Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Cover artwork, featuring the title character wielding his signature whip
Developer	Traveller's Tales
Publisher	LucasArts
Director	Jon Burton
Producer	Steve Wakeman
Programmer	Glyn Scragg
Artist	James Cunliffe
Composer	David Whittaker
Series	Lego Indiana Jones
Platforms	Microsoft Windows Nintendo DS PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation Portable Wii Xbox 360 Mac OS X
Release	NA: 3 June 2008 AU: 4 June 2008 EU: 6 June 2008 Mac OS X WW: 28 November 2008
Genre	Action-adventure
Modes	Single-player,multiplayer

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a 2008Lego-themedaction-adventure video game developed byTraveller's Tales and published byLucasArts. Based on theIndiana Jones franchise and the eponymousLego Indiana Jones toy line, it follows the events of the first threeIndiana Jones films:Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981),Temple of Doom (1984), and theLast Crusade (1989). The game includes localco-op mode gameplay, as well aspuzzle andplatformer aspects, and 84playable characters with a variety of special abilities. As the players go through the stages, they collect the currency ofLego games known as Studs, avoid traps, assemble Lego constructions, and engage in combat. Climbing, swinging, and throwing objects as weapons were new inclusions not seen in previousLego video games by Traveller's Tales.

LucasArts announced the game in 2007, with the developers basing its mechanics on their priorLego Star Wars games. The design of puzzles was altered to fit theIndiana Jones franchise, but any mentions ofNazism from the franchise were removed, as Lego replaced the figures with characters that resemble them visually in itsIndiana JonesLego sets. Traveller's Tales also attempted to makeLego Indiana Jones morefamily-friendly. The game was advertised at conventions: agame demo,Flash Player web game, and computer-animated short film were published during the development.Lego Indiana Jones was released forMicrosoft Windows,Nintendo DS,PlayStation 2,PlayStation 3,PlayStation Portable,Wii, andXbox 360 platforms in June 2008, whileFeral Interactive released theMac OS X version in November 2008. It was made available on theSteam digital distribution service in 2009.

Lego Indiana Jones received generally favourable reviews from critics. Its gameplay, retelling of the films, and co-op mode were commended by reviewers. However, they had conflicting opinions about the second player'sartificial intelligence and game mechanics. Reviewers also praised the game's graphics, environments, and soundtrack but disagreed on the sound effects. The Wii and Xbox 360 versions garnered praise, but the PSP version was criticised for its puzzles, excessive loading times, and lack ofmultiplayer support. AJava platformerLego Indiana Jones mobile game and a sequel,Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, were released in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is anaction-adventure video game played from thethird-person perspective, in which the player controls aLego figurine in areas inspired byIndiana Jones film scenes.^[1][2] The game also incorporates aspects of thepuzzle andplatformer game genres.^[3][4] It is a humorous retelling ofIndiana Jones' first three films:Raiders of the Lost Ark,Temple of Doom, and theLast Crusade.^[1][5] The game consists of three chapters, each with sixstages,^[6][7] which are accessible from the game's hub, Barnett College. The location serves asIndiana Jones's teaching location in theLast Crusade.^[8][9] The player can also unlock additional content, enablecheats, and examine their own accolades and statistics in various classrooms of the game's hub.^[10][11] Upon selecting a stage, a cutscene appears that introduces the player to the segment of the film being played,^[12][13] such as the boulder escape fromRaiders of the Lost Ark and the minecart escape fromTemple of Doom.^[1][14]

The game's primary mode is a two-player localco-op game, with 84playable characters; in the absence of a human partner, the game'sartificial intelligence controls the second character.^[2][15][16] While playing for the first time, the player can only use preselected figures to completemissions; after that, the player can use any other unlocked figure when replaying the game in the freeplay mode.^[8][11][14] Characters can also be bought in Barnett College, where the player can also personalise characters and make their own creations.^[16][17][18] These figures can then interact with the environment in ways that others cannot do during thestory mode, allowing the player to obtain new items or find new puzzles and collectibles.^[3][6][19]

As the player progresses throughLego Indiana Jones, they must gather Studs, the currency ofLego games, assemble Lego constructions to make specific items, avoid traps, and partake in combat with enemies.^[3][6][20] The game's mechanics andengine are similar to theLego Star Wars video games.^[3][16] Playersrespawn indefinitely upon death.^[12][21][22] Through certain stages, the player can also use vehicles and animals to navigate.^[3] Additionally, the player can collect Extras (a bonus that boosts their Studs total) by collecting parcels and mailing them to Barnett College,^[3][19] and unlock three bonus levels by collecting treasure in each stage.^[23]: 2

Lego Indiana Jones features special abilities for characters to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.^[3][17] For example, Indy can wield hiswhip to attack or tie up enemies, manipulate objects, or swing from the ceiling;^[1][14] theWii version of the whip iscontrolled physically by the player.^[20] When Indy is near snakes, hisfear prevents him from being productive, forcing the second player to assist him out.^[1] The same effect applies to other characters, such asWillie Scott.^[3][8] The game features a variety of characters, including shovel-carrying, wrench-using, high-jumping, and crawlable ones.Thuggee characters can communicate with ancient statues and characters who hold books, such asHenry Jones Sr., can decode hieroglyphs.^[3][14][22] The abilities to carry a shovel, use a wrench, or decode hieroglyphs can be obtained by any figure who acquires the required item.^[3][23] The player can also obtain weapons and rewards by excavating in certain areas or killing foes, however the weapons have limited ammunition.^[1][3][19] The ability to climb, swing, and throw objects as weapons was a new addition to theLego video game series.^[16][18]

TheNintendo DS version ofLego Indiana Jones underwent changes to meet the DS's memory and size limits, as well as its touchscreen capabilities. Due to constraints, cutscene details were cut and compressed.^[6][15] Using adigital pen (stylus), the player can control characters' special skills, such as Indy's whip orSatipo's shovel, as well as components like switches.^[15][20] The built-in microphone is used by the player to blow out torches, inflate rubber rafts, and launch the player in air when standing on propellers: this is done by the player blowing into the microphone.^[6][15] The player can also play as Indy andMarion Ravenwood's pet monkey, climbing to previously inaccessible areas.^[24] The DS version includes a variety ofminigames, including action minigames,tangram, and a cooking minigame wheremonkey brain dishes are prepared, a reference toTemple of Doom.^[25][26][27]

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures was developed byTraveller's Tales and published byLucasArts.^[3][16] The Nintendo DS version was developed byTT Fusion, a subsidiary of Traveller's Tales that also worked on theLego Star Wars: The Complete Saga in 2007,^[6][24] while theMac OS X version ofLego Indiana Jones was developed by Robosoft Technologies and published byFeral Interactive.^[28][29]Activision was also involved in publishing Nintendo DS,PlayStation 3, andXbox 360 versions in Europe.^[30][31][32]Jon Burton served as the game's director, Steve Wakeman as its producer, Glyn Scragg as the lead game programmer, James Cunliffe as the head of art, andDavid Whittaker as its composer.^[33] During the development, Traveller's Tales parent company,TT Games, was acquired byWarner Bros. Home Entertainment.^[34] The acquisition had no negative impact on Traveller's Tales relations with LucasArts orLego.^[35]

The game was heavily based on theLego Star Wars games and their mechanics.^[18] According to Nick Ricks, a Traveller's Tales producer, the development team initially experimented with creating the game on top ofLego Star Wars because theIndiana Jones franchise also featured action components, resulting in what Ricks described as "LEGO Star Wars set in 1945". Traveller's Tales then decided to developLego Indiana Jones from its foundation, introducing new features absent in previousLego Star Wars games. The developers adjusted the design of puzzles due to the absence ofthe Force in theIndiana Jones series.^[36] While working on ranged weapons, the developers debated whether ammunition should be limited. In the official release, they opted to limit ammo for enemy weapon drops, differing from the system used in previousLego games.^[1][36] Jonathan Smith of TT Games said that the team succeeded in developing a recognisable personality forLego Indiana Jones while retaining well-received game elements from priorLego video games.^[24]

Shawn Storc of LucasArts said their biggest obstacle during the development was aligning the gameplay and its character mechanics with the films, and only focused on replicating the first three films.^[18] Scholars noted that the game is an adaptation of theLego toy set characters.^[37][38] After their debut, Traveller's Tales announced that they would remove mentions ofNazism fromLego Indiana Jones, citing the fact that Lego replaced Nazi characters with similar "genocidal, occultist, trenchcoat-wearing master-race" characters. Burton expressed the belief that "[the studio] doesn't want to change the game so much that we lose the audience".^[1] Traveller's Tales also sought to make the game morefamily-friendly, considering that children were the target group forLego video games.^[39][40] Ricks said that the developers discussed whether to include the GermanIron Cross. Traveller's Tales improved the second player character mechanics and introduced special abilities that any player character could obtain, in contrast toLego Star Wars games, where a character's ability could only be possessed by a single character. Another addition to theLego Indiana Jones is the character's fear effect system, which Ricks regarded as a handy utility that emphasises the use of the second player character's powers when the main player is in danger.^[36] Storc saw the characters inLego Indiana Jones as more athletic than in their priorLego titles.^[18]

In February 2008, LucasArts announced that up to four players would be able to play in co-op mode on consoles; this later turned out to be a miscommunication.^[20][41] LucasArts then clarified that while up to four characters could appear on screen, only two at a time could be player-controlled.^[42]Lego Indiana Jones's soundtrack is a mix ofJohn Williams compositions featured in the films and a custom soundtrack inspired by them.^[33][43] The game also incorporated music fromThe Adventures of Young Indiana Jones television series.Skywalker Sound, a division ofLucasfilm, assisted with game's sound effects andvoice acting.^[33]

The financial success of theLego Star Wars games series motivated LucasArts to license theIndiana Jones franchise to Traveller's Tales.^[35] LucasArts unveiled the game under theworking title,Lego Indiana Jones: The Videogame, atSan Diego Comic-Con in July 2007, along with the firstIndiana Jones Lego toy set for a release of January 2008.^[44][45] To promote the game,Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga offered Indiana Jones as an unlockable character when it was released in November 2007; the character can be acquired by watching theLego Indiana Jones trailer in a room next toCantina.^[46][47] In January 2008,Lego Indiana Jones was announced that it would join theGames for Windows brand line-up.^[48]The Lego Group also partnered with the game development studio Three Melons to promote the game by releasingLego Indiana Jones Adventures, anAdobe Flash Player web game, in February 2008. The game has2D graphics and auto-scrolling platformer mechanics, with four stages overall, while its menu features a museum where the player could learn about Indy and the stages.^[49][50]

LucasArts also promotedLego Indiana Jones at several conventions, including theGame Developers Conference in February and theNew York Comic Con in April 2008.^[51][52] At thePlay.com Live event atWembley Stadium on 15 and 16 March, Activision made the game playable for attendees.^[53]Cartoon Network aired a computer-animated short film,Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick, on 10 May.^[54] Ademo version ofLego Indiana Jones was released on 13 May 2008,^[55] and together with the trailer it was also included in a remasteredParamount Pictures re-release of the first three films in the United States.^[56][57] Although Activision announced that the demo would not be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it was made accessible on theXbox Live Marketplace on 27 June.^[30][58]

The full version ofLego Indiana Jones was released on 3 June 2008 in the United States and Canada forMicrosoft Windows,PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3,PlayStation Portable (PSP), Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Wii platforms.^[5] A day later,Lego Indiana Jones was released in Australia, and on 6 June it was released in Europe.^[59][60] The Xbox 360 version isbackward compatible with theXbox One and theXbox Series X/S, allowing users to play the game on newer consoles.^[61] Shortly prior to its release, the fourth instalment of theIndiana Jones film series,Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, premiered.^[62]

In October 2008, Microsoft released aKung Fu Panda andLego Indiana Jonesbundle for Pro and Elite configurations of Xbox 360.^[63] The Mac OS X version ofLego Indiana Jones was internationally released on 28 November.^[28][29] The game, however, does not run on theMac Mini computers, according toMacworld.^[22] Following its release,Lego Indiana Jones was made available onSteam on 8 July 2009, on Microsoft'sGames on Demand digital distribution service on 27 November 2009, and onPlayStation Now in 2017.^[64][65][66]Lego Indiana Jones was released in 2014 onPlayStation Vita, the successor of PSP, as part of a package ofLego video games.^[67] The game was available for free from 16 to 30 November 2020 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S users withXbox Live Gold.^[68]

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures received "generally favourable" reviews, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.^[82] Martin Docherty ofGamesRadar+ listed the game as one of the bestIndiana Jones video games in 2021, whileIGN listed it as one of the bestLego video games in 2023.^[2][83] In a review forMeriStation, Roberto Garcia appreciated thecrossover of theLego andIndiana Jones franchises, adding that the game took advantage of the success of theKingdom of the Crystal Skull.^[15]Paul Freeman, who played the main antagonistRené Belloq inRaiders of the Lost Ark, sawLego Indiana Jones as entertaining.^[84]

Reviewers complimented the gameplay ofLego Indiana Jones and its retelling of the films. Writing forIGN, Chris Roper commended the incorporation of characters' phobias and the game's pacing due to the inclusion of new segments not featured in the original films. He highlighted the new segments that have created "bigger separations" between the game and the films than theLego Star Wars games.^[3] In a review forGamePro, Cameron Lewis viewed the minecart escape as one of the most unforgettable parts ofLego Indiana Jones.^[8] Reviewers have complimented the game's replayability features.^[3][21] Brad Shoemaker ofGiant Bomb saw the gameplay as rough, with Tim Stevens ofX-Play saying that it could have been improved with the addition of in-game help for certain puzzles.^[12][14] Reviewers have also praised the co-op mode.^[2][3][85] Lewis, on the other hand, disliked the absence of anonline co-op mode.^[8] Writing forGamesRadar, David Houghton saw the first chapter unfavourably due to dull pacing, while the other two he viewed more positively.^[86]

Critics had mixed perspectives regarding the game's overall mechanics, commending the overallphysics engine,^[23][78] but the AI of the second player and enemies as chaotic.^[16][87] Ben Talbot ofOfficial Xbox Magazine conversely said the AI does its tasks well.^[78] Stevens disliked the combat system for not featuring more complex mechanics ofLego Star Wars games, while Andrew Reiner ofGame Informer and Shawn Sparks ofGameRevolution commended Indy's abilities.^[14][16][21] Writing forGry-Online, Marcin Łukański praised the character fear system.^[11] Tom McShea ofGameSpot complimented the diversity of items that the player can interact with but disliked ranged weapon mechanics.^[17][85] Reviewers have criticised the camera mechanics as troublesome, but had mixed opinions on vehicle missions.^[3][19][21] Chris Holt ofMacworld disliked therespawn system.^[22]

The game's graphics have been commended by reviewers, who have primarily commended the environments and characters.^{[2][14][85][78]} Sparks praisedLego Indiana Jones's overall graphics and cutscenes, and commended the addition ofStar Wars characters.^[16] Reiner also complimented the game's graphics but unfavourably described the game as "Lego Star Wars with an Indiana Jones skin slapped on top of it".^[21] ANintendo Gamer reviewer, however, said that the game is more visually appealing thanLego Star Wars andLego Batman games.^[88] AMeriStation reviewer,Lego Indiana Jones commended the motion blur and dynamic lighting, noting that the looks of original locations in the films retained their identity in the game.^[9]

Reviewers also praisedLego Indiana Jones's overall soundtrack but were mixed on the sound effects. Reviewers have commended the film-inspired soundtracks.^{[16][19][21][85]} Regarding sound effects, they were criticised by reviewers.^[14][21] Chea and Neil Davey ofThe Guardian, however, commended the sound effects.^[85][81] Reiner complimented the snippets of film soundtracks composed by John Williams for "rightfully [burying]" sound effects and characters.^[21] Andy Eddy ofTeamXbox said that the music is dynamic, changing based on the "intensity of a scene".^[19]

Reviewers have commended the looks of the game on the DS version, despite thepixelisation present in textures.^[6][15][89] Craig Harris ofIGN said that despite the loss of graphical quality in cutscenes in the DS version, they provided the appropriate amount of humour that was not present inThe Complete Saga.^[6] Writing forPocket Gamer, Mark Walbank praised the design of minigames on the DS version.^[79] McShea was not impressed, but still commended them for being well-integrated with the standard gameplay.^[77] Garcia also said that actions performed with the stylus in the end become uninteresting and that these same actions can be performed more easily with buttons instead.^[15] Martin Robinson ofIGN praised the microphone usage in the DS version.^[25]

Reviewers criticised the gameplay of the PSP version,^[89][90] with Michael Thomsen ofIGN calling it "the worst gameplay-wise" version of the game, due to not featuring multiplayer support, having longer loading times, and because of the PSP's analogue nub controls.^[89] McShea said that PSP's small screen size made the gameplay more difficult and foiling.^[90] Tracy Erickson ofPocket Gamer criticised the structure of puzzles on the PSP version, saying that each puzzle takes too long to complete.^[80]

Thomsen rated the Wii version as the best out of all console versions, due to the console's controls and overall experience.^[89] Reviewers reported that the abilities of theWii Remote were not used to the fullest extent in the game,^[4][91] and have to use the joystick to control the character. Javier Andres Alcala ofMeriStation commended the Wii edition's graphics and characters looks.^[4]

In comparison with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions ofLego Star Wars games, Francisco Alberto Serrano Acosta ofMeriStation said that the PlayStation 3 version ofLego Indiana Jones is much more spirited and comprehensive.^[35] Thomsen complained about framerate issues andscreen tearing in the PlayStation 3 version, and instead listed the Xbox 360 version as the best regardingLego Indiana Jones's graphics, particularly due to the version's lighting, colours, and textures.^[89] McShea praised the looks of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii versions of the game.^[87]

Thomsen ranked the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions as the best in regards toLego Indiana Jones's music and sound effects due to their usage of theDolby Digital audio compression technology. He ranked the PlayStation 2 and Wii versions lower due to worse compression ofDolby Pro Logic II, and the PSP version behind of the PlayStation and Wii versions. Despite placing the DS version last, Thomsen praised the addition of music despite the low memory ofGame Cards, but said that the music sounds worse when played at higher volume.^[89] Shaun McInnis ofGameSpot commended the sounds of birds and water in the DS version.^[92]

Shortly after its release,Lego Indiana Jones became the best-selling game in the United Kingdom during the second week of June 2008, surpassingGrand Theft Auto IV, according toChart-Track.^[93] It later returned to being the best-selling game in the United Kingdom in the fourth week of the same month,^[94] and again briefly in July 2008.^[95] The game's Xbox 360 version received a "Platinum" sales award from theEntertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association,^[96] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[97] During June 2008 in the United States,Lego Indiana Jones also sold 267,800 copies on the DS, 294,500 copies on the Wii, and 260,300 copies on the PlayStation 2.^[98]

Shortly after the game's release, Storc signalled the creation of a sequel due to the absence ofThe Kingdom of the Crystal Skull from the first game.^[106] A sequel titledLego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues was announced in May 2009 by Traveller's Tales and LucasArts. In addition to the first three films, the game also includes and puts emphasis on the fourth film,The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It also features alevel editor.^[107] It was released on 17 November in North America and two days later in Europe.^[108] The game received "mixed or average" reviews according to Metacritic.^[109] A separatehandheld version was also released.^[110]

A mobile version ofLego Indiana Jones was announced byTHQ Wireless in October 2008.^[111] The game, developed by Cobra Mobile withJava, featured platformer elements. Writing forPocket Gamer, Spanner Spencer unfavourably described it as aSuper Mario Bros. clone.^[112] It was released formobile phones in 2008 and theiPhone in 2009.^[113][114]

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