Video game:Drome Racers

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 2002, Electronic Arts and LEGO Interactive released "Drome Racers" for Windows, the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It was the third LEGO racing game released and shared many similarities with its predecessors, "LEGO Racers" and "LEGO Racers 2." Like the previous games, "Drome Racers" revolves around a tournament that players must win in order to prove their superiority in the racing field. In this case, the main character is Max Axel, and he is racing to win the Drome Championship. Players construct their vehicles out of LEGO pieces and earn upgrades as they win different races.

"Drome Racers" received mixed reviews from critics, who enjoyed the graphics and backgrounds, but found the gameplay subpar. Chris Roper of IGN wrote, "Drome Racers? captures the essence of the LEGO racing world pretty well...The game?s downside is that it doesn?t control as well as it should." He added that the game?s vehicles "are just not as fun to drive as they could be."

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." Computer animation has made it possible for LEGO figurines to appear in multiple television series, and in 2014, they starred in a full-length movie. This shows that more than 50 years after its initial release, LEGO?s interlocking plastic block remains popular and continues to evolve.