If you were a gamer in 2006, you probably remember that E3 trailer. It was a technical marvel. We saw Indiana Jones stumbling over crates, his body reacting with a weight and realism we’d never seen before in a video game. This was supposed to be the "next-gen" debut of the world’s most famous archaeologist, powered by the then-revolutionary Euphoria engine—the same tech that would later make Grand Theft Auto IV feel so visceral.
But then, things got weird.
The game we actually got in 2009, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, wasn't that technical powerhouse. Instead, it was a collection of ports for the Wii, PS2, and handhelds. The high-end versions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3? They just... vanished.
Honestly, it's one of the most frustrating "what ifs" in LucasArts history.
The Chaos Behind the Scenes
Developing Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings was basically like Indy trying to outrun a giant boulder, except the boulder was corporate mismanagement. The project started at LucasArts with massive ambitions. They wanted to use "Digital Molecular Matter" for destructible environments and the "Euphoria" engine for character physics.
It was going to be the Uncharted before Uncharted really took off.
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However, LucasArts hit a snag. They shifted most of their internal talent over to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Indy was left in the dust. The internal team was gutted, and the high-def versions were quietly scrapped after years of delays.
What remained was handed off to Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M). They had to take the existing story and cobble together a game for the Wii and PS2. You've gotta feel for them; they were basically trying to rebuild a skyscraper using leftover Lego bricks.
What the Game Was Actually About
The story is actually pretty solid. Set in 1939—one year after The Last Crusade—it follows Indy as he searches for his former mentor, Charles Kingston. Naturally, the Nazis are involved. They’re led by Magnus Völler, an archaeologist who’s basically a mirror image of Indy but with more Hugo Boss and less morality.
The MacGuffin? The Staff of Moses.
We’re talking about the biblical staff that split the Red Sea. The quest takes you all over the map:
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- San Francisco: A massive brawl in Chinatown involving moving trolleys.
- Panama: Classic jungle exploration and Mayan-style ruins.
- Istanbul: Exploring the catacombs under the city.
- Sudan: The opening level that sets the stakes.
The ending is wild. Völler actually uses the staff to part the waters of the Bay of Bengal so he can drive a motorcycle across the seafloor. It’s the kind of over-the-top pulp nonsense that fits perfectly in the Indiana Jones universe, even if the graphics on the Wii couldn't quite keep up with the scale of the vision.
The Wii Experience: Waggle or Die
If you played Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings on the Wii, your arms probably still hurt. LucasArts leaned hard into motion controls. To punch, you flicked the Remote and Nunchuk. To use the whip, you swung the controller.
It was immersive. Sometimes.
Mostly, it was a bit of a mess. Trying to pull off a specific "Indy Move" usually resulted in you flailing your arms like a caffeinated windmill while a Nazi soldier stared at you in confusion. The PS2 version, interestingly, is often cited by fans as the "better" way to play simply because it uses a standard controller. No waggle required.
The Best Part Wasn't Even the Main Game
The Wii version had a secret weapon that makes it a collector's item today. You could unlock the full, original version of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.
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For many, this 1992 point-and-click classic was better than the actual 2009 game it was bundled with. There was also a co-op mode where you could play as Indy and his dad, Henry Jones Sr. (voiced by a very decent Sean Connery soundalike). These extras gave the game a layer of fan service that almost made up for the clunky combat.
Why It Still Matters
Despite the technical glitches and the "lost" next-gen version, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings captures a specific era of LucasArts. It was the last gasp of their internal development before the Disney acquisition changed everything.
The game isn't perfect. Not even close. It's glitchy, the pacing is wonky, and the graphics were dated the day they hit shelves. But it has heart. The music is pure John Williams, and the set pieces—like fighting on a giant Zeppelin—feel like they were ripped straight from a lost screenplay.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you’re looking to revisit this relic, here’s how to do it right:
- Hunt for the Wii Version: Even with the "waggle" controls, the inclusion of Fate of Atlantis and the co-op mode makes it the definitive package.
- Check the PSP/DS Versions: These aren't just scaled-down ports; they have unique levels and different gameplay mechanics (the DS version uses the stylus for puzzles).
- Manage Expectations: This is a 2009 B-movie in game form. Don't expect The Great Circle levels of polish.
- The PS2 Secret: If you want the most stable combat, the PS2 version is the only one that lets you use traditional analog sticks for everything.
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is a fascinating piece of gaming history. It’s a bridge between the classic LucasArts era and the modern age of licensed titles. While we never got the Euphoria-powered masterpiece we were promised, the game we did get remains a fun, globetrotting romp for anyone who still hums the "Raiders March" in the shower.
To get the most out of your playthrough, focus on unlocking the "Big Head" and "Han Solo" skins early—they make the somewhat stiff cutscenes significantly more entertaining.