Star Wars Episode 1: Racer - N64

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Also for: PC, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast
Viewed: 3D First-person / Third-person Genre:
Racing
Media: Cartridge Arcade origin:No
Developer: LucasArts Soft. Co.: LucasArts
Publishers: Nintendo (GB/US/JP)
Released: 1999 (GB/US/JP)
Ratings: 3+, ESRB Everyone
Accessories: Rumble Pack, Expansion Pak, Controller Pak

Summary

Hey, Star Wars obsessive! Your carriage awaits. Get ready to feel the force as your chosen pod racer, the strangest looking race vehicles I have ever seen in a video game, motors along at speeds of up to 600 mph, whilst hovering four feet off the ground. They may look ungainly and odd, but blimey, they do move fast, and unlike some racing titles, you can almost feel the g-force as you play.

There are twenty-three characters from the film for you to choose from, including the delightfully-monikered Dud Bolt, Clegg Holdfast, and my personal favourite, the mysterious Toy Dampner. Ha-ha! Each character comes with their own unique pod racer, so you can delve straight into the thrills and spills that the mind-bogglingly spectacular racing sequence stunned you with in the cinema. A whopping total of twenty tracks are available to race, but of course some have to be unlocked, so a tip-top performance is essential if you want to get the most from the game. Some of the pod racers also have to be unlocked, again, it is all down to how you perform.

The better your overall performance, the more truguts, the game’s unique form of currency, you are able to earn. These truguts can then be spent in Watto’s Shop, on upgrades for your pod racer, or maybe the ever-helpful Pit Droids, who will effect repairs to your vehicle between races. As an alternative, and if you are not earning enough truguts, there is the opportunity to go to the scrapyard to buy used parts to try and improve your standing.

This particular title will have you looking forward to the next episode in this series, whatever form that may take.