Games Transport Players Into 'Star Wars' Universe

By AARON CURTISS

May 31, 1999 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

There is something about “Star Wars” that makes people do strange things. Like sitting for a month outside a theater. Or driving 500 miles in a day and then plopping down in front of the television for a few more hours of digital driving.

OK, so it was driving souped-up pod racers across the deserts of Tatooine or through the underwater tunnels of Aquilaris. But a game is not supposed to seep into a player’s mind the way “Star Wars Episode One Racer” did into mine. Perhaps it was just filling a void.

As I sped up and back down the long, mind-numbing strip of asphalt known as Highway 99 last weekend, my thoughts wandered always back to “Racer,” a screaming racing game that whisks players through various worlds of the “Star Wars” universe.

“Racer” for Nintendo 64 and the PC is perhaps the fastest racing game I’ve ever played--and it is by far the best racing game on Nintendo 64. The game is a true surprise, even if it is part of the shameless merchandising blitz surrounding the release of “The Phantom Menace” this month. Of the two video games released with the movie, “Racer” is the more accessible and the easiest to like right out of the box.

Based on the pod race scene in the movie, the game allows players to race as Anakin Skywalker or as any one of a number of alien characters. Do well enough and race as Sebulba, the slimy reigning champion of the Galactic Circuit. That’s a trick, though.

Races cover more than two dozen tracks on eight worlds. The environments are filled with details, and the tracks wind through tunnels, canyons and ice caves. Victory demands quick reflexes as players maneuver their pod racers through some fairly tricky controls.

Alert driving does the trick in early races, but players need to stockpile their winnings to buy new parts to trick out their pod racers for later heats. Spare parts can be obtained in a shop or at a discount in the junkyard. Money should be spent wisely to optimize a pod racer before a race.

The PC version of “Racer” requires a Pentium 166 with at least 32mb of RAM and graphics acceleration hardware. The Nintendo 64 version is optimized for use with the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak. PC players can race against up to seven friends on a local area network. The Nintendo 64 version allows two players to race in split-screen mode without noticeable slowdown.

Although not as easy to jump into as “Racer,” “The Phantom Menace” for PC and PlayStation is the first adventure game based on the film. In fact, the game closely follows the script of the movie, but sends players off on side missions that flesh out the story.

Players begin “The Phantom Menace” as Obi-Wan Kenobi. But as the game unfolds, players control Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala and Capt. Panaka. Each has special skills and aptitudes that keep play interesting.

The game mechanics are pretty straightforward: Three-quarters, top-down, third-person perspective; conversations take place through menus that allow players to pick what they want to say next; weapons, health packs and other goodies lie around waiting to be found. Anyone who has ever played any of LucasArts’ other games, such as “Grim Fandango” or “Full Throttle,” will feel instantly at ease. Others should get the hang of it after dying only a few times.

Simple controls reveal a complex game. The graphics slink along without a hitch, and many of the characters move with intelligence. Some of the battle droids, though, are pretty stupid, and they become more of an annoyance than a true challenge.

Because it is an adventure game, “The Phantom Menace” relies heavily on voices. Jake Lloyd, who plays young Anakin Skywalker in the film, provides the Skywalker’s voice, but Liam Neeson and Ewan MacGregor don’t play the Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. I noticed it at first, but the voice actors who fill in do a good enough job that it ceases to be an issue after only a few minutes.

The PC version of “The Phantom Menace” requires a Pentium 200 with 32mb of RAM and graphics acceleration hardware.

“TOP GEAR POCKET”

Good things do come in small packages. “Top Gear Pocket” gives Game Boy Color owners a pint-sized racer that boasts many of the same features as its console-based big brothers.

The tracks are three-dimensional, the scenery moves nicely and crashes and skids can be felt through the game’s vibrating Rumble Pak. Granted, the rumbling feels more like a vibrating pager, but it’s a nice feature on an already solid game.

The game starts with two cars and three tracks, but as players progress new cars and tracks open up. The result: Plenty of long-term playability. Some of the early tracks can be beaten in a few tries, but later races require real skill.

Game Boy Color’s screen makes it easy to see the track ahead and warning signs give drivers a heads-up as to what lies ahead. Even on such a small screen, eye strain is minimal.

What a treat.

Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Monday in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Essentials

The Phantom Menace

Platform: PC/Sony PlayStation

Publisher: Lucasarts

ESRB* rating: Teen

Price: $39.95

Bottom Line: The game the movie should have been

Star Wars Episode One Racer

Platform: Nintendo 64/PC

Publisher: Lucasarts

ESRB rating: Everyone