Video Games : Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (PS)

Rating: - Maddeningly addictive!
I suppose I wanted to love this game right from the start, so I deliberately tried to turn a blind eye to its faults (of which there are many) and focus on the good bits. The good: it's Star Wars on a console and, at the time, there was not a massive choice of decent Star Wars games for those of us without a PC. As a Star Wars game, the sound effects are superb - lightsabers whirl, blasters fire and John Williams' soundtrack plays lusciously throughout. It follows the events of 'The Phantom Menace' with a little creative license and is suitably maddening to keep you either coming back for one more go or looking for a somewhere to bury the game in the garden! And now the bad: I had to look for hints and tips on the web to help me get through some of this. There are elements of this game that are far from obvious (at least to me) and I don't know how other players stumbled across some of the secrets. Furthermore, the controls are, at times, frustratingly poor. There have been too many times when I've tried to jump from one ledge to another, only to miss and fall to my doom. If the jumps were genuinely supposed to be difficult I wouldn't mind this - but it can be frustrating when you've just defeated a horde of enemies, only to be confounded by a pesky ledge!

On balance, a flawed game but plenty of fun nonetheless.

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Rating: - Jedi Power Battles is cool!!!
Jedi Power Battles is the best star wars game I,ve played on Ps1 and beats the inferior Phantom Menace!!

Like most games it takes a bit of time to get used to the controls and can be frustrating when first playing it. But once you master the jumps and moves it becomes very enjoyable!!

The levels are very inventive and well thought out. After each level you get special combo moves, but it is optional wether you want to use them. The handling of the characters is good and the range of moves is also good. The people who are critizing it probably have not learnt to play it!!!

The graphics look a bit dated compared to the newer stuff,but it is a must for a starwars fan!!
The only critisim is the Plo Kloon character is too slow and is impossible to beat DarthMaul on level 10!! I have been playing this game on and off for a year and would recommend it!!!!!!!

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Rating: - The Force is NOT strong with this one!
What a terrible game! Bad graphics, very repetitive gameplay and downright annoying in places! You control one of a number of jedi knights and are sent on various missions based on the prequel films - end of story. You have to fight the controls to get any sort of quick response during the game, and if you "get killed", you are transported back to start of the level and have to repeat the whole boring tedium again. This game is typical of the spate of dreadful Episode one games that have been released.
Please give this awful game a wide berth, spend a few extra quid and buy Star Wars: Demolition instead. Much more fun and a good no nonsense shoot em up stress buster!

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Rating: - Brilliant
This is an absolutely brilliant game. It was my first game. The gaming is brilliant and is quite tough. I have not yet completed the easy mode. The concept and storyline are quite good.

Though there are few technical glitches it still adds up to one awesome gaming experience. Though I have bought other games after that I have never been so immersed in one game as i have been with this.

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Rating: - Count Bongo & Chewy Dan have the force!
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... blah-de-blah-de blah - you know the score by now. You're a Jedi, you kick some Dark Side ass and you get the girl... or something like that anyway! Maybe?

It's nice to know that in a universe gone bad, you can always rely on the mighty Jedi to be your saviour - and in these turbulent times, you're gonna need them. Usually, only the highly honoured Jedi knights are allowed to stand in the Jedi Council (if you've got an oddly shaped head and can lift spaceships with the power of your mind, you're pretty much in) but now it's your turn to save the day in the only way you know how - with a little bit of brightly coloured slappy-stick-type action.

Following similar story lines to the film, Jedi Power Battles is one of those typical 'film licence turned into a videogame' affairs. Starting on the Trade Federation starship, you'll encounter more deadly adversaries and visit more planets as the game progresses than an intergalactic Wish You Were Here presenter.

If you've got friends, I have Chewy Dan, you can join forces with them and play side by side in the two-player mode which is great... as long as you can both co-operate. There are loads of new levels and skills to unlock as you progress through the many levels, but you can also learn new Jedi powers from the points you gain collecting items and defeating various dark forces. As well as unlocking extra characters to battle with, you can also unlock wonderful new levels such as Kaadu Racing, where shooting Theed pilots is the aim of the game... great!

Looks-wise, Jedi Power Battles is smooth and super-fluid in most places, but it does tend to be a bit blocky and badly drawn in a few others. At times the animation leaves a lot to be desired and there are glitches and bugs even in the finished version we played. However, the in-game score is just like that of the film and draws you into the game, giving it that atmospheric touch that you need, along with an abundance of laser blasts and sabre swooshes galore.

However, the gameplay is very tough and can get really irritating, especially on the jumping sections, where you can easily get shot down like a clay pigeon. While you'll find yourself roaming about, hacking the bad guys into tiny pieces most of the time, the chance to joyride one the enemy's vehicles is a welcome break from the monotony. Unfortunately, in these sections the game has an annoying tendency to allow you to get stuck in the scenery, causing you to lose a life in the process.

At the end of the day, Jedi Power Battles does exactly what you'd expect it to - there's plenty of action to get to grips with, along with enough familiar faces and locations to stick it firmly in the roots of the Star Wars universe. If you're looking for a damn tough platformer that's going to last you a fair old while... well, you could do a lot worse than this. It's just not amazing, but it's close... To a hardcore Star Wars fan, it's amazing! Maybe?

Well, I picked this title up for £6.99 at Stretford Arndale. you can't really go wrong that price eh? Bingo!!