Tales on the LEGO Express: The Heist

Tales on the LEGO Express: The Heist, alternatively titled Tales of the LEGO Express: The Heist on the title screen, is a Trains Online Game released in 2002. In addition to being based upon Trains, it features characters from Adventurers and Western.
== Synopsis ==
Based upon the player's choices, the plot may play out differently, but the overall synopsis remains the same.
The player's character boards the LEGO Express at the Legoville Station, but Conductor Charlie strangely does not arrive to take their ticket. Shortly afterward, the reason becomes apparent: Señor Palomar, Rudo Villano, and Alexia Sinister have kidnapped Charlie and hijacked the train in their plot to steal the Gale's Eye, an enormous diamond discovered by Johnny Thunder in Antarctica. The player teams up with Charlie to foil the outlaws' heist.
The player and Charlie overhear Palomar using the radio, declaring his intention to capture Engineer Max and stop the train at an old mine. After shoving Villano out the window and into a mail-bag loop, the player uses the radio to contact Sheriff Wild Wyatt West, who instructs the player to stop the train at a big oak tree. The player uses a signal flare to alert Max, who stops the train in time. While the Sheriff boards the train to arrest Palomar's henchmen, the player heads to the engine to stop Palomar himself, pulling the villain's hat down over his eyes before he can ambush Max.
With all of the villains taken into custody by Sheriff West, Conductor Charlie and Engineer Max keep on schedule by transporting the Gale's Eye to the LEGOLAND Museum. As thanks for the player's help, the Sheriff names the player the new Deputy of Legoville.
== Gameplay ==
Tales on the LEGO Express is a standard "choose-your-own adventure" game. Animated cutscenes are broken up by text passages where the player must choose one of two options that will determine how the story will proceed. Making poor decisions will generally lead to the player getting captured by Palomar or one of his henchmen, although Conductor Charlie will usually be able to rescue the player and allow the story to progress. However, there are certain points where the wrong choice will result in the game ending, including declining to board the train at the start; staying put inside the supply closet, which allows Palomar to block the door and prevent the player from escaping; staying put instead of radioing the Sheriff or asking Charlie what to do; or waiting for the Sheriff to arrest Palomar, which allows Palomar to escape with the Gale's Eye.
== Notes ==
* While the game's title screen reads Tales of the LEGO Express, all other references (including the game's logo starting with the first text passage) refer to the game as Tales on the LEGO Express.
* The game's title is shortened to LEGO Train Heist in the Game Finder list on the LEGO.com Games page.LEGO.com Games
* Tales on the LEGO Express was nominated for the South By Southwest Interactive Web Award.South By Southwest Announces Interactive Web Award Nominees | Animation World Network
== LEGO.com Description ==
== Gallery ==
LEGO Express Intro.png|The game's introductory text passage
== External Links ==
* The game's archived webpage
* The game's full script
* Scenes From Lego Trains (Choose Your Adventure) on Vimeo, a compilation of several animated cutscenes by Chop Shop Studio
* Screenshot gallery
* Reconstructed fan recreation by jointdogg on itch.io
* Further details about the game on Rock Raiders United
== References ==
Category:Online Games
Category:Trains