Handheld video game:Nintendo DS Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

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 2008, LucasArts and Traveller's Tales released "LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures" for multiple gaming consoles. In this action-adventure game, players recreate situations from the first three "Indiana Jones" films with LEGO characters and settings. As in other LEGO video games, once a gamer defeats a level, he or she may return in free play mode to collect bonus items or play as other characters.

"LEGO Indiana Jones" received positive reviews from critics, who praised the game's depiction of the Indiana Jones universe, as well as its gameplay. Chris Roper of IGN called the game "fun and addictive," and wrote that it is "certainly a fun adventure worth taking on." IGN nominated the Wii and Nintendo DS versions of the game for its "Best Action Game" and "Best Local Multiplayer Game" awards. "LEGO Indiana Jones" became the fourth best-selling DS game of 2008, as well as the fifth best-selling Wii game, and the seventh best-selling PlayStation Portable game. In 2009, LucasArts and Traveller's Tales released a sequel to the game entitled "LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues."

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.