The lone bright spot to come out of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, the podracing video game, is coming to modern platforms in just a few weeks.
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer has been given a release date for its launch platforms. You can find it on PS4 and Switch from May 12. The remaster will feature the original game now made prettier and better playing with remapped controls. Given the game was first born on Nintendo 64 which featured a controller seeming to need three hands at times, that sounds like good news.
The remaster is developed by Aspyr, which has been busy bringing George Lucas' video game spinoffs of yesteryear to modern consoles as of late. The studio also recently remastered Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast for the same systems. Aspyr has also lent support on a variety of other games including Layers of Fear, Civinilzation, and Borderlands, in many cases helping port games to new platforms.
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer also used full motion video cutscenes at the time of its launch, which came simultaneously with the movie's launch in 1999. Aspyr says those FMVs have now been given visual enhancements like the game itself.
The game received strong praise at the time of its release, with reviewers citing its bona fides as a great Wipeout-like racing game even without the Star Wars tie-ins. It's perhaps the only part of the prequel trilogy which has survived the test of time or so we recall. Players will have their modern takes beginning on May 12 on Switch and PS4.
