Few franchises seem to have the universal appeal of the Lego games - male or female, old or young, everyone loves the mix of smashing stuff, slapstick humour and simple puzzle solving that each new Lego game brings. Most well-known for their LEGO-isation of popular films and franchises, from Harry Potter to Star Wars to Lord of the Rings, recent years have seen the series diversifying slightly, stepping out of the film tie-in comfort zone. We've policed the streets of LEGO City, searched for golden weapons in the world of Ninjago and built ourselves a band and rocked the universe - while this summer, we're set to travel to the animal kingdom of Chima too. But that's not all the Lego folks have up their little plasticy sleeves. In fact, it seems the series is going to branch off further still, as they plan to "welcome even more girls into the world of LEGO videogames" in the pretty, pink Lego Friends.
We wonder what other pets you can have besides dogs?
Set in the same suburban town of Heartlake City, Lego Friends sounds a bit like Lego's take on the popular Animal Crossing series, as you're free to do whatever you want. The main aim of the game seems to be making friends with the other Lego ladies, which unlocks special missions for each one - such as helping Emma snap some shots for her newspaper article or picking out a selection of songs for Andrea's next performance. Reaching the coveted 'true friend' status with each character lets you build a special 'Heartlake Celebration' for them, whatever that might be - we just hope there's cake involved.
When you're not busy socialising, there's a whole town to explore and activities to try your hand at - perfecting a dance routine in the studio, taking a few penalty shots in football practice or scouring the shops for new items to customise your character and room. There's also a bit of a pet sim thown in for good measure, with a choice of animals to train and groom before entering them into a pet show - but they're not just for show, as you'll need to use each animals' special skill at some point during your travels. You can also switch to controlling your furry friend whenever you want.
Simply called Lego Friends, the game is due to hit the Nintendo DS and 3DS later this year, around autumn time.
