Video game:Lego Soccer Mania

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, to coincide with the FIFA World Cup occurring in South Korea and Japan, LEGO released "LEGO Soccer Mania" for the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and Windows computers. This game allows players to participate in soccer games featuring LEGO figurines and backgrounds. As well as regular soccer, it includes a variety of power-ups and game modes. Gamers also have the opportunity to customize their teams and stadiums.

"LEGO Soccer Mania" did not fare well critically or commercially. Reviewers cited its graphics and lack of depth as the game's main flaws. In his review, Peer Scheider of IGN wrote that LEGO released a "soccer title that will be forgotten the very month it's released," and called the game "Utterly generic."

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.