By Sherwin Loh

FINALLY, a co-op game that screams for a fitting partnership the likes of Holmes and Watson, Laurel and Hardy and, in this case, Batman and Robin.

Despite the name, Lego Batman is really the stuff of comic's greatest partners, The Dynamic Duo.

As with previous Lego games, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, having two gamers play together really enhances the gameplay. However, where the previous titles relied on token characters to partner the lead, Batman has a proper sidekick.

Instead of following the movie plots as Star Wars and Indiana Jones do, Lego Batman is a standalone game that takes the core comic book elements of the brooding hero and mixes them up. This means appearances by virtually all his rogues, from the well-known Joker to C-listers like Clayface and Killer Moth.

Gameplay remains the same though - Batman and Robin have to beat the bad guys and are faced with puzzles to solve. The action is also simple. Press a few buttons to attack and throw the enemy to the ground. Get hit and you fall apart like Lego bricks.

The attraction of the Lego games has never been the gameplay as controls are too rudimentary to be engaging. Its success lies in the humour and, thankfully, that has remained intact. Be it watching a goofy Robin trying to figure out how to load a bomb on the Batcopter or catching The Riddler explaining his master plan to some of the more mentally challenged villains, the laughs are charming.

Another reason players will find the game familiar is because it draws from elements found in earlier Batman cartoons and movies.

The game soundtrack is clearly from the original Batman movie by Tim Burton and, I suspect, also from Batman: The Animated Series too.

Another thing synonymous with Batman is his bag of gadgets and the game uses this to dress the duo in a variety of costumes, each with a different name and purpose. For example, the Glider costume will have him togged in a suit that shapes his cape into wings, while the Demolition suit allows him to drop bombs.

Robin has his own as well, from Technology, Magnet, Water to Attract.

However, the game's success might also prove to be its downfall. Because the gameplay elements remain unchanged from previous Lego-styled fare, boredom sets in easily. Batman throws his batarang while Indiana Jones cracks his whip but otherwise, there is little to differentiate the two in the Lego series. Each Lego game brings less joy than the one before.

• Lego Batman
  RATING 7/10
  » $66.90
  » Action (genre)
  » Xbox 360 (platform)

This article was first published in Digital Life, The Straits Times on Oct 29, 2008.