Aspyr has been on a tear as of late with its remakes of classic Star Wars games. Some have fared well, like the amazing Star Wars: Episode I Racer. Others, like Battlefront Collection, needed a little tinkering but still weren’t bad. But the very spirit of bringing back the LucasArts era deserves some appreciation. And that includes unearthing little nuggets like Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles.
Released in early 2000 – yep, 25 years ago – Power Battles focuses on arcade-style beat-em-up action. You choose your Jedi character of choice and unleash fury on evil forces. That’s about the gist of it, but it does fit into the framework of the Episode I lexicon.
It had its problems – mainly with hit or miss gameplay, literally – but there was joyful fun with the classic game. That fun remains in Aspyr’s remake, complete with new options and characters to spice things up. And it does look better than ever, complete with a little “big head” style update, adding to the cartoony effect.
That said, the gameplay is still not perfect, and co-op could be a little smoother. So a perfect little remaster this isn’t. Regardless, for fans of the game – or newcomers curious about it – it’s not too bad for a game from a galaxy far, far away.
Where Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Excels the Most
Perhaps the most noticeable element with Jedi Power Battles that clicks the most is visuals. The game simply doesn’t look better than it does here, running at a beautiful frame rate. The characters show improvement as well; and it’s a slight bit easier to determine platforms when jumping. (Not perfect, mind you, but at least you won’t fall off as much.)
Again, the “big head” element to the characters is a bit comical, but also noteworthy. It’s actually cool seeing Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu in action again, along with the bad-ass Darth Maul. Others are included too, including fan favorites and some other oddballs. Trust me, you have more than enough characters to choose from.
The music is also top notch, though a bit jittery in places. Like, for instance, when a boss enters the picture, it’ll immediately switch from one song to another instead of making a smooth transition. To be fair, however, that’s how the original game did it.
Overall, this is a pretty good port of a somewhat flawed game, so I won’t fault Aspyr on this front. It’s never looked greater than it does here.
Lightsabering Away At the Gameplay
Now let’s get to the deciding factor that could turn off players from Jedi Power Battles – the gameplay.
While entertaining, the beat-em-up action is far from excelled. That’s because most of the time, the hit detection feels off. You’ll try to hit droids and they might annoyingly hit you first. It’s also easy to miss certain deflections from laser blasts, resulting in a chunk taken off your energy.
Aspyr did try to add modern controls to the game to make this process a little better. But the flaws still somewhat remain, with some annoying deaths as a result. And I should also note that the platforming isn’t top notch. Even with the remaster work, it’s all too easy to miss a platform and have to start all over again.
But I do like how the developer added more characters right off the bat, as well as the ability to jump to any level. This takes away having to chip away at the game over and over again to get what you want. (Like, you know, Darth Maul.)
It’s also good to see local co-op make a return. However, it needs work. While the in-game action is fine, there’s an annoying option that puts only one player in charge of deciding things. As a result, the other might just get shut out and have to start again. Hopefully Aspyr can patch this with a future update.
To sum up, Jedi Power Battles isn’t the best beat-em-up on the market. Far from it. But there is enjoyment here if you’re a fan of the original game or the series in general.
May the Force Be With You
How much you enjoy Jedi Power Battles depends on how much you can accept its flaws. The beat-em-up action could use more polish, especially with the hit-and-miss nature. The platforming isn’t spectacular. And the co-op options need a bit of work.
But there’s enough fun to be had here, particularly with the fine remaster work and all the good stuff unlocked. Plus the $20 price tag isn’t too bad, especially compared to more expensive Star Wars fare. So if you’ve ever wanted Jar Jar and Darth Maul to fight side by side (with Windu!), step right up.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Aspyr for providing us with a review code! Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is available now for Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC!
Need more Star Wars goodness? Check out our review of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection and Star Wars: Bounty Hunter!
