Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles
Score: 40% ESRB: Teen Publisher: THQ Developer: LucasArts Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: For whatever reason, the Force has not been with many Star Wars games. Sure there were some winners, but for every Rogue Leader or Jedi Knight, there was a Rebel Assault or Galactic Battleground. Unfortunately, the trend is continuing because the Force is not with Jedi Power Battles. I can see what LucasArts is trying to do with JPB's graphics, and some of it is good, but for the most part it just does not work and ends up hampering the gameplay. The entire game is presented in a 3/4 overhead perspective similar to Jurassic Park: Island Attack, only it's not nearly as interesting looking or smoothly done. Every level is flat with as little detail as possible. Now I would argue that it was done this way to keep the frame rate up, but the game is way too choppy to support this theory, especially when you run up ramps. The Jedi are probably the best looking thing in the entire game. They are animated really well, and look like the models were taken from the console versions. Everything else is passable, but could stand improvement. Sound - well there is not much to say about sound. Music from the movie is present, but you will have a hard time trying to recognize it. You can usually pick up on a few familiar chords, but it seems like some parts are not present at all. I don't know if people didn't show up for the recording session or if those keys on the keyboard were broken, but it is just hard to listen to. I have heard better midi versions of these songs.
Gameplay: 'Adventure, Excitement - A Jedi craves not these things.' Jedi Power Battles is a direct translation of the DC and PS versions, with a few things left out. The most notable is that not all of the Jedi have made the jump to the GBA. This version offers only three Jedi at the beginning of the game: Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Mace Windu. Brave Jedi who actually beat the game will be rewarded by unlocking Darth Maul. After selecting your Jedi, you set off on an adventure spanning ten levels which loosely follow the plot to Episode I. Ultimately, the aspect that kills JPB is the same thing that killed the console versions - jumping. I cannot even begin to describe how frustrating jumping is throughout the game. The thing is, it is not a control problem, but more of a graphics one. As you play through the fake 3D environments, it becomes harder and harder to judge exactly where to jump. Things only become worse because even when you think you have a good idea of where you will land, you end up falling off the map. JPB also suffers from some of the most erratic AI I have seen yet. Now, I knew battle droids were dumb, but these guys take the cake. As you run toward the droids, you will be met with a hail of laser fire (don't worry, they can't aim so you won't get hit), but once you get within two feet of the droid, it stops firing and just stands there. It is laughable and just plain bad.
Difficulty: About 90 percent of what makes Jedi Power Battles hard is the jumping. However, I refuse to beat that dead Wookie anymore. Everything else about the game is easy, but adding the jumping takes things to a level even Yoda could not handle.
Game Mechanics: The one bright spot in Jedi Power Battles is the control. While it does have a few snags and is not perfect, it is playable. Before starting, you may want to spend a few minutes with the manual because JPB has a rather complex setup. The magical thing is, once you get into the game, things just seem to come together. Although previous versions of this game were not the best games, I still enjoyed them (well, the DC version anyway). Unless you are a die-hard Star Wars fan, there is little in JPB that makes it a must buy or a must play.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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