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Lego Doctor Who: The Video Game
While playing with my Doctor Who Lego last night, I had an idea... why doesn't this exist:
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I can't figure out why this hasn't already been milked and exploited? The obvious answer is, of course, that Doctor Who doesn't have the same international appeal as other franchises that have been adapted. In terms of an absolute perfect fit, though, the Doctor Who franchise and the Lego series of video games go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Overworld:
One of the hallmarks of the Lego series has been the overworld you can play in before choosing a level. In Star Wars, you had the Mos Eisley Cantina. In Lego Indiana Jones, you had Barnett College. In Lego Doctor Who, you could have... the TARDIS. While you could select missions from the central console, you could go anywhere else in the Lego TARDIS and play around. Mini-games everywhere, plenty of room to explore, lots of characters possibly wandering around... it's an ideal overworld.
Characters:
Every Doctor and Companion ever. The Lego series has been experimenting with increasing it's cast list from game to game; in the latest incarnation, there has to be no less than 60 different playable characters, so why not all eleven Doctors, their companions, and other story characters? Like Lego Batman pioneered, each character could have a single strength used to solve puzzles -- maybe the Fourth Doctor can use his scarf as a whip or rope, or tiny Lego Jack Harkness is invincible. The possibilities are literally endless.
Enemies:
Everything. As colorful as they come. A ton of The Doctor's enemies easily translate into colorful plastic enemies. Also, I want to be able to play as them after finishing their level.
Levels:
Here's where it could get fun. The main bulk of the campaign plays through the last few years of the Doctor Who revival, so you hit all the high notes. On top of that, however, make unlockable 'Classic' missions where you play as old Doctor/Companions. An unlockable 'Tomb of the Cybermen' where you explore the tomb, run from Lego Cybermen, and eventually escape. An unlockable 'Ark In Space' where you set up puzzles and traps to A) free people and B) destroy alien mosquito monsters. Any number of classic adventures naturally lend themselves to the puzzle game format, and the playfulness of Lego means it can be as family friendly as possible. Imagine the end of 'Earthshock' (with the Cybermen ramming the planet Earth with a space ship) done in classic Lego Video Game style... it'd be hilarious, and still stay respectful to the series.
Honestly, this game basically writes itself. It'd be a great way to introduce new audiences to the series (and classic episodes), as well as a springboard to actual Lego Doctor Who products. What sucks is that this will basically only live in my imagination, but if I ever stumbled into some degree of authority, rest assured this game would be on shelves immediately.
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The more I think about it, the more I realize that I can't figure out why this hasn't already been milked and exploited? The obvious answer is, of course, that Doctor Who doesn't have the same international appeal as other franchises that have been adapted. In terms of an absolute perfect fit, though, the Doctor Who franchise and the Lego series of video games go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Overworld:
One of the hallmarks of the Lego series has been the overworld you can play in before choosing a level. In Star Wars, you had the Mos Eisley Cantina. In Lego Indiana Jones, you had Barnett College. In Lego Doctor Who, you could have... the TARDIS. While you could select missions from the central console, you could go anywhere else in the Lego TARDIS and play around. Mini-games everywhere, plenty of room to explore, lots of characters possibly wandering around... it's an ideal overworld.
Characters:
Every Doctor and Companion ever. The Lego series has been experimenting with increasing it's cast list from game to game; in the latest incarnation, there has to be no less than 60 different playable characters, so why not all eleven Doctors, their companions, and other story characters? Like Lego Batman pioneered, each character could have a single strength used to solve puzzles -- maybe the Fourth Doctor can use his scarf as a whip or rope, or tiny Lego Jack Harkness is invincible. The possibilities are literally endless.
Enemies:
Everything. As colorful as they come. A ton of The Doctor's enemies easily translate into colorful plastic enemies. Also, I want to be able to play as them after finishing their level.
Levels:
Here's where it could get fun. The main bulk of the campaign plays through the last few years of the Doctor Who revival, so you hit all the high notes. On top of that, however, make unlockable 'Classic' missions where you play as old Doctor/Companions. An unlockable 'Tomb of the Cybermen' where you explore the tomb, run from Lego Cybermen, and eventually escape. An unlockable 'Ark In Space' where you set up puzzles and traps to A) free people and B) destroy alien mosquito monsters. Any number of classic adventures naturally lend themselves to the puzzle game format, and the playfulness of Lego means it can be as family friendly as possible. Imagine the end of 'Earthshock' (with the Cybermen ramming the planet Earth with a space ship) done in classic Lego Video Game style... it'd be hilarious, and still stay respectful to the series.
Honestly, this game basically writes itself. It'd be a great way to introduce new audiences to the series (and classic episodes), as well as a springboard to actual Lego Doctor Who products. What sucks is that this will basically only live in my imagination, but if I ever stumbled into some degree of authority, rest assured this game would be on shelves immediately.
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