Developer: LucasArts Publisher: LucasArts Release: 10/00 Genre: Action
With the release of the Phantom Menace in theaters it presented an opportunity for a slew of new Star Wars games in a whole new setting. The dozens of novels and PC games did a good job exploring the wider universe but they were considered non-canon. This was official. Personally I was more excited for the PlayStation action-adventure adaptation of said film rather than yet another N64 racing game. Unfortunately it is a mess of a game that furthers the narrative that movie licensed games are bad. Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles is LucasArts second attempt to make good on that game’s ideas. While it is a better game it is still ultimately flawed, both on the Dreamcast and the PlayStation.
The idea behind Jedi Power Battles is sound. The game is a 3D beat ’em up/action-adventure only loosely based on Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Rather than retelling the film beat-for-beat, it takes its own liberties, turning moments from the movie into combat-heavy levels where the various Jedi masters slice through armies of battle droids, alien creatures, and bosses. But the execution of its various ideas is messy and at times very frustrating. Yet despite that the game remains a guilty pleasure that you like in spite of some of its crippling flaws.
To start you have a choice of five Jedi: Obi Wan, Qui-Gonn Jin, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, and Adi Gallia. Aside from their differences in power and speed each character has a special item and three unique force powers. Regardless of character you have a lot of options. Deflecting blaster fire is one of the most important skills you must learn early. Simply blocking will send shots willy nilly and deplete your stamina rapidly. Well timed blocks will send them back and usually result in one shotting enemies, usually droids. Combat is fairly involved as you have three attack buttons and can perform combos with different combinations of attacks. As you progress you will unlock more combos. At its core the game does a good job of making you feel like a Jedi. It also encourages multiple runs with different characters.
I will say right away this game has problems. Upon starting the game you are immediately swarmed by droids and you can see the flaws. The controls, especially button arrangement, are awkward and you cannot remap. The hit detection is dodgy and the enemy AI is dumb but relentless. They will block most of your attacks and together with the hit detection issues you will trade lots of damage. The moment to moment gameplay ebbs and flows. When it fails it fails hard. When a random enemy appears offscreen and hits you with a five-hit unblockable combo it is frustrating. Once you are in the thick of it, blocking blaster fire to take out distant foes while slicing lesser enemies in succession it is awesome. It is this inconsistency that is annoying.
That extends to the level design. When the stages are straightforward with easy objectives like saving civilians or simply defeating enemies it is good. Any time they introduce platforming it becomes a problem. Despite a few adjustments for this version it is still frustrating. The game offers the worst camera angles possible making judging distance a hassle. Collision is also wonky. Unfortunately the game has a healthy dose of platforming, especially in levels like Coruscant and Theed Palace. There is a healthy dose of level variety, it is too bad the execution of their scenarios is so bad.
Jedi Power Battles flaws speak to a team with many ideas without the experience to implement them properly. The execution of many of the mechanics feel halfway there. Lightsaber combat, while awkward at times, can feel satisfying during its best moments. The game rewards timing more than button mashing and there is depth if you want it. For the Dreamcast edition the platforming is slightly improved as paths are easier to follow and some jumps are easier. Trust me it is far from ideal but workable. With a little more polish it could have been solid. There is plenty of content to mine, from bonus missions to extra Jedi with unique powers. In addition this version has a training mode that unlocks an exclusive hero and a competitive battle mode featuring the extensive cast of the game. The pieces are there, they needed better arrangement.
On the PlayStation Jedi Power Battles was a visual mess. It had janky 3d models and confusing textures, making navigating levels hard. The Dreamcast release is a significant improvement over that version. The character models are less blocky, have sharper textures and much better animations. The background textures are more detailed making some of the platforming sections a little easier as platforms are more distinct. Most importantly the framerate is a perfect 60 fps and the fluidity is noticeable. With all that in mind this was not the most striking title on the market even at release. Its PlayStation roots are still evident even with the improvements. But they at least make the game more playable.
In Closing
Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles is a flawed but fun brawler. On its own, it is clunky and frustrating. It makes a bad first impression with its high difficulty and overall jankiness. But it nails just enough overall gameplay that it scratches that “I want to be a Jedi” itch. It says a lot that even with its flaws I still like the game. Whether that is because the seed of something good is there or my love of the license I cannot say. It is far from the polish of Devil May Cry or even Dynasty Warriors 2, but for Star Wars fans in 2000, it is a guilty pleasure.
