Handheld video game:Nintendo 3DS Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

Whether you follow a design and instructions, or make your own creation, LEGO blocks have stimulated imaginations in children and adults since their introduction in 1958. These simple bricks join together to form millions of combinations, and have left a significant impression in popular culture and the way we play. Thanks to television and video games, users are not limited in the ways they choose to interact with LEGO pieces; they can build, control characters, and take part in interactive stories without ever leaving the couch.

Electronic Arts released the first LEGO video game in 1997. Entitled "LEGO Island," this computer game allowed players to explore a world made entirely out of LEGO pieces and complete different missions. "LEGO Island" received excellent reviews and led to the creation of two sequels, as well as many more LEGO games. Along with original worlds and storylines, LEGO also released video games that tied into popular franchises, such as "Harry Potter," "Star Wars," and "Lord of the Rings."

In 2011, Traveller's Tales and Disney Interactive published the first LEGO game based on a Disney movie. Released in tandem with "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game" gives gamers the opportunity to play as characters from the popular film series and reenact situations from all four movies. As in other LEGO videogames, once a player beats a level he or she may return in free play mode.

"LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean" received positive reviews from critics, who praised its depiction of the characters and settings from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, as well as its replay value. In his review, Richard George of IGN wrote, "The charm and children-friendly nature of the LEGO franchise fits well with Pirates of the Caribbean,''' and called the game "an absolute blast." "LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean" became the third top-selling game of May 2011, and by 2012 it had sold more than three million copies.

In 1998, the National Toy Hall of Fame, calling the blocks "an ideal toy," inducted LEGO into its ranks. Two years later, "Fortune Magazine" named the LEGO brick "Toy of the Century." Thanks to computer animation, LEGO figurines appear in multiple television series, as well as a full-length movie. More than 50 years after its initial release, LEGO's interlocking plastic block remains popular and continues to evolve.