VIDEO GAME REVIEW

Lucas frenzy!?

"In the wake of an international video release, why not throw a few games into the mix?" mogul George Lucas seems to ask. So only mere weeks before Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace reached retail shelves for the hungry video-buying public, Lucas Arts added two more titles to its expanding game line: Jedi Power Battles and the Dreamcast version of Episode One Racer.

And although Lucas wasn’t too concerned about audiences when he made the movie, his game company seems to have a little more experience in pleasing the public – though just a pinch more. After the somewhat mundane treatment of Episode One for PlayStation – a poorly rendered action-adventure – Lucas Arts finally apologizes by releasing the light saber-enhanced Jedi Power Battles. The game’s only concern is action, minus puzzles and other annoying obstacles. And only in Power Battles can you finally feel the force of being a Jedi Knight. In full 3-D, the vast universe of Star Wars opens without the worry of pleasing younger gamers (gladly, you don’t have to play the game as Jar Jar Binks).

"Please make sure there are no problems with the game, too," commands Lucas – or at least I wish he had. Without pure luck and sheer genius handling the control pad, clearing stages of Power Battles is nearly impossible. With 10 levels of game play, don’t be surprised if, after a few hours, your tongue is still pulsating with the putrid aftertaste of the second scenario.

Episode One Racer, on the other hand, is a bit easier to swallow. Although the vehicles move at 12 times the speed of Super Mario Kart, mastering the speedway is still an elementary task. (However, the fun factor does collapse with time, so don’t be overly disappointed if the game seems worn-out after repeated races).

Ultimately, both titles supply sufficient two-player party action and nothing more. Maybe being able to slice Jar Jar with a light saber – or run him over – might have made this pair more durable.

Jon M. Gibson writes about video games for Metro Times.