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STAR WARS EPISODE I: RACER (DC)
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Publisher: LucasArts.
Developer: LucasArts. Released: August 2000 (Europe). Genre: Racing. Other versions: N64; PC; GBC. Posted 29th November 2018. By Shane Battams © 2018 |
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There’s something uniquely satisfying about futuristic racers. Unlike traditional racers, you can go way beyond the limitations of ‘normal’ racing speed, which brings a combination of insane thrills and an increased risk of crashing, resulting in challenging yet satisfying racers. Star Wars Episode I: Racer, on the surface, seems like another cash-grab based on the The Phantom Menace. But with speedy thrills based on arguably the movie’s best scene, coupled with the improved power of the Dreamcast, would LucasArts be onto another winner?
Coming 14 months after an initial release on the N64 and PC, Racer offers players a chance to recreate the thrilling podracing sequence from The Phantom Menace. After opting for a track and choosing from over twenty playable characters, the racing can begin. There are some unique kinks which help Racer stand out amongst its peers. Along with steering, you can also utilise rolls in either direction to help navigate tighter areas. Instead of boost-pads, once you’re able to maintain a certain speed, you can push the analogue stick forward, charging the boost and allowing you to increase your speed. But it comes with a caveat: if you rely on this charged speed for too long, it can cause your engine to explode, costing valuable seconds. It seems like a small feature, but the game becomes a tense balancing act of maintaining speed, avoiding collisions and preventing your engine overheating.
Coming 14 months after an initial release on the N64 and PC, Racer offers players a chance to recreate the thrilling podracing sequence from The Phantom Menace. After opting for a track and choosing from over twenty playable characters, the racing can begin. There are some unique kinks which help Racer stand out amongst its peers. Along with steering, you can also utilise rolls in either direction to help navigate tighter areas. Instead of boost-pads, once you’re able to maintain a certain speed, you can push the analogue stick forward, charging the boost and allowing you to increase your speed. But it comes with a caveat: if you rely on this charged speed for too long, it can cause your engine to explode, costing valuable seconds. It seems like a small feature, but the game becomes a tense balancing act of maintaining speed, avoiding collisions and preventing your engine overheating.
LucasArts have made imaginative use of the license, with tracks, characters and vehicles that will please Star Wars fans.
There’s a lengthy roster of racers and tracks, ranging from iconic characters and locales to more obscure alien types. Each driver brings a unique pod, with a series of stats which can alter how you play. Pods specialised in handling will be far easier to navigate throughout a course, but lack the speed to keep up with harder A.I. Meanwhile, speed-focused pods will help widen the gap, but can be trickier to keep on the track. Speaking of which, the courses derive from a handful of sources, and there’s some great loops and designs to overcome repetition. As you progress, tracks with zero-gravity, challenging jumps and environmental hazards up the stakes. Shortcuts await discovery, and prove invaluable on higher difficulties. It’s great stuff.
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In terms of content, there’s a few ways to play. Along with a free race mode which lets you adjust tracks, laps and A.I. speed, you can partake in the main Tournament Mode. Across three championships of seven races (as well as a fourth bonus one with four), you have a plethora of options for progress. Most races will require a podium finish to unlock further races, but along with this, you can partake in bets before the race starts. This allows you to earn credits depending on your confidence, as you can spread credits across the three leading positions, favour a first-place finish or put all credits into a winning run. Vehicles can then be upgraded using these credits, allowing you to boost stats which are a necessity later on. It seems straightforward, but little touches make Tournament quite fun. There’s also a Time Trial feature, allowing you to test yourself on both standard and mirror versions of the tracks. There’s plenty to keep you going.
The only disappointment comes in the porting. Despite the Dreamcast’s capable performance, everything looks a little similar to the original N64 game. It’s not all bad, as tracks benefit from attractive scenery and the frame-rate does keep at a steady pace. But characters look incredibly blocky, pop-in and weak lighting plague tracks and everything looks a touch flat. The sound is good, with some excellent engine sounds and high quality music that taps into John Williams’ awesome score. The only downside is the voice clips which, while utilising many of the cast from the movie to sound authentic, come off as a tad grating due to repetition.
The only disappointment comes in the porting. Despite the Dreamcast’s capable performance, everything looks a little similar to the original N64 game. It’s not all bad, as tracks benefit from attractive scenery and the frame-rate does keep at a steady pace. But characters look incredibly blocky, pop-in and weak lighting plague tracks and everything looks a touch flat. The sound is good, with some excellent engine sounds and high quality music that taps into John Williams’ awesome score. The only downside is the voice clips which, while utilising many of the cast from the movie to sound authentic, come off as a tad grating due to repetition.
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Star Wars Episode I: Racer doesn't look anything special in still form, but it has a good turn of pace.
Despite looking underwhelming due to lacklustre porting, Star Wars Episode I: Racer is still a great, fast futuristic racer that keeps pace with the best of its genre, thanks to some unique touches that add challenge and flair to the gameplay. Tournament mode, despite its basic exterior, adds depth through pre-race bets and vehicle upgrades. Add to this the time trial and multiplayer modes, and it’s a satisfying package. It subverts the trend of lacklustre Phantom Menace tie-ins and offers one of the better futuristic racers on the Dreamcast. Whether you have interest in the source material or the genre, gamers will find themselves satisfied with the end result.
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VERDICT
"Despite a lacklustre Dreamcast port, Episode I: Racer remains a great, fast futuristic racer. Unique touches and a smart use of the Star Wars license allowed it to keep pace with the best of its genre." OVERALL: 8/10 |