Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

"I sense much fun in this one..."

Synopsis: A 2d side scrolling Star Wars game based on Episode III. I know, it sounds like it could be a crappy game, but in fact, it's quite the opposite.

Gameplay: 8 - Finally, I get to review a side scrolling DS game that doesn't disappoint me. yeah, I'm looking at you Spider-Man 2. The game plays very much like the old-school side scroller beat'em ups. TMNT, The Simpsons, and X-men, the Arcade games....remember how cool those were?? Well, if you enjoyed the gameplay from those games (like I did) then you'll no doubt enjoy this game. The game may only feature 3 main action buttons (jump, attack, force) but that won't stop you from being able to pull of some very impressive looking maneuvers. You just gotta love that backwards stab, bet he didn't see that one coming! :) Expect enemies to drop from the sky or rush you from behind or in front, and like always, try to surround you. The touch screen is used mainly for pulling off the really fancy force moves without having to worry about button inputs. This can be useful when getting your behind kicked and need to just clear the room quickly. There are also an assortment of booby traps and other hazards. Some of these booby trap areas can be a real pain in the ass, especially when also having to worry about enemies. But hey, as a true gamer, I always welcome a decent challenge.

The 3d Space Combat (known as "Special Missions") are surprisingly very well pulled off. After seeing several screenshots I had a few doubts, but after actually playing them, all doubts about ubisofts abilities on DS were ( much like those pesky droid ships) obliterated. There are four basic power-ups. Shield, missile and life replenish, and then there are upgrades to your blaster and boost ability. Also, there's a neat feature with the touch screen that allows you to configure your shield deflecters to either the front or back of your ship. If used properly this could be a life saving feature. Did I forget to mention that up to four of your buddies can join in!?? Yep, this is where the 3d combat really shines. Bots are ok, but it's always better when there's an actually person to taunt after completely owning them. :)

Graphics: 8 - The game features some really well modeled sprites considering the art direction and the backdrops, are for the most part pretty good looking. Some are definitely better than others. However, what really impresses me are the very smooth and very slick character animations. Everything looks natural. What I mean by this is when transitioning from move to move, it never looks clunky or fake. After seeing Mace Windu in action i was quickly reminded of the ultra slick Animated Clone Wars show...that's a good thing.

As for the 3d space combat...wow. I remember people were ragging on it after the released screenshots. They do absolutely NO justice to this games 3d graphics. The framerate is probably the smoothest framerate I've seen on a completely 3d DS game thus far. Smooth as a baby's bottom I tell you. Some ship models look better than others but for the most part, they are all properly designed and detailed. The game also features a bit of lighting and shadowing. For 1st gen DS graphics, they are very well done. Not bad UbiSoft...not bad.

Sound: 8.5 - Some of the music is a bit of remixed Star Wars themes, mainly the short chapter intro music. However, the rest of the soundtrack features a lot of real authentic John Williams scores, such as "Asteroid Field" (one of my personal favs) and the ever impressive "Duel of the Fates"...although here it's a rather shortened and often looped version. There sound effects are pretty average to slightly above average. The lightabers are the highlight for the 2d stuff. For the 3d stuff the ships have all of their authentic blaster sounds and a variety of different engine sounds.

Replayability: 7 - The game won't take long to beat, even with two campaigns to play through. However, After beating the game there's a "Master Jedi" mode to complete which can quite a challenge. There's also the great multiplayer skirmishes. If you're a completist (made up word) then you can always try to get 100% on all levels. Good Luck trying b/c It's damn near impossible.

Final Score: 7.8 *rounded to 8.0*

Rent/Buy - If you're a Star Wars fan and really enjoy beat'em ups and flight sims then it's a no brainer. If you're no so much a Star Wars fan and/or enjoy beat'em ups but don't think they're worth a $40 price tag, then give it a rent. you won't be disappointed.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/09/05