Star Wars Episode I: Racer
Oh, look! They turned the podracing sequence into a game! Is there any chance anyone on the planet has missed that? I wouldn't bet on it ... Being a racing game, the basic formula is the same as for zillions of other racing games: three laps, first to goal wins, don't be late. The main thing that sets Racer apart from the crowd is, of course, the Star Wars setting. That means strange creatures, cool settings and cool pods instead of boring cars.
Three modes of playing are available. In tournament mode you race on the circuits in a set order and win money to upgrade you pods inbetween races. More pods become available as you progress. In free play you can race on any track you've accessed through the tournament mode and with any pod you've got. Here, you're also able to adjust the number of laps, opponents and computer skill to suit you better. Racing in mirror mode is also possible. Mode three is multiplayer, and I haven't had the opportunity to try that.
Sound effects and music is very nice overall. You'll like the music if you like Star Wars' a bit pompous, dramatic style, because the music might be directly from the movie as far as I can tell. The sound effects are also just right, with plenty of ambient sound you never have time to notice, opponent taunts and perfect pod engine sounds.
Graphics are good, but not great. This is a console port, and it shows in the detail levels. But don't worry, there's plenty to look at, and not very much time to look for details anyway. The tracks look good enough and are quite varied in design and feel, so you'll never get bored. And yes, every track feels distinctly Star Wars, you won't confuse this for Need for Speed or anything ...
The real winner in the game, as it should be for all games, is the gameplay. For starters, it's fast. Bloody fast. Few games ever achieve this feeling of speed and excitement without making you crash at the first turn. Racer is different, here you can, after some training of course, maintain those wonderful top speeds and keep in control at the same time. This probably says a lot about how good the track layout is too. Too tight twists and turns would force you to keep your speed down to avoid crashing and ruin the feeling, but here they're just right. You don't have to memorize every twist and turn to win a race because there is always time to react and dodge even at really high speeds. Jumps, archs and narrow passages are also used effectively to increase the thrill effects. Another nice touch is that there are multiple ways to choose from quite often. Most of these can be seen on the overhead map display, sometimes turning it into a confused web of dots, but some are completely uncharted.
Did I mention that the tracks are plentiful too? Well, they are! There are 25 of them, spread over eight different locations. Each location has its distinct look and feel, and tracks from the same location tend to share bits and pieces.
Some people might complain about the level of difficulty in the game. As I've said, there is always time to react to upcoming obstacles. Computer drivers drive faultless, but not very fast. This means that you can complete many tracks on the first try, and that in turn means that the tournament mode won't last very long if you're a good racer. Personally, I like it the way it is, and I completed the tournament in only a few days. I find Racer a great "diversion" game, which means you can pop in and race a few laps when you need a break from something else. All the different tracks, even if they have things in common, means you won't get bored with lack of options anytime soon, and there are at least as many pods to choose from (Even if I can't find anyone which equals Bullseye's ...).
Simple, fast and furious racing in the style of good old Ignition. Only bigger. And faster. And Star Wars ...
