Review for Star Wars: Episode I - Racer. Game for Nintendo 64, PC, Mac, Dreamcast, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 01/05/1999 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 23/06/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 23/06/2020
If you are listed in the ranks of the Millennials or the younger Gen X out there, willy-nilly the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Jar Jar Binks, Natalie Portman and the Federation of Traders is "your" trilogy: that like it or not and regardless of the fluctuating quality of the films that were part of it, that's your trilogy. Those days - we really recommend you to watch the Making Of of the film on YouTube that tells them perfectly - of 1999 that preceded the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, a good 16 years after the last film in the main series, they still remain well etched in our memory as science fiction fans.
Without getting into a tangle of discussion on the diametrically opposed opinions of many of us on the quality of The Phantom Menace, there is, however, a part of that film that, although perhaps with a slightly ironic smile on his face, we just can't to forget and that has become iconic over the decades. We are talking about the run of the shells on Tatooine, one of those corners of the galaxy that - as demonstrated by the Disney sequels of recent years - could only be born from the mind of George Lucas. Who does not remember Sebulba, Watto, "now this is podracing", the Tusken marauders and their rifles, the little robots with caps who repaired those vehicles with the most bizarre features that ran hundreds of kilometers then one meter above the ground, piloted from some of the strangest creatures ever conceived by Industrial Light & Magic.
Get on the pod, Anakin!
LucasArts was so convinced of the impact that the races of the shells would have had above all on the little ones that it was found ready in the shops in that May 1999 where the film also debuted with Star Wars Episode I: Racer, an entire futuristic racing title dedicated to that single part of The Phantom Menace, directed to PC, Nintendo 64, and GameBoy Color (a Dreamcast version debuted about a year later).
21 years later we find ourselves talking about Star Wars Episode I: Racer, which, thanks to the power of nostalgia, has just returned to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, in remastered version. But why decide to revive a licensed title inspired by a film - usually not masterpieces - and among other things at a time when certainly the fame of Star Wars as a brand is not at its all-time high? The surprising answer is that Star Wars Episode I: Racer was and still remains a highly competent arcade racing game, a little Wipeout, a little F-Zero, which at the time managed to overcome the two aforementioned cornerstones of this sub-genre in sales, still resulting today the best-selling sci-fi racing title in history with more than 3 million copies placed (and without going out on the then more popular PlayStation). Today, thanks to Aspyr Media, we can thus plunge back into nostalgia and throw ourselves back on the track with Anakin, for a port that certainly doesn't scream a miracle but can give fans a few carefree afternoons.
Faster!
Star Wars Episode I: Racer then returns as we knew it, but bringing it to console for the first time high definition and above all 60 frames per second. It goes without saying that the first is an obviously welcome addition and - accompanied by a chiseling of the textures carried out by the development team - gives the game a graphic appearance that is also pleasant in movement, but it is the second that is the real strength of this version, dramatically increasing the speed of onscreen action and shuttles that we will check. Everything is handled without problems by the Switch hardware (the version we reviewed) and we are also happy to tell you how the first patch arrived in the last hours has solved some gaps at the UI level (now in HD) and controls on the Nintendo portable console, significantly increasing the rating you find attached to this review.
As for "meat", we are sorry to report as Star Wars Episode I: Racer in this new version does not add anything new to what was in 1999, with the biggest shortcoming being online multiplayer (or even just leaderboards for lap times), which could give a new and interesting life to the game after having used up those initial hours of immersion in the memories. While featuring a good number of tracks based on 8 different planets (invented by the development team in addition to the Tatooine setting seen in the film), many bizarre drivers and several - for the time - vehicle customization options with replaceable parts, the game is reduced to an offer of possibilities for the single player who is certainly not able to keep the attention high for long.
Single races, time attacks, split-screen multiples are added to the slightly juicier tournament mode, which will take us around the galaxy to visit every corner. All very predictable and very standard for the 90s we have to say.
However, Star Wars Episode I: Racer has enjoyed us and we feel like promoting it. Although Aspyr's work is not flawless, the dev team has somehow managed to give the game a retro look but with some modern tweaks and the basis of the gameplay, apart from some idiosyncrasy with the controls for actions like the turbo or the repair of the pod during the race and some bugs (ships that inexplicably explode after the climbs), still manages to be current and fun and damn fast. Try competing with the closest view to the ground to understand what we're talking about.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer throws us back in that spring of 1999 when the whole world was holding its breath for the arrival of a new chapter of Star Wars and also gives PlayStation players - or the most penniless ones since the original Nintendo 64 cassette it was always one of the most expensive at the time - a chance to get poor Sebulba's revenge on his console.
► Star Wars: Episode I - Racer is a racing type game developed by LucasArts Aspyr Media and published by LucasArts Nintendo Aspyr Media for Nintendo 64, PC, Mac, Dreamcast, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 01/05/1999 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 23/06/2020 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 23/06/2020
