GENRE
	Racing
	DEVELOPER
	LucasArts
	PUBLISHER
	LucasArts
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	CONTROLLER PAK
	no
	RUMBLE PAK
	yes
	RAM PAK
	yes
	BUY NOW AT

However you felt about Jar Jar, the podrace sequence made seeing The Phantom Menace worth the price of admission. In a strange bit of videogame/movie synergy, George Lucas fused his long-held love of hot rods with his son's addiction to futuristic racers like Wipeout, creating a new sport that any adrenaline junkie could love. Think of it as extreme chariot racing: take two airplane engines, tie a self-contained cockpit on with a couple long cords, and head off into the most dangerous terrain your planet has to offer.

Star Wars: Episode I Racer takes the premise of the movie's future-sport and kicks it into hyperdrive. Imagine an illegal racing circuit played out across the galaxy on far-reaching planets with varying terrain. Going head to head with all manner of strange aliens in homespun and corporate-sponsored hot rods. Episode I: Racer's got it all, even if the name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Though not a particularly deep racer in control or gameplay, it's faithful to the experience of the movie, looks great, and delivers serious speed.

You choose from any of 23 podracers, varying from Tatooine's own "Son of Suns" Anakin Skywalker to Sebulba and a crew of other aliens lifted quite faithfully from their 2-second cameos in the movie. Each has their own unique pod, which have varying stats in traction, turning, acceleration, top speed, air brakes, cooling, and repair. Included are 25 courses scattered across 8 distinct worlds. In Tournament mode you'll collect Truguts for every race you win, which can be used to upgrade your pod. Other modes include 2-Player, Free Play, Time Attack, and Practice.

visuals

Though it has its weaknesses, Episode I Racer is one beautiful game. LucasArts has utilized the RAM Pak to bring across the intense velocity of the podrace sequence with a delicate give-and-take between well-drawn textures and a fast engine. But that speed often comes at a price, with jagged edges and a sometimes choppy framerate when other racers get in the mix. The pods themselves are modeled expertly from the film, moving parts and all, but their design renders the pilots themselves all but invisible. There are also multiple camera angles to choose from, and for once the default camera is probably the best balance between visuals and gameplay.

The highlight of Episode I Racer's visuals are, without a doubt, the landscapes of the courses themselves. The textures are colorful, diverse, and crisp. There's pop-up to be seen, but for the most part the course design keeps things rocketing along seamlessly. The vistas range across the barren desert of Tatooine, lush green swamps of Baroonda, and the icy wastes of Ando Prime. With reflecting ice, transparent waterfalls, and ships flying overhead, it's quite easy to forget that this is a race and not a scenic tour of forgotten Star Wars homeworlds.

For a taste of just how bad this game could have been, try turning on the low-res mode: hazy, blurred, and all but unplayable. Anyone without a RAM Pak that's already bought the game will definitely want to rush out and buy one before they throw the cart against the wall. But for anyone with those extra 4 Megs under the hood, LucasArts has delivered another visual feast for the N64. Extra eye candy can even be found between races, where you can closely inspect your pod as it gets repairs done or browse through Watto's junkyard.

audio

One of the biggest strengths of LucasArts' Star Wars games has always been the audio department. With the help of Factor 5, they've lead the way in getting the most out of the N64's midi and developed some astounding compression techniques. But strangely enough, Episode I Racer stumbles where Rouge Squadron's audio soared.

Oh, there's plenty of great voice samples from the film's actors, including Jake Lloyd, aliens cursing at each other in their indecipherable tongues, and the bonus of Watto's own rendition of the classic 'cantina' theme. There are first-rate sound effects galore, and it all comes across crystal clear (with the exception of crashes, where the sound often chops up).

The real Achilles heel in Episode I Racer is the music. Surprised? So was I. Technically, it sounds great, with John Williams' sweeping orchestral scores adding richness and emotion to the visuals. No, the problem is that LucasArts doesn't use it enough. For the first two laps of every race, there is simply no music. None. All you hear is the burning of high-octane engines, the occasional alien expletive, and the rush of wind. While this mimics the film and is supposed to save the dramatic tension for the final lap, it fails to work in the game. In an arcade-style racer, the tension is ever present and needs the music to add another layer to the experience. Besides, when you've got John-freakin-Williams music at your disposal, you should always, always milk it for everything you can.

gameplay

At its heart, Episode I Racer is an arcade racer pure and simple. There's no complicated gameplay mechanics and little in the way of technique that has to be learned. To win you've got to know the courses by heart and have lightening quick reflexes. Within a few tracks you'll have the thruster boost down pat and be flying through impossibly narrow openings. From there it’s a matter pushing your reflexes to their limit in a quest to beat the increasingly tricky courses and stay ahead of your competitors.

The courses themselves are solidly designed, preying on the difficulties of flying the pods while keeping the emphasis of gameplay on just having fun. There's impossible to control patches of ice and low-gravity spacetubes that alter the gameplay completely. Like the Ridge Racer series, many of the tracks are built on the framework of earlier levels. New sections are opened up, old ones are blocked off, and once-stable towers come tumbling down on the track at the worst possible moment. There are also short cuts and side-paths peppered throughout the tracks, keeping your eyes scanning for ramps and shadows while you race. In particular, the Tatooine track that's lifted almost pixel for pixel out of the movie is an absolute joy to race on. Wisely, LucasArts opens the game with a simplified version of the track, but the latter version is so faithful to the movie that it alone is practically worth the price of the cart.

The physics of the pod, while floaty, are dead on. The pods handle exactly like you would expect two free-floating engines to handle, yanking the driver behind them like a tin can tied to a fender. Your pod's stats also have a radical effect on gameplay, making the time spent souping it up and haggling with Watto worthwhile. Unfortunately, there's only a handful of the pods that are useful in serious competition. There's also a nifty little code available that lets you steer your pod chariot-driver style with a controller in each hand. It's a unique twist that gives you a way to control the individual engines and corner even better.

multiplayer

While Episode I Racer's multiplayer mode is limited to 2 players, up to 4 AI racers can join in without effecting the framerate too heavily. It's a fun ride, with your alien pilots taunting each other in their native tongue. Here in particular, additional weapons like Sebulba's heat vents might have added more lifespan to the game. As it is, Episode I Racer's multiplayer is unapologetically straight forward – just you, a friend, and a few aliens rocketing along at hundreds of miles an hour through the desert.

overall

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.

7.0/10