LEGOis the largest toy company in the world, responsible for producing the ever-popularLEGObricks. The company has been in the market for decades, and over the years has branched out into different forms of media. One of the most prominent, of course, is the video game arena.
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At first, the company published games through its subsidiary, LEGO Media, which was later renamed LEGO Software. More changes occurred shortly after that, with the creation of TT Games (which was acquired by Warner Bros in 2007 forits expansive gaming empire). The first LEGO game was published in 1995 and was titledLEGO Fun to Build. Since then, there have been numerous games published that were based on LEGO toys. Some of them went on to be sales sensations around the world, as this data fromVGChartzshows.
In 2017, the president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, David Haddad, told VentureBeat (viaDualShockers) thatLego Marvel Super Heroeswas the best-sellingLEGO title ever.These series entries performed incredibly well too.
8LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Pirates of the Caribbeanis a popular franchise that has performed well critically and financially. With that in mind, video game adaptions of the movies were inevitable. One of them isLEGOPirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game,which was published in 2011 along with the theatrical release ofPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.The title’s storyline coversthe first four films in the series, which could be considered some of the highlights of the franchise.
The game performed very well out of the gate, and later sales continued to be solid. All in all, the game has reached4.08 million copies soldto date. At the same time, though, it was not the critical darling that some LEGO titles have proven to be.
7LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
As is the case with so many other movie adaptations, here the studio again decided to cash in on an already popular and well-established franchise. This time, the result wasLEGOIndiana Jones: The Adventure Continues.
The game was developed by British studio Travellers Tales and published by LucasArts, arriving the same year asIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull(2009). Besides covering the events of the film, it also touches on the narratives of earlier movies in the series, albeit with their storylines heavily modified. The game didn’t impress critics very much, earning average reviews, but it was very profitable: It sold4.57 million copies.
6LEGO Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars
The classicLEGO Star Wars3: The Clone Warsis a game that was developed and published by the same studios as the previous entry. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the game is similar to past releases in the series, featuring a similar combat style as well as the familar LEGO graphics and themes. Contrary to what many may believe, the game isn’t based on theStar Wars: Episode 2: Attack of the Clonesmovie, but on the 2008 animated film of the same name.
The game performed well commercially, selling5.52 million copies. It simultaneously received a lukewarm response from critics, but in the end, it probably fared better in that department than the animated movie did.
5LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
This firstLEGOHarry Pottergame covers the first four books (Harry Potterand the Sorcerer’s StonetoHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) in the beloved magical series. It features exploring, collecting items, and solving puzzles. To mix things up from the LEGO norm, casting spells is an integral part of gameplay, as well as potion-making. It also hasa multiplayer mode (which is sure to be fun for families and younger players).
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Selling7 million copiesis an impressive performance. This was not achieved simply on the strength of the franchise’s name or marketing, either.LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4is a good game, with many publications giving it a high score. On Metacritic it hasa very respectable rating around 80, depending on the platform in question.
4LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy
LEGO Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogyis perhaps one of the very best LEGO games. As its name suggests, it covers the first three original movies in the series. It also boasts a total of 68 playable characters from across the trilogy, a roster few other titles can rival.
The game had a successful opening weekend and only built momentum after its 2006 launch. It performed well in sales on all platforms, though the PC edition suffered. In the end,it sold 7.21 million copies, another sales sensation. It was featured in the Xbox 360 Platinum Hits, PlayStation 2 Greatest Hits, and GameCube Players Choice lines of releases.
3LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
Interestingly,LEGO Star Wars: The Video Gamejust managed to pip its fellowLEGO Star Warsentry to the post, narrowly outselling its sequel. This time, the game covers the events of the three prequel movies. The title currently hasa rating of 77 on Metacritic, indicating positive reviews.
Prequel episodesStar Wars: Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode 2: Attack of the Clones,andStar Wars: Episode 3:Revenge of the Sithcertainlyaren’t nearly as well regarded as the trilogy that began withStar Wars Episode 4: New Hope. Nevertheless, the fun and varied LEGO gameplay gave them a new appeal. In the end, this title managed to sell7.24 million copies.
2LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
LEGOIndiana Jones: The Original Adventuresfollows the courageous explorer through the storylines of the first three movies. The game is, however, divided into six chapters. As is the case with LEGO titles, it was published on every relevant platform on its release in 2008, including PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS. The editions released for these handhelds featured some significant concessions, but also unique features like touchscreen controls.
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The game had strong sales upon release, which continued to climb and later totaled11.36 millionfrom the last data available. It also performed well critically,narrowly missing out on a spot among Metacritic’s best-rated LEGO games ever.
1LEGO Batman: The Videogame
The stellarLEGO Batman: The Videogamewas published in 2008 on every major platform, including mobile. From a third-person perspective, the player fights enemies, solves puzzles, and collects LEGO studs, an in-game currency that can be found in great abundance throughout the series. Unlike other entries on this list,LEGO Batman: The Videogameboasts an original story, though it doesn’t break new ground: Batman and Robin are forced to battlethe most notorious villains in Gotham City, who have escaped Arkham Asylum.
According to the last data available, the game sold12.05 million copies, making it one of the highest-selling LEGO games to date. It received positive reviews and spawned two sequels.
