In a rather surprising move, Aspyr has announced a remaster of one of the more odd and obscure Star Wars video games, themed after The Phantom Menace. The arcade action platformer Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles will be released on modern consoles and PC on January 25th, 2025.
Here is the Star Wars Jedi Power Battles Trailer
The original game released on the original PlayStation in the spring of 2000, with a Dreamcast port releasing later that fall and even a GameBoy Color port the following year. The game takes place during the events of the first prequel movie, with five playable Jedi characters to choose from and two-player co-op as a major selling point. Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Plo Koon and Adi Gallia. There are unlockable characters such as Ki-Adi-Mundi and Darth Maul.
The game is notable for the odd choice of lightsaber colors for the characters. Mace Windu, known for his unique purple lightsaber, was given a blue lightsaber because purple wasn’t yet established as his color. But even odder, Plo Koon was given a yellow blade, and Add Gallia was given red, which was associated with the Sith. The game is also known for its relatively hard difficulty, primarily due to poor collision detection when jumping from platform to platform, chasing instant death.
In the trailer, it appears that at least some of the issues with the original release have been fixed. The lightsaber colors in certain shots appear to be the correct canonical color, while others appear to be the incorrect colors. This may be an added customizable option. There are also various different arcade-style extras, such as the classic “Big Head Mode.”
One significant inclusion is an additional 13 playable characters. However, many of these newer characters are various enemies and side characters like a Pilot Droid and a Tuskin Raider. Given the large number of prequel-era Jedi, it feels like a missed opportunity. Kit Fisto, Saesse Tiin, Shaak Ti, Aayla Secura, Eeth Koth, Depa Billaba, and Luminara Unduli would have all made great additions to the playable roster.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to this re-release? Do you plan on getting it when it releases in January of next year? Or should this game have remained locked away in the Jedi archives? Let us know your thoughts.
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