Nintendo 64

Star Wars: Episode I - Racer

This masterpiece is a dream come true for Star Wars fans! Episode One Racer faithfully recreates (and expands upon) the exciting pod-racing scene from the Phantom Menace. The game offers 23 different vehicles available and 25 unique courses. The graphics (with the help of the memory expansion pack) are magnificent and the illusion of speed is exhilarating.

Star Wars Episode I: Racer packs enough high-octane thrills that most gamers will be able to look beyond the nitpicks about control configuration and pop-up. For sheer N64 racing excitement, it's the game to beat.

Star Wars Episode 1 : Racer, n'est pas simplement une course de vaisseaux de plus. Elle a en effet trois points positifs essentiels : une vitesse impressionnante (pour moi c'est du jamais vu sur N64), une réalisation graphique et sonore excellente, et l'ambiance Star Wars pour couronner le tout. Bref, un investissement sans risque pour un jeu qui décoiffe, malgré un prix de vente un peu élevé (mais on a malheureusement l'habitude sur N64).

Visst är identifiering och närvarokänsla viktigt, men det finns gränser. Och skulle Star Wars: Episode I Racer inte bygga på George Lucas universum är frågan om någon egentligen skulle bry sig om det.

Even with a few complaints lodged against it, Racer is an incredibly fast, super-fun game to play once you get a few levels into it. It's better than F-Zero X, its closest competition on the N64, and it even approaches the PlayStation uber-futuristic racer, Wipeout XL. To compare it with the movie, it's even better than the scene that inspired it, and that's a big compliment indeed.

All in all, Star Wars: Episode One Racer is a pretty good game. With fast action and a good two-player split-screen, it's sure to entertain most Star Wars fans. The constant crashing will frustrate some gamers, but so did Jar Jar. Let's just thank Nintendo for not putting him in the game.

Overall, I would say that the problems are definitely minor and appear even more so when compared with the rest of the game. The only problem that is really annoying is the fact that you must free courses and racers up for multiplayer from single player. It would be a lot more fun to race through the game multiplayer, perhaps only freeing up the track or racer for the player that placed higher. Either way, I would definitely recommend this game for any Star Wars fans, or any racing game fans. Of course, if you are a fan of both, then this is the game for you.

Episode I: Racer is een prima racespel van het kaliber WipeOut/F-Zero X, maar mist een beetje die Star Wars feel die andere SW-games hebben. Het is natuurlijk verplichte kost voor de echte Star Wars fan. Toch hoop ik dat de Episode I games die nog zullen volgen en tikkie origineler zijn.

Avec une rapidité digne de la séquence du film Episode 1 : La Menace Fantôme dont le jeu s'inspire, Star Wars Racer plaira à tous les amateurs de course d'arcade survitaminée. La vingtaine de circuits difficiles, variés et bien architecturés sera un vrai défi pour les pilotes, dans une ambiance extrêmement bien rendue et fidèle au film. Les seuls petits défauts notables sont le mode multijoueurs qui réduit la fluidité essentielle au jeu, et l'utilisation fortement conseillée du RAM Pack, l'extension mémoire de la N64, qui donne au jeu toute son ampleur. Fans de Anakin Skywalker ou non, à vos manettes !

Episode I Racer is a decent racer that gets an added boost from having the power of the Star Wars universe behind it. We thought the movie would shed some light on some of the characters in the game so we could get to know them better. Alas, the only racer besides Anakin and Sebulba that we really got to know in the movie was the pie-face man who stalled at the starting line and lost his four engines in the crowd. The lack of an initial challenge makes it tough to stay with the game until it does get interesting. Maybe, like Anakin, we need a nemesis like Sebulba to get the most out of ourselves and the game.

If you enjoyed the podrace sequence of The Phantom Menace, then you can rent or buy Episode I Racer safe in the knowledge that it delivers the same experience of ludicrous speed in the comfort of your living room. This game is as fast as they come, and looks great doing it. While it suffers slightly from a lack of depth in gameplay, it's a fun arcade racer that uses the Star Wars license to (nearly) full advantage. There are other futuristic racers available for the N64, but none of them look or feel quite like this. All in all, Episode I Racer is a great way to spend an entire weekend trying not to blink for fear that you'll miss the next turn.

After it is all said and done, Star Wars: Episode 1: Racer is still a very good game It isn't realistic because it doesn't need to be. It doesn't have the best graphics because it doesn't need them. This is Star Wars, people. And I must applaud LucasArts for actually putting together a nice little game, as they could have easily just slapped together some graphics and code and it would've sold millions because of the Episode 1 hype alone.