Editorial Review

Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer is, of course, a shameless tie-in game based on the Boonta Eve Pod Race scene from the movie. As a Star Wars title it's sure to get a lot of interest, but the question is: is it any fun to play? Yes, actually, it is.

Racer differs from a normal racing game. Rather than merely steering your way around the track, you can enhance your turns by using the Z button on the controller. Holding down the button shifts the cockpit off to the side and kicks you sideways with a burst of extra speed. And of course, a big part of pod racing is the spectacular crashes, and here LucasArts does not disappoint. As Qui-Gon says, "Pod racing is very dangerous!" Even your opponents crash--sometimes into each other.

The 3-D visuals and sound are good, but not groundbreaking. To forestall the inevitable boredom that all racing games eventually leave you with, the game lets you race on different planets, each with their own tracks. The tracks are inventive, especially in the later levels: some tracks have shortcuts to discover, others have zero-gravity sections and hair-raising jumps. The racing pods also differ, and with victory in certain races, more powerful craft become available. A pit area allows you to view all the weird designs up close in 3-D.

In tournament mode, prize money is awarded for top finishers; you can use the cash to buy parts to upgrade your pod. It's a good thing the purse isn't paid out in Republic credits: Star Wars fans will recognize the parts dealer as none other than Watto. His wry comments spice up the shopping experience, and he sounds just like he did in the movie. Racer is a worthwhile purchase for fans of Star Wars or racing games. --Eric Fredrickson

Pros:

• Imaginative tracks keep it interesting
• Watto's parts shop!
• Up to 2 players (each needs his or her own controller)
• Star Wars

• Basically a racing game, won't hold your interest forever
• Does not allow a 4-player option

Reviews (14)

Great game
This game rocks!I love being the Jedi. My favorite part is fighting Darth Maul on Tatooine. With the Jedi you get to use the best weapon in the game, the lightsaber. you can kill just about anythin whith it. Capt. Panaka ...exept for the R65 blaster he is alot weaker than the jedi and can't use a saber to attack and deffend at the same time (he cant even use a saber). And the Queen( i havent played as her yet) from what i've heard stinks too. when you escort her she is as anoing as i don't want to say. Back to the saber that is the only weapon you need as a jedi. i only used a blaster once and a proton missil launcher to kill destroyer droids. I know ive said a lot of bad things about it but the game really rocks.

Great Game!
This game is great. you get to play as Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon,Padme(Amidala),and Panaka. You start off on a trade federation battleship as Obi-wan and it goes from destroying droids to rescuing Jar Jar Binks to escorting the queen to finding Anakin to fighting Darth Maul twice! It covers the storyline very well aside from things like fighting tusken raiders, dealing with Jabba the Hutt, and freeing an enslaved alien. An excellent game for those who like action and strategy.

Editorial Review

Star Wars: Force Commander, which casts you as one of the Empire's sinister agents, takes the Star Wars universe into the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. The gameplay follows standard RTS control conventions, so anyone familiar with StarCraft, Command & Conquer, and the like will be able to enforce the Emperor's will in no time.

Force Commander differs from traditional RTS games by eliminating resource gathering. Instead, players receive command points for accomplishing mission objectives, controlling key buildings, or blowing up enemy units. Command points are used to requisition troops and buildings from an orbiting Star Destroyer.

Star Wars fans will find much to love in the plot. Force Commander begins with your small training platoon being ordered to investigate a certain escape pod that has crashed on Tatooine. Caught up in events that will forever change the galaxy, your career takes you to such far away worlds as Tatooine, Yavin, Hoth, Endor--even Coruscant. With each successful mission comes an increase in rank and larger forces of Storm Troopers, speeder bikes, TIE Fighters, and AT-ATs. Being able to take part in the Echo Base assault on Hoth (and other key conflicts from the movies) is a Star Wars fan's dream come true, and we'll be forever grateful to LucasArts for giving us the opportunity to hunt down Ewoks on Endor. --Mike Fehlauer

Pros:

• Play as the Imperials or the Rebels, in single player and online
• Fully 3-D units and terrain
• Units gain experience, and surviving units can be used in subsequent missions
• Perfectly authentic sound effects
• Storyline puts you in the pivotal battles of Star Wars

Cons:

• Hefty system requirements
• Occasional texture breaks on the 3-D terrain
• Units not from the movies look out of place
• Ugly interface

Editorial Review

Let's just for a second forget that Star Wars: Episode I, Racer has anything at all to do with the film on which it's based. Would it still have any appeal if you take away the movie license? The answer, almost surprisingly, is yes. This sci-fi arcade racing game is packed with high-speed thrills and a unique style of track-circling action that should get any racing fan's adrenaline pumping.

The game is based on the pod-racing scene from Episode I, which was arguably the best and most exciting segment of the film. Players enter a series of pod races as either Anakin Skywalker or one of his 20 different alien rivals--including Sebulba, once you get far enough into the game to unlock this bonus character. Races are linked in four different circuits, each more difficult than the last. The highest circuit, in fact, can be extremely tough.

Each race is a white-knuckled ride on the wild side, as the game does an excellent job of conveying a feeling of ferocious speed. It helps that Racer utilizes spectacular 3-D graphics to depict the racetracks and their alien surroundings. But racers can't waste time admiring the scenery: tracks are not always well marked, and it's all too easy to get lost and fly off the track.

As with most Star Wars games, the sound effects and music in Racer are top-notch. True, Anakin's cutesy voice can be annoying at times, but the other racers sound great when they complain as you pass them on the track. Watto the shopkeeper, the floating alien guy who sells new parts and upgrades for your pod, is a great character who chatters away humorously as you shop his store.

Overall, Racer is a game that can easily stand on its own merits rather than ride the coattails of Star Wars: Episode I. Intense speed, unique racing action, and excellent 3-D graphics make this one a sure-fire winner. --Michael E. Ryan

Pros:

• Unique, high-speed racing action
• Excellent graphics
• Pod upgrades
• Great sound effects and music

• Becomes extremely difficult at the highest levels
• Tracks can be confusing at times
• The voice of Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker)

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Running on an enhanced Star Wars: Rogue Squadron engine,the nice game developers at Factor 5 have taken one last stab at theaging Nintendo 64 system with yet another entry into the wide world ofLucas. At times fun, but at more times frustrating, Star Wars:Episode I, Battle for Naboo has plenty going for it. Unfortunately,these good deeds are deeply overshadowed by a darker side.

Were you one of the millions who enjoyed the very popular RogueSquadron? If you were, then get ready for more of the same, onlythis time wrapped around a lucrative Episode I license. Thisshould appeal to newly christened fans and hardball line campers alike,as there's more of a concrete story line to follow than in thesidelined plot of RS.

Just as in the aforementioned classic, Battle for Naboo revolvesaround the collection of gold medals. New vehicles abound, and there'smore than enough variety in the game's locales. The ability to switchcraft at any time during the missions doesn't hurt the replay factor,either. If you discover the flash speeder doesn't have enough firepowerto finish off that AT-AT tank, you can simply enter a different hangerand take control of a police cruiser.

The graphics are astounding, even better than what RS showcased.The game displays fantastic details everywhere--even the explosions areincredible. The sound, though, is very disappointing, especially whenyou consider that Factor 5 is behind the scenes. To the curious, Factor5 has been one of the pioneers of gaming audio for a while now; thecompany was even chosen to helm the sound capabilities of Nintendo'snext-generation GameCube console. With all of Factor 5's credentials,one might expect stellar sound. In many instances, the sound comes outmuffled and the voice-overs are distorted.

The control and maneuvering should have been given more fine-tuning aswell. This type of game relies on precise controls, but Battle forNaboo suffers from some sloppy movements and inaccurate targetingproblems. This, combined with simplistic backgrounds and missions thatare too straightforward, helps deflate what could have been a greatgame into a mere OK title. There's plenty of replay value here, butthis game's certainly not for everyone. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• High replayability
• Large variety of ships and locales
• Impressive graphics

• The sound is muffled and the voice-overs are distorted
• Imprecise controls

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

This Xbox shooter set in George Lucas's famous far, far away galaxy isactually a port of the fun PlayStation2 game from a long time ago. TheSpecial Edition tag means it's not quite a straight port; Xbox gamers aretreated to a few visual and gameplay enhancements to the originalStarfighter.

Taking place parallel to the events of Star Wars: Episode I, The PhantomMenace, Starfighter lets you control the destiny of Naboo pilot RhysDallows, mercenary Vana Sage, and pirate Nym as they wage war against thedreaded Trade Federation.

Starfighter delivers everything that a console game namedStarfighter should: shiny ships, big guns, and lots of targets. Thegameplay is of course just as good and solid as the PS2 original. While the coregame can be finished quite quickly, there's a host of extra missions and shipsthat can be unlocked by successfully completing secondary tasks withinindividual missions.

Every object in this special edition of Starfighter is more detailed andshows a bit more flare and flash than the already great-looking PS2 version. Andunlike the PS2 game, there's almost zero slowdown when the action is at its mostfrantic. Besides improved graphics, Starfighter SE features expanded (andinstantly accessible) multiplayer games. These games are mildly amusing atbest.

So, while the extras aren't fabulously exciting, the game delivers what itpromises: Starfighter optimized for Xbox. If you're in the mood for afun, mostly mindless, space shoot-'em-up game, you'll be well satisfied withthis one. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• One of the best Star Wars games made for consoles
• Enhanced visuals over the original PS2 version
• Multiplayer options that do not need to be unlocked, unlike the PS2 version

• If you've beaten the PS2 version, there's no need to bother with this one
• A particularly deep game it's not

Editorial Review

A long time ago, LucasArts established a sterling reputation with theirclassic X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and Monkey Island games. Butrecent efforts have varied widely in quality. Some games, like X-WingAlliance, were outstanding. Others, such as Force Commander, werebetter left unreleased. Obi-Wan, LucasArts's first Star Wars: EpisodeI adventure game for the Xbox, falls firmly in the latter camp--the controlsare poor, the graphics uninspiring, and the voice acting is embarrassing.

Obi-Wan chronicles the adventures of young Obi-Wan Kenobi across fiveacts as he battles the evil Trade Federation, the Black Heth crime organization,and other assorted baddies. The story is nothing new, and it's hampered a bit bythe Episode I setting, which simply isn't as compelling as the setting ofthe classic Star Wars stories.

Since you play as Obi-Wan, the primary weapon in your arsenal is the lightsaber.Using a third-person view, you use the left thumbstick to control Obi-Wan andthe right thumbstick to control the lightsaber. In principle this soundsfantastic, but in practice it's a mess--the camera constantly shifts angles,making it hard to see certain enemies, and planning a coordinated attack withthe lightsaber is unnecessarily difficult, especially when multiple enemies areswarming in from all sides.

Graphically, Obi-Wan is lifeless. It fails to take advantage of theXbox's fancy graphics hardware, and the environments are empty and plain. TheLegend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a game released for the obsolete Nintendo64 system, features much more beautiful graphics. And playing Obi-Wanafter playing Halo or Munch's Oddysee will make a Star Warsfan weep at the thought of how good Obi-Wan should have looked.Compounding the ugly graphics problem is the fact that the game will slow to acrawl at certain points, making jumping or fighting practically impossible.Almost as bad as the poor graphics is the horrid voice acting (Obi-Wan soundslike Mike Myers doing a bad Scottish accent), and the all-too-frequent cinematiccutscenes look like they were slapped together in five minutes.

There are some tiny diamonds in the vast rough, such as the ability to use Forcepowers to throw objects at enemies or pull weapons out of their hands. A featuresure to please fans of the dramatic saber fights in Episode I is themultiplayer Jedi Battles mode. This mode lets you and a buddy engage in fierceJedi duels, using characters from the movie and game. Unfortunately, these fewnice touches aren't enough to overcome Obi-Wan's bland setting and lameexecution. --William Harms

Pros:

• Force powers
• You get to use a lightsaber
• Multiplayer Jedi Battles can be fun
• Great music and sound effects

• Foes parry Obi-Wan's lightsaber with clubs
• Horrible graphics
• Atrocious voice acting
• Clumsy controls
• Empty levels

Features

• For 1 or 2 players
• 3-D fighting game set in the Star Wars universe
• Excellent backgrounds and settings
• Tons of cool special moves and Force powers
• Multiple gameplay modes

Reviews (10)

Star Wars Master of Teras Kasi
I read the reviews on this game after renting it and am planning on buying it, I am disgusted to see what people say about it, the controlls really aren't that bad, its a little slower then most fighting games, but not horrible so, the special moves are a litte unbalanced yes, but you don't have to do special moves, all in all I think its worth owning, in fact I go so far as to say its a must have for any star wars geek(I can say geek I am a Star Wars Geek

Classic example of "great idea, terrible execution"
In the mid-late nineties, Lucas Arts decided to try something new and unique with their Star Wars license - a fighting game. That's not a misprint - they actually released a Star Wars fighting game. But was this new venture a good idea for Lucas Arts and for the Star Wars franchise? Read on and find out for yourself.

PROS:
-Let me start by saying the variety of characters you can choose from is pretty good. You've got lesser-known characters like a Tusken Raider and a Gamorrean, and the wildly popular characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. The game also introduces at least one new character.
-The game also has secret characters - a Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, Jodo Kast, and an alternate version of Princess Leia.
-Every character has his or her own unique weapon. Some characters always have their weapon equipped, others must have a motion entered in order to draw it.

CONS:
-The graphics for this game are downright terrible. As stated above, they look like they were made a year before the game was released.
-The control, what I feel is the most important thing in a video game, is just horrible. Not the button placement, but rather the fighting engine. In other words, adjustingthe controls isn't likely to make your day any easier. The primary challenge from this game comes not from what difficulty you select, but rather the bad fighting engine.
-The secret characters are just regular characters in different outfits (The Stormtrooper has the same moves as Han Solo, and the alternative version of Princess Leia has the same moves as the normal version of Princess Leia.)
-The characters are horribly imbalanced in terms of their fighting strength. A Tusken Raider is a better fighter than Han Solo? I find that a little hard to believe.
-Star Wars games are always either a "hit" or a "miss", and this one is a "miss", sadly. Too bad, because this was actually a great idea.

OVERALL:
Pass this game by. Not only is it out of production and extremely tough to find now, it's also not even worth finding. Do not buy this game unless you're the kind of Star Wars nerd who can't live without every Star Wars game ever made. There are much better fighting games out there, and there are much better Star Wars games out there. Trust me, you're better off imagining these fights than actually playing this game.

Editorial Review

Originally released for the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, StarWars: Episode I, Racer was a decent title with its share of flaws--mostnotably its control and graphics. The game's PlayStation2 sequel, Star Wars:Racer Revenge, addresses many of the original's shortcomings and is a vastlysuperior product. Rainbow Studios--known for its strong racers such as ATVOffroad Fury and Motocross Madness--developed this game, unlike theoriginal. The developer's prowess at creating racing games is evident, as thistitle features much better controls and more compelling races. Furthermore, itreceives a nice graphics upgrade that showcases the capabilities of the PS2.This game is superior in every respect to its predecessor.

Game modes include practice, single play, tournament, time trials, and versus.Tournament mode is the bulk of the game. Players can beat it in fewer than threehours and it isn't particularly difficult. Replay value is added by requiringyou to beat the tournament mode several times so you can unlock all the game'ssecrets. Oddly enough, the game's sound--usually LucasArts's forte--is hamperedby an unusual effect: at times you'll hear the full Star Wars treatment,as John Williams's score and cool sound effects totally capture the feel of themovies, but other times you'll hear only the sound of your engine. Theenvironmental audio is an interesting choice that wasn't executed very well.Audio and brevity issues aside, this game is one of the strongest StarWars titles released for a console. --Raymond M. Padilla

Pros:

• Much better gameplay than the original
• Excellent graphics
• Tight controls

• Extremely short
• Not very challenging
• Music fade-ins and -outs are weird

Reviews (18)

Very above average! Good gameplay.
This game is extremely enjoyable if you've played N64. The courses are varied and offer challenge and make the player concentrate. Some courses are very hard and nearly unbeatable if one doesn't memorize them, as I do. In my personal opinion, it is an honor for an amateur to place 4th in the Amateur podracing circuit. It is even more so if they place 7th in the Galactic and Invitational circuits. So, it is pretty fair. All the podracers to choose from are top notch, but the best armor and durability goes to a player named Gasgano. (If you disagree, there are many choices) This is the player I use the most on the more advanced courses. If you are a beginner, go with Anakin Skywalker.
Go buy this game if you like good, technical fare.

a good game
the graphic a below advage for dreamcast but the game play fun and different form other raceing games because you have to find the quickiest route .Your pod take on damage and boosting is fun.

Kickarse Game
This is probably the best game ive ever played of star wars mostly cause I mean hey Its on the dreamcast and thats all u need! Graphics, Sound, and All the best In game graphics and Cinema Graphics combined! So if u add Star Wars to it! You know ye gonna love it! If you dont buy this ye a fool! FOR ALL THOSE NEGATIVE VIEWERS FLAMING THIS!! Your all nothin but a bunch of Sad Sad Star Wars hating Munchkins... 'Tis a pity.

Reviews (10)

Fun
A fun version of The star wars saga.A great side story you are involved in when you find yourself in the middle of a secret base from the Dark side of the force. All around fun game to play!

The Dream Game
Ok I played it at my friends house(big star wars video game fan)and I say It doesen't suck but it could be better.I only played the Playstation version BAD GRAPHICS!!!!!!!!!!!!! But it was exceptional

Editorial Review

Star Wars: Force Commander, which casts you as one of the Empire's sinister agents, takes the Star Wars universe into the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. The gameplay follows standard RTS control conventions, so anyone familiar with StarCraft, Command & Conquer, and the like will be able to enforce the Emperor's will in no time.

Force Commander differs from traditional RTS games by eliminating resource gathering. Instead, players receive command points for accomplishing mission objectives, controlling key buildings, or blowing up enemy units. Command points are used to requisition troops and buildings from an orbiting Star Destroyer.

Star Wars fans will find much to love in the plot. Force Commander begins with your small training platoon being ordered to investigate a certain escape pod that has crashed on Tatooine. Caught up in events that will forever change the galaxy, your career takes you to such far away worlds as Tatooine, Yavin, Hoth, Endor--even Coruscant. With each successful mission comes an increase in rank and larger forces of Storm Troopers, speeder bikes, TIE Fighters, and AT-ATs. Being able to take part in the Echo Base assault on Hoth (and other key conflicts from the movies) is a Star Wars fan's dream come true, and we'll be forever grateful to LucasArts for giving us the opportunity to hunt down Ewoks on Endor. --Mike Fehlauer

Pros:

• Play as the Imperials or the Rebels, in single player and online
• Fully 3-D units and terrain
• Units gain experience, and surviving units can be used in subsequent missions
• Perfectly authentic sound effects
• Storyline puts you in the pivotal battles of Star Wars

Cons:

• Hefty system requirements
• Occasional texture breaks on the 3-D terrain
• Units not from the movies look out of place
• Ugly interface

Features

• Fifteen different levels
• Varying spacecraft with a range of weapons
• Multiple playing modes
• New storyline
• 360 degrees of 3-D rendered graphics

Reviews (5)

It's A Good Game,But It Could Have Been Better
Okay,Star Wars Rebel Assault 2 is a really good game,but if LucasArts and Factor 5 spent more time on it,I would've given it five stars.

You play the role of Rookie 1,and you're sent to inspect the Dreighton Triangle,because many ships have dissapeared there.But then a swarm of Tie Fighters come in and shoot you down.

You land on a planet,then you look for a YT-1300 Transport,while blasting StormTroopers all around(there are ground combat missions,too).
Then later in the game,you're sent to capture one of the Empire's Phantom Fighters.And guess what?There's even a first person shooter level too!
This isn't a game for younger kids,because it can get incredibly hard on different levels.

Pros:
Good graphics,on ground combat missions and various levels.

Plenty of action.

Three dificulty levels(easy,medium,and hard).

Ground Combat Missions!

Cons:
The game doesn't support the analog stick controllers.

Awful graphics on most of the levels.

You can't truely control the ships.They mostly control themselves while you blast the heck out of everything.

Having two disks is inconveinient.You have to put disk one in your PlayStation for the game to start,then put disk two in to acsess the later levels,if you've goten to them.

Sometimes controling where the crosshairs go is hard using the little arrow buttons.
There need to be more ground combat missions(come on,there's only three of them!)!

Overall,this is a good game,but it could have been WAY better.

Rebel Assault II
This is one of the best games I've ever played! Its graphics are realistic and dynamic!! You can't stop playing once you start-you'll be hooked!

Editorial Review

Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected,it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flyingfrom either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fighttheir way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the livesof three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period asStar Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallelthose of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict againstthe Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective.

Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it cantake weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock thegame's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes,and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including DarthMaul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).

Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing throughan enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaselessprocession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw anoverwhelming number of 3-D objects on the screen at once--such as amission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen largecapital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, withlasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, andconstant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.

The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic,and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on atonce that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only realdrawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up andprevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetarymissions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high.Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and noarcade, action, or Star Wars fan with a PlayStation2 will wantto miss it. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• No Jar Jar
• Stunning graphics
• Exciting, massive missions

Cons:

• Some mission-stopping bugs
• Simplistic combat will disappoint simulation fans looking forsomething along the lines of X-Wing Alliance

Reviews (37)

Under-rated Game
I've owned every other Star Wars game on the 64, and without a doubht, nothing suprasses Rougue Squadren.

I had my doubhts about this game. I started off playing Rougue Squadren, then Naboo, and Racer, both Racer and Naboo lost there reply value after a weel for me, but RS i one I will always go back to now and then... So I thought I might give Shadows Of The Empire a go. I had low expectations for it, but actualy comparing it to RS is useless because this version is completly different to RS and BFN! It suprised me when I got to the 2nd stage and it had gone Goldeneye style! You run around as a guy named Dash, you start with a laser, but you can find missiles, proton thingies, stun guns and my fvorite that just blows half the room away, I dunno what it was called but it's great...oh, and a flame thrower!!! Would have been nice if the enemys caught fire or something, instead of act like the where shot, but it's still cool.

Half the game is on foot in a Goldeneye/Duke Nukem kind of way. You open doors, collect things, can fly around with a jet pack, have to do things to get to certain area first before moving on the level and things like that. The rest of the game is flying and shooting in your ships.

Level one is the battle of hoth, and where this games story begins. It is is almost like the Battle Of Hoth in RS on one of the bonus missions. The graphics arnt RS, but that didnt matter. You gun down the probe driods, go after the Chicken Walkers, then trip the Walkers. Then the story begins, whats happening is this game starts from Empire Strikes Back (the movie) and after the Battle Of Hoth, it's following the story of another Rebellion, Dash. And what it leads to is the events that have happened inbetween Empire Strikes Back & Return Of The Jedi.

From the movies, you only see the end of Empire as they go looking for Han, then the next movies starts with his rescue. Well this game is what happened inbetween then.

The graphics are decent, there not RS but it's still fun. I know it's the original, but it felt good to actualy get out of the crafts and vehicles and do some running around for a change.

Only 3 negative things I have to say.
1) You kill Boba Fett in this, so that makes no continuity sense.
2) No multiplayer :( wouldve made a great 2 or more layer game I reckon.
3) it would have been nice to be able to do a custom edit to the controls, and be able to choose what button you want to do what with. Because of the 100's of other shoot'em up games, everytime I went to shoot I was pressing the Z button by mistake. Theres no programmed control setting to use the Z button to fire. Which makes no sense, because the Z button is known as the trigger button, but all it does in this game is either veiw, or run left, depending on what control setting you have set.

So, basicly, the graphics arnt superb, it was one of the 1st games for the 64, and you can see the many advancments they made for RS. But this game is still good. SOFE & RS are 2 completly different games. If you love RS or BFN, and you havent played this one 'cause you think it is inferior, then think again. It holds its own and stands up still. There is even a level on speeder bikes! Reminded me a bit of Racer, but not quite the same; it's hard to go fast and stay in control in this. There isnt any ships to choose in mission like RS, basicly you start with the Snow Speeder, go onto Dash's ship that is much like the Falcon. And apparently theres a code to fly an X wing in the last level, and cheats to play as the AT-ST, but I didnt try them.

I found it tougher then you'd think to stay alive, so I recomend you enter the Debug code.

What you do is start a new game in a fresh slot, (earase if you none free) then enter your name as ".Wampa..Stompa" and note the . on there. There is a space at the start, and 2 between Stompa. It is case sensative, so make sure you press the L button to change from upper case to lower case. Then ok it all and start the game. Press pause as soon as the level starts, and on the pause menu, hold down all the c buttons, the L, R, & Z buttons and left on the arrow pad (hold them all at once together. Then while holding them down, move the control stick to the left for about 5 seconds, you will hear a noise. Then hold it right for 5 seconds. Then left, then right, then left for the same time. And you should get pink writing come up.
(TIP: the way I did it was used my finger to hold the button, then used my lips to hold the stick left and right)
That pink writing you can toggle through by press L or R, and then Start to enable it. You basicly just need the invincabilty and all weapens. Maybe the level skip or teleport(to another location of the level your on). Have fun with it. Each time you want to use it again, hold all the buttons down again (all C's, L, R, Z, left) and then tap the analog to the left and the menu will display again whenever you want it.

May the shwartz be with you.

Childhood Game-Nostalgia
I recently went crazy and bought an N64 system, an expansion pak, a memory card, and 13 games. Thing was, it all happened in less than 2 days and it happened cause the sweet memories I had when I was a child. I bought the N64 mainly for the game Zelda: Ocarina of Time (by the way if you've never played it, by all cost and means, do so). However, this game was also part of that sweet memory which I'm trying to relive again.

This game, from my experience a long time ago, was fun. The only minor problem is sometimes the lack of directions, camera angle can be changed but sometimes even with the change you don't exactly get just what you want still, and controlling is a little hard sometimes so jumping from one spot to another usually ends up in falling to your doom, but again not if you get use to it. Same for walking on ledges.

You start out with a small spaceship (don't know the names that well not much of a star wars fan) and you use your laser guns to kill the small two legged robots (at-st?) and these ropes to entangle and destroy the big ones. Than for the next two levels or so are first person shooters.

The thing about this game is that soon it gets boring so what you do is be creative in killing your enemies. For example: Level 2 or something, where you meet these hairy beasts haha, wow, anyways what I do is, they are locked in this room with some guys. So what I do is run in, save up my guns, and run around and open the cages and let them handle those guys. Afterwards you let the two beasts fight each other to save ammo. Trick is to not let them see you and don't disturb them while they are fighting each other. And in the first level I love killing the smaller robots with my own ship. Suicidal style.

This game is nice still. I think its quite replayable. It was hard for me to play it then cause I didn't have a memory card and each time I turned the game off I got to start in the beginning of that level again. I never beated the train level.
You really can't go wrong with this game. Just don't buy it for more than $15. I bought one that worked great for $7.50. Shop around. Nice day to everyone.

Editorial Review

As the room fills with poison gas, you and Qui-Gon race down the hall and stop in front of five Trade Federation droids. Your lightsaber hums to life as you and your master block and reflect the hail of blaster bolts, leaving the offending droids in pieces. As your enemies grow to seemingly hopeless numbers, you extend your hand in a Jedi force push. Again all that is left are fried circuits. Leaping over chasms, destroying droid armies, saving entire planets is all in a day's work when you are a Jedi. And we all want to be Jedi... right?

In Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace, you assume the roles of Obi Wan, Qui-Gon, Queen Amidala, and Captain Panaka as they struggle to save Naboo and defeat the Trade Federation's sinister agents. Exciting battles, terrific sound effects, and a true-to-the-movie story line make this game a treat for any Star Wars fan. The graphics could be sharper, but the overall Star Wars experience is not diminished by this fact. Instead, the gameplay itself takes you away from an immersive Star Wars feel: it's just strange to see a Jedi use a rocket launcher. I was also hoping that lightsabers would cut through just about anything, but sadly this is not the case--some robots even need to be hit multiple times before they go down. And it's just sad to see a Jedi's progress in an outdoor level blocked by simple shrubbery. Still, like the movie itself, Star Wars: Episode One, The Phantom Menace overcomes its minor flaws to deliver a thrilling experience. --Allen Stewart

Pros:

• You get to use a lightsaber
• Dual shock controllers vibrate with the saber's movement
• Great music video of "Duel of the Fates" included

• Graphics could be better
• Voice-overs are rather weak

Editorial Review

Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance casts you as the youngest son of the Azzameen family, a merchant dynasty operating in a galaxy far, far away. The game is set in the turbulent time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Caught amid increasing tensions between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, with business rivals watching for any sign of weakness, the Azzameens are on the edge of financial ruin. Worse, their Rebel sympathies may endanger their very survival.

As the family's newest pilot, you fly tutorial missions at first, under the supervision of your sister Aeron and the droid Emkay. But even as you are training, the situation heats up. Before long, the family has been betrayed, your space station has been seized, and you're forced to turn to the Rebellion. Though the game's focus is on combat, the development of this story is tight and suspenseful.

The story and the merchant/smuggler setting give the game plenty of variety. One mission may have you piloting a loaded freighter through an Imperial blockade, while another may place you in the cockpit of an X-Wing on a hit-and-run raid against an enemy battle station. Every ship, every weapon, every sound effect is pure Star Wars, totally faithful to the look--and feel--of the movies. This extends to the missions themselves: nothing works as planned, but somehow you and your Rebel allies manage to make it all the way to the climactic Battle of Endor. If you've distinguished yourself in the earlier missions, hot pilots will get the chance to take the controls of the Millennium Falcon and cram a torpedo into the gut of the Emperor's second Death Star.

Controlling the fighters, freighters, and transports in X-Wing Alliance is easy, with all the options you'd expect in a Star Wars simulation. Shield, engine, and weapon power levels are all adjustable, so you, too, can transfer all power to front deflector screens while attacking, or shut down power to weapons to outrun a swarm of TIE fighters. Novice players may find it difficult to control wingmen or to keep track of the changing objectives when missions go sour. But practice makes perfect, and the truly frustrated can simply skip up to three missions without penalty.

With a modest learning curve and graphics that put you right in the milieu of the Star Wars films, X-Wing Alliance will have you flying combat missions for the Rebel Alliance in no time--and loving every minute of it. --Alyx Dellamonica

Pros:

• Loving attention to detail
• Fantastic sound effects and John Williams's music
• Interesting and changing mission objectives
• Wide variety of spacecraft

• Occasional bugs within missions can render them unwinnable