Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi

"It doesn't take a Jedi Knight to master this"

Masters of Teras Kasi managed to do the unthinkable within the universe of Star Wars and make up something that made almost no sense whatsoever but was liked by enough people to enjoy mild popularity. Of course, Episode I hadn't been made yet, but that was the same situation.

Even so, here is Star Wars: Masters of Teras Kasi, the only fighting game ever made related to the saga that helped Lucas form an empire (no pun intended). If LucasArts learned their lesson, it will be the last. There are characters in SW:MoTK that were added to fill space. These, incidentally, are the least memorable characters in the game. You have Thok, a yellow-skinned Gamorrean; Hoar, a Tusken Raider with a name so laughable I don't know how it got by the censors; and Arden Lyn, a female assassin out to bust Luke Skywalker. He's in the game, and so are Han Solo, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Princess Leia (in both bounty hunter and Jabba's-slave outfits), and others. That's all good and well, but no variation in the gameplay and lack of challenge make this one a rental at best.

Each person can fight with either their fists or with a weapon, usually a staff or gun of some type. Bearing this in mind, it's easy to be cheap about it. Long-range weapons make for the lowest cheapness, but just button mashing will win you the match on the easier difficulties. Although the game touts ''Jedi'' as its most taxing level, only minimal skill is required to beat it. Your biggest special move, which you can use when you've filled up your Force bar, always turns the tables in your favor if it makes contact, thereby making this way too easy. Other modes help keep this from being a standard fighter. Survival Mode pits you against as many people as you can stand. Team Mode will let you choose a capable team of the best the Rebellion (or Empire) has to offer. Some replay value can be found in this mix, but not a lot. Proficient fighting game players will be able to rummage through every piece of this one in no time flat.

What Teras Kasi lacks in gameplay, it makes up for with perfect translations of the trilogy's original score to the game's stages. Each song goes with the locale it's credited to, and you can wield a lightsaber or blaster to your favorite tune from Episodes Four, Five, and Six. Graphics leave something to be desired. Everyone moves around and reacts oddly to commands, and everything is way too - this is the only word for it, I swear - ugly. Also, every arena is perfectly square, with no help in the immediate environs. It would have been nice to use the Force in ways such as bringing objects to your hand or making things move. The only person who comes close is Darth Vader, with his Force-ful trachea tightening and the ability to shoot that Dark Side trademark lightning. Graphics and control could have been a lot better. I never knew people to be so jerky.

To play or to rent, eh? Well, that all depends on if you have a sense of taste or are a humongous fan of Star Wars, and I know there are a lot of you out there. A Star Wars-based fighting game would probably fare a lot better today, and the only reason it didn't do as well back in the day (1997) is because, well, we weren't quite ready yet, gosh-doggit. This is a terrible, terrible pile of garbage, and I only had it because it was my brother's, who is a humongous Star Wars fan. A few hours of play is all the most patient person will derive from this game.

Score: 5

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/31/02, Updated 05/31/02