maturity lacking from the more recent screen entries. More recently, and taking a distinctly more kid-friendly tack, 2005's Lego Star Wars came as an unexpected cropper, providing game play and graphics so damnably, overpoweringly cute that it ensnared even the most cynical passerby.

Happily, the new Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy fares even better than the first because, well, for one thing, the source material doesn't blow. Melding all of the stuff that made the movies cool with a deceptively simple play mechanic and a nicely twisted sense of humor, it successfully recaptures the vibe that made so many of us now-disenchanted Generation X—wingers stand in lines around the block in the first place. And, yeah, you can make Darth Vader force choke an Ewok.

The basics remain pretty much the same as the first game: Stemming from a central hub, players choose from among various missions taken more-or-less directly from the flicks, collecting new characters and vehicles along the way. Once unlocked, scenarios can be easily replayed, with a multitude of secret areas and bonus objectives rewarding multiple go-throughs. If the simple slash 'n' blast game play runs the risk of alienating the more ardent Halo jocks, the manner in which it gets deployed proves surprisingly deep. It works as an ace party game, for example, thanks to a smart design that lets a second player jump in (and, perhaps more importantly, jump back out) on the fly. Casual gamers can devote a few minutes here and there, while the more hardcore can get cracking finding every single hidden brick and reward. I may just be speaking for myself here, but uncovering the secret option that gives every character a luxurious Burt Reynolds mustache was well worth a few extra hours of spelunking.

Yes, okay, my fanboy blinkers are most likely showing a bit, but even allowing for my past ownership of R2-D2 pajamas, it's difficult to adequately convey the sheer quantity of neat stuff going on here, whether it be the tendency of random characters to get into unprovoked fights in the background, or the cute li'l popping sound produced as Chewbacca tears the arms off of hapless Stormtroopers, or the way that, even when rendered in Lego form, Lando Calrissian somehow manages to strut. Whatever the twisted merchandizing origins or lingering Lucas-Empire untrustworthiness, taken as a whole, it produces, honestly, the most goofy, uncomplicated fun that I've had with a game in years. If having a child around will help you justify a purchase, get a kid.