Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles review

In video games we talk about nostalgia a lot, because let’s face it we get a lot of sequels and remakes that feed on it. Nostalgia can also cloak all manner of gaming sins, and trick us into remembering a game being great when it’s really a bit of a dud. I was pretty sure that going back into Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles that I’d be disappointed by this childhood favourite I played endlessly with my cousin, but despite a plethora of issues, this Star Wars game of the past is still a hell of a lot of fun.

Based on the events of the best Star Wars movie, Jedi Power Battles was released back in the year 2000 for the PS1 and later the Dreamcast. It features a bunch of levels loosely connected to the film, and a cast of Jedi you can play as to take on countless droids in your quest to fight The Dark Side. Whether you wanted to play as my personal favourite Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan, or even Mace Windu, you’ll be using your lightsabers and force powers to survive in a beat-em-up style – either alone or with a buddy.

Now I’m not usually much of a beat-em-up guy, but Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles has enough nuance in the combat to keep me interested. With three different lightsaber attack types assigned to three different buttons you have a lot of offensive options at your disposal. This is before you start thinking about combos, which you start with a small selection of and learn more as you progress through the game. You’ll be fine taking on most enemies with fairly basic combos, but I found myself varying my attacks and checking the combo list pretty regularly to find new ways to deal with increasingly tougher robots and aliens.

There’s one aspect of Jedi Power Battles that I remember above anything else from my childhood, and that’s using your lightsaber to deflect lasers back at enemies. This is something that you can do in countless Star Wars games now, but for me this was the very first game where I got to do this. Even playing it today it’s so satisfying to time your block to perfectly fling back those red beams of death, which is good because you’ll be doing it a lot.

The last tool you have at your disposal on your Jedi quest is of course The Force. At the start of the game you’ll only have a single force power (for Qui-Gon it’s a force push that makes everyone back off and take damage) but as you progress you’ll get more that help in a variety of situations. Because these are so powerful they require force power to use, but it’s worth it.

With every level of Jedi Power Battles you complete you’ll also improve your character, and this is based on your score in the stage. Usually this involves choosing between gaining extra health or force power at the very least, but you’ll also gain access to new combo attacks and force abilities if you find enough collectibles and kill enough robots. It’s really satisfying to get stronger as you progress through the game, and it incentivises you to stick with one Jedi for the whole thing or replay old levels if you want to swap.

More than anything else contained within the Force filled package of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, it’s the overall silliness of the game I love the most. I never tired of collecting the power up that comically extends your lightsaber to double its original size, or listening to Yoda do a weird snigger every time I reached a new checkpoint. I even love how little the game follows the plot of the movie it supposedly portrays, and instead has you fighting giant grubs in a forest or even driving a tank through the city of Theed.

Although I have a lot of time for Jedi Power Battles, I can’t pretend it has no issues. The combat, despite all the combos and force powers, is still pretty clunky, and takes some adjusting to. There are also loads of bizarre platforming sections in the game that are frankly a bit of a nightmare. Jumping simply isn’t something these Jedis are particularly good at, and with death only a hop away you’ll likely get sick of these sections rather quickly.

This remaster doesn’t really do a whole lot to improve these issues, or anything but the visuals of the game really. One slightly bizarre change though is that the game begins with everything unlocked, and I mean everything. Upon first starting the game you can immediately choose to skip all the stages and fight Darth Maul (although you definitely shouldn’t) or choose to play as him immediately without first beating every level. Especially because later levels are practically impossible without boosting the power of your Jedi it’s a very odd decision, and if it’s your first time playing there’s a chance you won’t realise you are supposed to play in order at all.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is a throwback to a simpler time when Star Wars games were rough and ready, and in a lot of ways it benefits from that. I had so much more fun than I anticipated playing through this odd little Star Wars beat-em-up, despite it realistically having some significant issues. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is a weird piece of Star Wars history I’m glad is now easily accessible.