oor, misguided Han Solo. Early in Star Wars: Episode IV, when the brash smuggler boasted that hokey religions and ancient weapons were no match for a blaster, he revealed much more than his own cockiness. He made it clear that he had never seen the Jedi in their prime. Perhaps if Solo had witnessed the havoc that could be wrought by an old-school, lightsaber-twirling dynamo like Mace Windu or Qui-Gon Jinn, he might have chucked his own blaster in the trash compactor. Okay, maybe not. But he certainly would have thought twice before making that crack about "simple tricks and nonsense."
In Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, players get their chance to don the brown and beige mantle of one of five formidable Jedi and fight their way through ten levels crammed with obstacles, puzzles and, of course, hundreds of relentless adversaries who can be taken on in either single or two-player mode. The action occurs in settings taken directly from The Phantom Menace, such as Naboo, Tatooine and Coruscant. The plot also closely parallels that of the movie, basically retracing the steps of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. But in addition to those two familiar characters, players can also enter the fray as Mace Windu, Adi Gallia or Plo Koon, all members of the Jedi Council who demonstrate that they can do much more than sit in a circle and look pensive.
Although their basic attack and movement controls are the same, each character wields their lightsaber in a slightly different manner and has different special abilities, such as combos and Force powers. Qui-Gon, for example, has a 360-degree Force push that sends enemies reeling, while Adi Gallia can temporarily mesmerize her opponents, making them much easier to strike down. As the Jedi complete more levels, more combos and powers are unlocked, which the Jedi will need to take on progressively tougher opponents such as battle droids, mercenary thugs and monsters of all sizes. And of course, waiting at the end of it all is the evil Darth Maul, eager to demonstrate just how devastating the dark side can be.
Try and try again...
Jedi Power Battles' few strengths are very strong indeed, which is one reason that it is so frustrating. The game looks great, with backgrounds that are as gorgeous to look at as they are creatively constructed. Not surprisingly, the sound is also impressive. Everything from John Williams' rousing score to all of the best blasts, whooshes and hums in sound designer Ben Burtt's arsenal are put to good use. And then there is the pure, giddy joy of carving up foe after foe with a lightsaber, although it is perhaps even more rewarding to take out enemies with deflected blaster shots.
Unfortunately, mastering the Jedis' moves is quite a chore, thanks to a seriously twitchy control system. The powerful combination attacks, vital for defeating some of the game's tougher baddies, have a terribly slow reaction time. Players could practically make a sandwich during the lag between pushing the buttons and seeing the Jedi and their sabers finally get a move on. The control problems extend to simple movement as well, making it difficult to shepherd the heroes through all of the perilous sprints and leaps that punctuate the lightsaber combat. And boy, are there ever a lot of those perilous sprints and leaps. To make matters worse, since players can only save their progress after completing a level (and mid-level checkpoints are few and far between), large sections of the game must be played over and over.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment of Jedi Power Battles is that it is almost the same game as last year's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Sure, the characters are different and the game is more combat-oriented. But once again, players are forced to play through the movie, seeing little that has not been seen before. If only LucasArts would come out with more games like Jedi Knight and X-Wing Alliance, games that take the player into unexplored corners of the Star Wars universe while still maintaining their unmistakable and thoroughly enjoyable feel.
