Star Wars™: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles™ Logo
Star Wars™: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles™ Icon
Star Wars™: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles™

Developer: Aspyr

Action
Adventure
Co-Op Multiplayer
Retro
  • Price: $19.99
  • Release Date: Jan 23, 2025
  • Number of Players: 1 - 2
  • Last on Sale: -
  • Lowest Historic Price: -
  • ESRB Rating: T [Teen]
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Reviews:
  • Watch this review on YouTube
    While it has nostalgia in its favor with the Star Wars license, the gameplay (while of it’s time) is less endearing

    It’s interesting how games from yesteryear have aged in different ways, depending on the era they’re from. While 8-bit games can be a bit hit or miss, there’s no question that 16-bit titles can still be among the best games ever made in many cases. But then when you move into the earlier polygon-based generations? Without the benefit of nostalgic rose-colored glasses, they can absolutely be a bit rough.

    Jedi Power Battles, despite having some obvious ambitions, and likely having been a good bit of fun at the time, is far from an easy home run. When it comes to the variety of characters you’ll be able to play with, some of the locations you’ll be visiting, and the variety of fun nods you’ll bump into, at its core you can see the care and effort the original developers put into making something distinctive. Playing out as a sort of beat-em-up adventure with light sabers and laser pistols, on paper you can see the potential. The problem really appears to be the limitations of what the hardware was able to pull off at the time.

    Whether it’s the troublesome camera, the sometimes stilted and awkward movement, or what’s ultimately a lack of much variety, the game really struggles to get into a groove and then stick with it. Some sections work better than others, and while in the heat of battle it can begin to feel like things are coming together, more often than not when you then go to a platforming section that impression fades. Whether it’s trouble with the camera angles and depth perception, clunky controls, or the need to meander through areas that start to all look the same, no matter how much fun you’d think you’d have cutting enemies down with your lightsaber, this comes up a bit short. If you enjoyed it at the time on your Dreamcast, that nostalgia may trigger some genuine joy, but if you don’t have that connection to the game already, it will likely be a bit of a tough sell.


    Justin Nation, Score:
    Fair [6.8]
2025

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