The release ofStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menaceheralded a new era of Star Wars video games. Despite the feelings towards the Prequel Era at the time, it’s difficult to deny how many gems LucasArts and its partners managed to release.Revenge of the Sith,Battlefront II,Bounty Hunter,Knights of the Old Republic IandII,Republic Commando,Jedi Power Battlesand more graced the then-current-gen consoles. For many, these games would have been lost to time if not for the work of Aspyr Media. The porting powerhouse has been responsible for bringing many of the beloved titles to modern platforms, and though their work has been spotty (i.e.Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection) and some promises not kept (i.e. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II’s promised DLC), what they’ve managed to accomplish is impressive. Next month, they’re tackling one of the franchise’s most beloved PlayStation/Dreamcast titles,Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles.
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A Jedi Dream Cast into Reality
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battlesfollows closely in Aspyr’s other Star Wars release’s footsteps. The game is not a remaster, but rather a port that utilizes the Sega Dreamcast source code alongside numerous gameplay enhancements. Why the Dreamcast version? Well, back in the day, this version made significant improvements to the PlayStation version’s visuals, gameplay and difficulty.
As a port, don’t expect too many deviations from the base game. The story, which loosely follows the events of The Phantom Menace, remains intact. The same ten main story missions are all here alongside all the original bonus content. You can pick between the five original playable characters (Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon-Jinn, Plo Koon and Adi Gallia) and previously-unlockable secret characters (Darth Maul, Queen Amidala, Captain Panaka, Ki-Adi-Mundi and a battle droid) and start wreaking havoc across Naboo, Tatooine and Coruscant.
Of course, Aspyr isn’t just dropping the original Dreamcast version on new platforms; the game is getting numerous gameplay enhancements. ForJedi Power Battles, that means further improvements to the original’s clunky platforming as well as better difficulty balancing. These improvements should yield a better gameplay experience without sacrificing the nostalgic feel of the original.
Behold the Purple Lightsaber
DespiteJedi Power Battlesbeing a port, Aspyr is adding in a plethora of new features to the beloved title. First and foremost, as seen in the art, are canon lightsabers. Released before Mace Windu, Plo Koon and Adi Gallia got their canon lightsaber colors,Jedi Power Battlesnow features those canon colors, including Windu’s iconic purple lightsaber. Aspyr, however, hasn’t forgotten about the game’s original fans. A simple toggle will allow players to swap between the canon and OG colors.
There’s also a plethora of new characters to unlock and play around with. So far, Aspyr has revealed the Rifle Droid, Staff Tusken Raider, an Ishi Tib and a Mercenary. Each has unique movesets and ways to play that differ from the lightsaber characters. Expect more to be revealed in the next month.
Players can also experience a lot of extra content they may have missed before. Cheat Codes like Big Head Mode and Big Foot Mode are easily accessible. The seven Training Rooms are here to help you perfect your skills. Players can enjoy two-player couch co-op as well as beat each other up in a versus mode, though it’s unknown if the game supports online co-op or versus modes.
Everything aboutStar Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battlessounds great on paper. Improved gameplay and balancing, new content, all previously-locked secret content unlocked and a visual update are all great additions. It’s now up to Aspyr Media to redeem themselves following theStar Wars: Battlefront Classic Collectionlaunch disaster. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait that much longer to get our hands on this classic title.
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battleslaunches January 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
