I'm a Harley Quinn fan. As a female, and as a female gamer, I can't help it. She's cool. She's hip. She's badass and takes names on a daily basis. So when I was told that you could play as Harley Quinn in Traveller's Tales latest Lego game, I was sold.

...oh yeah, and there's some guy named Batman in it too.

Lego Batman is the first in the Lego line of games to not follow a specific story line that is previously dictated. Instead, Warner Bros. and TT brought in writers and created their own plot for the characters to follow. Not only is the story unique, but you can actually play it from the villains perspective if you so choose. Roam Gotham as Batman or slink around as Catwoman, it's all up to the player.

The addition of technology suits that are used exclusively by the dynamic duo was pure genius. Instead of relying on the Force or Indy's general bad-assery, Robin can use a magnetic suit to ascend to victory, while Batman sports a gliding suit, or even a detonator suit.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the villains are powerless. Instead, each villain has their own specific weapons that are tied to their personalities. The Joker has his hand buzzer, which he can use to stun enemies or restart various pieces of stalled machinery throughout the levels. Oh, he's got a couple of Uzis too. My beloved Harley Quinn can do a double jump, the Freeze can...freeze (you saw that coming), and the Riddler can control other character's minds.

Apart from Batman and Robin, WB has recently announced Batgirl and even the loveable and dignified Alfred as playable characters, as well as Poison Ivy, Bane, the Penguin.

The gameplay style has not changed; there are still two players on the screen at all times, who must work together to solve various puzzles and defeat some baddies to advance through the level. There are five levels per chapter, and three chapters throughout the game. The best part, however, is that once you've beaten the thing working for the heroes, you can go back and beat it as the villains and unlock even more goodies.

Fans of the franchise will recognise the bright, vibrant colors used throughout the game, and audio includes the original 1989 Batman theme, among others.

With an expected release date of September 23th on the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS2, PS3 and PC...you don't have an excuse to not pick it up.

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