Other Miscellaneous Superman Stuff

"LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes" Interview

By Steve Younis

The Superman Homepage has conducted an exclusive interview with TT Games producer Phillip Ring, discussing the upcoming "LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes" video game and Superman's involvement as a character in the game.

Q: Can you talk about the process involved in deciding to include other DC characters like Superman and Lex Luthor into "LEGO Batman 2"?

A: When we were looking at what game "LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes" should be, we saw the opportunity to expand the game and include other characters from the DC Universe. Superman was top of that list of characters as he's such an iconic superhero and as a result he plays a really important part of the "LEGO Batman 2" story. Of course with the inclusion of Superman, we had to include his nemesis Lex Luthor which really helped to drive the story along and resulted in the idea of what would happen if Lex and the Joker teamed up. Also, with Superman's great abilities we wanted to give player the opportunity to play as Superman in a LEGO world.

Q: Are the creators/developers working on this game the same people who worked on the first "LEGO Batman" game?

A: Absolutely! We have a great team at Traveller's Tales working on the LEGO titles and they are really excited to be able to revisit the Batman universe to create a sequel. The team learned a lot during the development of the first "LEGO Batman" about what makes the LEGO Batman world unique and we're really excited that we have that knowledge to draw upon for "LEGO Batman 2".

Q: What improvements or advancements can players expect from this LEGO game compared to previous releases?

A: We wanted to give players a new experience for "LEGO Batman 2" and we felt the best way to do this would be to give people the opportunity to explore the whole of Gotham City. Having the freedom to explore Gotham and see what secrets you can find is a lot of fun and when combined with the super powers you have at your disposal it's brilliant. We also wanted to improve on Batman's and Robin's gadgets so we've revisited the suits the character have and added more features that can be used to solve puzzles or even used to takedown Super Villains.

Q: Can you talk about the decision to have the characters talk in this game? What was the thinking behind this and what do you think it adds to the gaming experience?

A: We listen to a lot of consumer feedback on our titles and one thing we noticed from the first "LEGO Batman" is that people really liked the cut-scenes but the story could be a little tricky to follow. As a result we decided to include speech to help tell the story. Humor has always been an important part of our LEGO games and speech allows us to include both the classic LEGO jokes people would expect but also some new things we haven't been able to do in the past.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [Xbox 360]	LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [PS3]	LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [Wii]

A: Superman has some great abilities and we wanted to give as many of these to the player as possible. You can use Superman's X-ray vision to see through walls, his super strength to pull trains, heat vision to smash LEGO, both freeze breath and super breath and of course the ability to fly. It was important that Superman felt as powerful as fans of the character would expect.

Q: Other than Lex Luthor, are there other Superman characters in the game (either in the visual components or as playable characters)?

A: I don't want to give too much away but the Superman universe has some great characters so we wanted to make sure that a few of the major ones are present.

Q: What involvement (if any) have you had with the comic book creators at DC Comics?

A: We've worked very closely with DC over the course of the project and they've been a big help with characters and the feel of the game. It's been great to have the opportunity to include the latest versions of the characters, so if people are reading the New 52 comics they'll see the LEGO versions of those characters in the game.

Q: Can you talk about the decision to use the John Williams "Superman: The Movie" theme as part of the game's soundtrack?

A: The Superman movie theme is such an instantly recognizable piece that we felt it would be an important inclusion to the soundtrack. Once we had Superman up and running, or flying as the case turned out, we did a test to see what it felt like to fly around Gotham City with the Superman music and instantly knew it would be a great addition.

Q: What do you think Superman fans in particular will most like about "LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes"?

A: We have a great story that we really hope people enjoy, and Superman plays a big part in that. If you're a Superman fan then there are some subtle references included but I think the main thing is the ability to just fly around Gotham City and do all the cool things Superman can do.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [Nintendo DS]	LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [Nintendo 3DS]	LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes [PS Vita]

A: We always try to take advantage of what the various systems have to offer and tailor the experience to the different platforms. As such playing the game on the handheld platforms is a different experience to playing the console game as we want to include game modes which suit the portable platforms. The handhelds have the JLA mode which allows you to take on waves of enemies using the characters from the Justice League which is unique for these platforms, whereas the console platforms have Gotham City to explore.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share with Superman fans in particular regarding "LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes"?

A: We really hope people have as much fun playing as Superman as we have had creating him and all the other DC characters for the game.

The Superman Homepage would like to thank Phillip for agreeing to do this interview, and for fitting it into his busy schedule.