Star Wars Episode I: Racer Reviews
It's very much showing its age, but this remaster does just enough to prove that Racer would've been a good game with or without the Star Wars licence.
Quotation forthcoming.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
More than anything, this game being both 20 years old and incredibly fun is a clear sign that a modern Podracing title should absolutely be a thing.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is still a very exciting game, but the remaster is quite lazy. If you are ready to put up with the outdated visuals, then the race can give you a few hours of fun. Especially if you like Star Wars.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Star Wars Episode 1 : Racer could have been a nice port on Switch, but the game still suffers from too many flaws to really satisfy. Fast and exhilarating, this Switch version seems unfinished, and features bugs, poping and clipping effects, without mentionning a horribly compressed soundtrack that does not justice to its brilliant composer.
Review in French | Read full review
The central loop of 'race, win, upgrade, race' is certainly compelling while it lasts, and if you have fond memories of Star Wars Episode I: Racer from your childhood this is as good a way to relive them as possible – just don't expect any huge overhauls from the original game. Star Wars Episode I: Racer sets itself apart from the likes of Wipeout with its earnest take on the popular licence, and it's still fun to relive one of the best scenes in the prequel trilogy, but it's a long way from being one of the best racers on Switch.
Ultimately, your preexisting feelings toward Star Wars Episode I: Racer will determine your experience with it.
It hurts to see that those memories remain as simple memories and that this re-release didn’t scratch the nostalgia itch as much as I wanted it too.
This port is certainly nothing to write home about, but the core game is a classic, priced at just $14.99. Nostalgia, and the ability to play in handheld mode, are enough to recommend STAR WARS Episode I Racer on the Nintendo Switch eShop to fans.
In an alternate universe somewhere we'd be lamenting why the studio didn't make a Pod Racing game instead.
A competent port of a Nintendo 64 classic, Star Wars Episode I: Racer looks great with the added spit-shine, controls tightly, and performs excellently, with no slowdown in frame-rate. Loading screens have also been removed entirely, which was not really an issue in the original versions, but it is something that should be commended here. At a budget price, many will be pleased that this will help them re-live a piece of nostalgia, and for those on the fence, do not hesitate as this is a great quality port in both docked and handheld modes, yet it will leave others wondering what Aspyr could have done by adding in an online multiplayer and improved AI.
This is a very straightforward port of a game from 1999. Motion controls are its most substantial update and they ultimately fail to impress. That being said, even the most bare bones port leaves us with an amazing racing game with gameplay that has excellently stood the test of time.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer takes the classic Nintendo 64 game and brings it to modern platforms with some nice improvements.
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, your appreciation of Star Wars: Episode I: Racer appearing on the Switch will heavily depend on the rose tint of your glasses. On the one hand, the presentation is especially rough, and the lack of difficulty for most of the campaign makes the task of unlocking everything a chore — at least until the final few races become competitive. On the other hand, the sense of speed in races is still present, and the track design isn't bad when you consider how fast things are going. While those who have played the game before might get a kick out of being able to play it again on a modern, portable machine, others may be fine leaving this one alone.
This might be one of the least impressive visual remasters I have ever seen, but considering how well Star Wars Episode I: Racer‘s gameplay has aged over the decades, I still have to recommend the Switch version of this game to racing fans and Star Wars fans alike.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a nice funracer with simple and intuitive controls. The soundtrack is great and the motion controls with joy-cons work surprisingly good. Despite having Tournaments, a real campaign and more graphical changes would help the game a lot but 60fps Split-Screen and Online-Multiplayer are enough to keep fans of the original and newcomers entertained for the low starting price of 14,99$
Review in German | Read full review
Star Wars Episode I: Racer offers an improved take on the Nintendo 64 classic that still feels fun to play now, even if it is a little flawed in places. The exciting track design and frantic nature of the pod racing itself makes for some really hectic and enjoyable showdowns, whilst the improved frame rate ensures the game feels super smooth to play. Of course, it isn’t perfect and some sketchy textures, inconsistent (and often too easy) difficulty, and distorted audio problems do hinder the experience a fair bit. They’re not problematic enough to make Star Wars Episode I: Racer feel like a bad game, but they’re still obvious issues that can be hard to ignore in places. Still, it’s clear that Star Wars Episode I: Racer has managed to stand the test of time and it’s easy to recommend this remastered release for both returning gamers and those who never got the chance to race in one of the iconic pod racers back in 1999.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is one of the best Star Wars games and comes back to us with a remastering that, although it does not bring great news, implements enough best techniques to enjoy the experience in our time. Both fans of Star Wars games and fans of futuristic racing games will find here what they are looking for.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If real-life hadn’t got in the way, I could have quite easily completed the single player ‘campaign’ of Star Wars Episode 1 Racer in a few sittings. Harkening back to the good ol’ days of the N64 (among other consoles), this re-release of a 20+ year old racing game has the potential to transport a player back to a simpler time: a time when 2-player local coop and late nights gathered around a TV were commonplace. The fact that I would have finished it in such a short space of time is indicative of how well it has recaptured that magic, but it is also representative of how easy it is.
It's perfect? No. It's just like we remember? Yes, and it's awesome.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review