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Shock Jar Jar? Toast the
Ewok? A preview of LucasArts games in the works for Fall 2000 ... and those that should be by Jody Reeves Published 9/17/00 LucasArts is coming out with a slew of Star Wars games just in time for Christmas. Here's a heads-up on what to expect. |
My brother Dave and I grew up together as Star Wars fans. When we were kids, he got most of the toys, I helped him destroy them, and now we waste all kinds of money on long-distance phone calls swapping our theories on the plot for Episode II. Recently, I received this email from him:
Do you think if I wrote a Star Wars book, called "The Adventures of Jar Jar and Lando," people would buy it? They would both die at the end of the series, of course. Better yet! Your next article can be called "Jar Jar or Lando: Which One Do We Hate More and Why"!!!!
It's no secret that I've professed a dislike for both Lando and Jar Jar. Oh sure, when Episode I came out last year, I said I didn't find Jar Jar as annoying as he was made out to be. But that was after only seeing the movie twice. By the third time, I was hoping Amidala would bust out with a thermal detonator and blow the Gungan up. Or at least order him blown out of the airlock of her ship. With that in mind, let's preview the new video games on the horizon, and see if we can't create one of our own based on Dave's idea.
(You can find out more about these games, and even ask the developers questions, by going to the official LucasArts website.)
Star Wars Episode I - Obi-Wan (PC) [Expected release - Fall 2000; may be delayed]
The
third in the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series (fourth if you count Mysteries of
the Sith as a game), Obi-Wan takes the first-person concept and utilizes it as you
traverse the worlds introduced in Episode I. The player controls young Obi-Wan
Kenobi as he gains knowledge and skill using the Force. Using your lightsaber, Force
powers (Push and Block) and wits, your job is to advance through twelve levels such as
Theed and Tatooine to reach the goal of facing Darth Maul. Like Jedi Knight,
Obi-Wan rewards good deeds, such as rescuing hostages, with increased Force powers.
Cutscenes help advance the story; rather than slavishly following the Episode I
film plot, the game will use plot points as guides for the game's story. What the player
will experience are possibilities that occurred "off-camera," for example, ever
wonder what Obi-Wan was up to while the film was focusing on Qui-Gon in Mos Espa? One of
the levels gives you a chance to find out.
Obi-Wan will include a multiplayer module, allowing gamers to take whacks at each other via the Internet. Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Hostage Rescue (perhaps similar to the Assault module in Unreal Tournament) options will be available.
No information on PC requirements for Obi-Wan were available on the LucasArts website, but expect them to be steep. As expansive motion-capturing was used to render the characters, figure on the system requirements to be similar to those for the Phantom Menace game:
OS: Windows 95/98
Computer: 100% Windows 95/98 DirectX compatible computer required
CPU: 200 MHz or faster CPU required
Memory: 32MB RAM required
Video: 4MB PCI or AGP Direct 3D Graphics Accelerator required
Sound: 16-bit sound card required
CD-ROM: Quad speed IDE or SCSI CD-ROM required
Input Device: 100% Windows 95/98-compatible keyboard required. Optional support
for gamepads and joysticks.
DirectX: DirectX 6.1 is included on the CD and must be installed before playing
Several websites offer news updates and previews of this
game. Here are some good ones:
http://www.obi-wankenobi.net/
http://www.jediknight.net/obiwan.html
http://www.obiwan-network.com/
http://obiwan-outpost.hypermart.net/
Late breaking news: It has just been announced that THQ is teaming with LucasArts to produce Obi-Wan's Adventures for the Game Boy Color. While no detail about the product is available, look for this to be a miniature version of Episode I: Obi-Wan. Due to the scrolling nature of playing on a Game Boy, anticipate the action to be similar to that in Jedi Power Battles, where you travel in a continuous screen fighting through battle droids and hostile aliens. The projected release date is November 2000.
Star Wars Episode I - Battle for Naboo (N64) [Expected release - Fall 2000]
The follow-up to Rogue Squadron, Battle for Naboo has you
playing as Lt. Gavyn Sykes, a Royal Naboo pilot working to save his homeworld from the
Trade Federation invasion.
The game consists of 16 levels that, while keeping the player on Naboo, will range from Theed to the outlying mountains. Gameplay will consist of fighter piloting, ground combat, and air-to-ground battle. As you progress, power-ups and hidden weapons will aid you in your mission. A unique feature lets the game automatically adjust to your skill level. As you get better, the game gets harder -- enemies dodge your shots better, more droids will block your path, and so on.
It's safe to bet that this might be one of the last Star Wars titles for this platform.
Star Wars Demolition (DreamCast/PlayStation) [Expected release - Fall 2000]
Have you ever attended a demolition derby? I haven't -- the closest I've ever
been to one was the unforgettable demolition derby episode of "Happy Days." (If
you don't know what I'm talking about, ask your parents about it. Just remember, it was
before Fonzie jumped the shark.) Demolition lets you get into the cockpit of one
of many Star Wars vehicles for the sole purpose of smashing up your opponents. Imagine,
buzzing around in Luke's landspeeder trying to take out Lando on one of Jabba's skiffs
(paying attention, little brother?). Fett fans, despair not -- your god is included, using
his jetpack as transportation.
While the goal is "there can be only one," you don't have to rely on merely ramming your opponents. Oh, no -- you also get weapons! Blasters, gun turrets and the like are among the arsenal, all kept fresh with power-ups. Additionally, cloaking devices can be obtained, allowing you the pleasure of sneaking up on the others.
Single and multiplayer options will be available.
Star Wars Starfighter (PlayStation 2) [Expected release - Fall 2000]
With the PlayStation 2 due out this October, LucasArts is simultaneously rolling
out its first Star Wars title for the platform. Starfighter is a mission-based
space battle game based on Episode I. You choose from one of three characters:
Rhys Dallows, Vana Sage, and Nym. Each character has a different ship and skills. Some of
the major plot points from the movie are there, but there are divergences throughout the
game.
Within the 14 levels, your character will go through a variety of scenarios, such as fighting Trade Federation forces above Naboo, eventually going up against the droid control ship. Starfighter is seen as an heir to the gaming tradition of X-Wing and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. Naturally, you can expect the flight controls to be amazing, and with the hype surrounding the PSX2's graphics, the rendering should be unbelievable.
Gamer's Wish List
Now that we've covered what's coming up later this year, let's talk
about what comes next. LucasArts developers take note of these great suggestions for two
new games --
Jar Jar Stories: A cross between Yoda Stories and Frog-a-polt. The player gets to send Jar Jar through the swamps of Naboo and if you screw up, you do not die instantly. Instead you're tortured by battle droids. Every time something goes wrong you lose a limb. This would continue until you're nothing but a torso. Think King Arthur and the Black Knight...
Lando Saves Cloud City: The player, as Lando Calrissian, has to try save Cloud City from the Imperials who occupied it at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. If you do something right, you get a Colt 45 malt liquor. If you do something wrong, Darth Vader toys around with you until he eventually kills you. Better yet, lets re-write the Battle of Tanaab. Instead, your mission is to blow up Lando! Unless, that it is, he is in the Falcon. Then you have to board the Falcon and kill him.
Okay, LucasArts developers, if those can't be whole games, then throw me a bone and make them hidden levels in an upcoming game. It's not like that hasn't been done, Dark Forces had the "Toast the Ewok in the closet," Jedi Power Battles had "Shock Jar Jar till it hurts" as a secret level. It's the least you can do after forcing us to put up with an overly-whiny Queen in the Phantom Menace game.
Now that you've seen a preview of what I'm going to be playing with over the course of the next few months, why not let me know your ideas and comments on our message board? And remember, as the games are released, return here to read player reviews by Yours Truly.
(Jody Reeves is a native of San Francisco, currently living near Washington, DC and working as the Systems Administrator for US Senator Dianne Feinstein. Jody has been a Star Wars fan since first seeing A New Hope in 1977, becoming addicted at the impressionable age of nine. She is also living proof that being a Star Wars fan is genetic, as Jody spends hours on long-distance calls with her brother discussing possible plot points for Episode II. If she's not trolling the Internet searching for Episode II spoilers, Jody can be found trolling for Xena Season Six spoilers, or working on her impression of Eric Cartman.)
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(Screenshots from official LucasArts website used by permission of Lucasfilm.)