'Star Wars Episode I: Racer' Coming To Switch And PS4 Sooner Than We Hoped
Published
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: EA
It's no secret that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace isn't regarded as a terribly good movie. Still, no matter how much the 1999 release devastated a generation of fans who learned the hard way that Star Wars wasn't for them anymore (doesn't that sound familiar?) there's no denying that it inspired some pretty great games.
Perhaps the best of those video games is Star Wars Episode I: Racer, a shockingly good arcade-style racer that's based on the podracing section of the movie. For my money, that's by far one of the worst parts of the movie... but I'm aware I'm in the minority there. Besides, who cares when it led to such an awesome racing game?
But here's the really exciting news: Star Wars Episode I: Racer is coming to modern consoles with a new lick of HD paint in just a few short weeks. We already knew that the game was being ported over to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, but we now know that we can expect it on May 12th. Better still, it'll only cost $15 (about £12).
"When a console war is over and the dust, or pixels, have settled, only a handful of games rise to the top and come to define that generation of gaming," wrote the official Star Wars website in a post that might be overselling the game a bit. "For the 64-bit era, Star Wars Episode I: Racer is definitely in that category: a landmark title for Nintendo 64 released alongside Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, it sold millions and captured imaginations by bringing the film's centerpiece sequence, the podrace, into homes.
This new and enhanced version has been put together by Aspyr, a team who've handled a number of ports over the years and know exactly how to bring a classic to modern consoles in style. The PS4 version will include enhanced 4K visuals, remapped controls, and Trophy support. Not too shabby.
The original Racer hit PC and N64 back in 1999 and was admittedly a massive hit with the small children who went to the cinema to see Phantom Menace and saw a bright, colourful adventure... as opposed to the desecration of a sacred franchise that a lot of older fans experienced. The game features a number of well-designed tracks based on various Star Wars planets, and there a bunch of characters from the sequel that you can play as. No, you don't have to play as Anakin if you don't want to. That's the real genius of the game, if you ask me.
