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A long time ago, in a console generation far away, there were plenty of movie-to-game adaptations to play, and Star Wars was one of the biggest examples in the late 90s. Back then, you would be hard-pressed to not find a game set in the Star Wars universe that was non-canon, but with the first new Star Wars film released in 1999, there was a huge opportunity for LucasArts.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the first entry in the Prequel Trilogy which told the beginnings of Anakin Skywalker, who would eventually become Darth Vader. Yet it was also the beginning of countless Star Wars games that would be adapted from the movie. Although there was an official tie-in game, another called Jedi Power Battles did something different.
Essentially, this was Star Wars mixed with Streets of Rage — a 3D side-scrolling beat ‘em up with lightsabers and force powers, all set during Episode I. Although reviews at the time were average for Power Battles, it had a cult following, which included this writer. The innovative ideas for each level, the fun two-player co-op mode, and the bonus levels made the game very fun to play.
25 years after its debut, the Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles remaster is coming to modern platforms and PC, to the surprise of many. Featuring online co-op, new hidden characters to play, and more, Jedi Power Battles is coming back with great force. So to celebrate its impending release, we’ve listed five reasons below why Jedi Power Battles could be a great contender as my Game of the Year.
Key Takeaways
- Jedi Power Battles first debuted on the PlayStation in April 2000, almost a year after the release of Episode I.
- The Dreamcast port came out six months later with better graphics, a higher framerate, and bug fixes.
- You play through ten levels that loosely follow the film, with different force powers for each Jedi.
- The remaster has been confirmed for January 2025 for all consoles and PC.
- New characters are playable, and Mace Windu’s lightsaber is confirmed to be purple.
5 Reasons Why Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles Could Be My Game of the Year
Co-op
A recent Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles trailer in December has showcased co-op mode very well, but from someone who has played both the original PlayStation and Dreamcast versions, that’s only a small slice of what two-player mode is capable of.
Jedi Power Battles has moments that harken back to a time of couch multiplayer. Granted, you can do that with games like Mario Kart 8 and Diablo 4. But late ‘90s games like Jedi Power Battles’ co-op offer something different. You almost rewrite the narrative of The Phantom Menace because one player can be Darth Maul, and another can be Obi-Wan, as if they’re about to take down the Trade Federation. It’s incredibly fun, especially when you use vehicles like the Droid Tank in the City of Theed level.
Controls
Another positive that the Dreamcast port of this remaster brings, alongside the better graphics and higher framerate, are the controls. Analog control can help line up those jumps across gaps that could kill your character and bring you back to an earlier checkpoint. Using the left trigger to block attacks and laser blasts will be something you’ll be doing constantly throughout Jedi Power Battles.
One highlight from this is timing a laser blast correctly. If you do, a blast will accurately fire back to the enemy, and this can be at a short or very long range, saving you the hassle of running up to them and striking them down. Every deflection is a satisfying feeling, but don’t think blocking will save you when it comes to facing the bosses.
Extra Levels
Although there’s plenty of replayability in Jedi Power Battles, such as building up your character’s stats, there are four secret levels that blast open the variety of the game. Droideka lets you play as a Destroyer Droid around Theed Palace, blasting pilots and more of Queen Amidala’s henchmen, with the level resulting in fighting off against two Jedi Knights.
The level gives off strong evil Johnny 5 vibes from the 80s movie Short Circuit, but adapted for Star Wars in the best way. Another is Gungan Roundup, a bizarre take on English Football where you must attack Jar Jar Binks to get into the opponent’s goal. The third secret level is Kaadu Race, a no-frills race set in the Naboo Swamps.
Finally, Survival Challenge pits you against 100 enemies in 10 increments, with the prize being a one-hit lightsaber. Many of these can be unlocked by completing the main game as certain characters, so the replayability factor is high in Jedi Power Battles’ gameplay. The couch and online co-op are only going to make these levels even more fun to play.
A Remaster of the Better Version
The Dreamcast port of Jedi Power Battles, released six months after the PlayStation version, is not one many have played. Yet its improvements, such as 60 FPS, higher-quality textures, better animations, and more secrets, mean it’s a great choice for it to be ported for modern systems later this month.
Indeed, looking at the announcement trailer from October 2024 showcases how much improved Jedi Power Battles looks while maintaining the feel and fun of what’s made the game so nostalgic for many players since its debut in 2000. There’s also the potential prospect of mods for the PC version. With the original source code of the Dreamcast version being used, we could see the community take the PC version and bring even more improvements to Jedi Power Battles.
Redemption
With The Phantom Menace having reached 25 years since its original release, the movie is being seen from a bunch of redemptive eyes. For so long, many thought of Episode I as a letdown — with a nonsensical story and a babbling idiot with no benefit to the story.
Now, the movie is seen as simply a fun time, and this mindset is being reflected in the game adaptations. From the Episode 1 game to Jedi Power Battles seeing a re-release on modern platforms, these harken back to a time when movie-to-game adaptations were all too common, and they added to the experience of the Star Wars franchise rather than trying to be a carbon copy of the movie.
Jedi Power Battles is a great example of this, adding to the elements of Episode 1 while honoring the story of what George Lucas dreamt up all those years ago.
The Bottom Line
Much like the Prequel Trilogy, the game adaptations are also being seen through fresh eyes and with far less criticism. It’s likely why we’ve seen remasters of games like Star Wars: Bounty Hunter and Star Wars: Jedi Academy have far better reception than they were originally given.
It’s likely that Jedi Power Battles will see some better reception too. Ultimately, it’s a fun game that’s perfect with friends or as something to play for a few hours as you deflect blasts from droids or drive Battle Tanks through the streets of Theed.
Now that we’ve seen the majority of classic Star Wars games see a re-release, we hope that Rogue Squadron, an arcade-style flight game, is next on Disney’s list. After all, if Jedi Power Battles is returning, why can’t the Rogue Squadron trilogy for the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube be remastered for new and old players?
