Video games that are adapted from movies are generally regarded as cheap, low-quality cash grabs. They became notorious in the 90s and early 2000s for often being lazy, poorly made games, though there are many exceptions to this generalization. In the early 2000s especially, we received several excellent movie tie-in video games that people still fondly remember to this day. There were many fan-favorite games based on the Lord of the Rings movies, as well as a beloved King Kong adaptation. We also got several wonderful Star Wars games that connected to the new prequel film trilogy. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith released in 2005, and notably the video game adaptation came out before the film itself, and actually ruined the movie's plot as a consequence, which is a funny piece of early 2000s trivia, if you were there and cognizant of pop culture in that time. There were two distinct versions of the game, and both of them were awesome. The console version, which was an action-adventure game was available on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and the handheld version, which was a 2D beat-em-up, released on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. There was also supposed to be a PSP version, but it was cancelled during development.
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I have played and plan to review the console version of Revenge of the Sith, but it was over twenty years ago, so I really need to replay it before attempting to organize my critical thoughts. However, I did recently revisit the handheld version of the game on my 3DS, and managed to beat it, which I could never do as a child. Over twenty years later, I'm pleased to report that this game holds way up.
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| Image Credit: GAMERamble |
Revenge of the Sith's handheld adaptation is largely identical on GBA and DS, though there are some noteworthy differences. They both have beautiful, vibrant pixel art, though the DS version is just a tad crisper than the GBA iteration. The DS version has several stages involving large, fully 3D space battles. The GBA, being the weaker system, wasn't able to run those stages, so they thoughtfully swapped those sequences out for exclusive missions set during the iconic 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon, complete with two-player co-op via link cable. I really want to procure a couple of copies of the GBA version of the game to play with my son when he's a little older, so we can experience those extra missions.
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| Image Credit: Video Games Museum |
My favorite element of this game is without a doubt all of the timeless, beautiful pixel art. I know that we received some pixel art Star Wars titles on older consoles, notably the cult classic Super Star Wars trilogy on SNES. There were a couple of very rudimentary, yet neat looking platformers on the NES too. There are also a couple of ugly pixel art Star Wars games on the Game Boy Color, as well as the iconic Dark Forces first-person shooter title. Star Wars games largely seemed to favor high-fidelity, ambitious graphics when possible, so this return to gorgeous pixelated art for Revenge of the Sith was a delightful surprise. Every character and enemy sprite is perfect looking; chock full of personality and charm. The various planets and locations that you battle through are also gorgeous. Utapau especially comes to mind, with its crisp, blue, winding river and the unique sequence where you have to fight through a dark cave. The diverse, richly detailed, scrolling backgrounds had me sneaking peeks and admiring the art and scenery, in between the action-packed, frantic skirmishes with battle droids and clone troopers. There were also some really excellent looking character portraits and short cutscenes that enhanced the overall presentation of the game. I would love to see the entire six movie Star Wars chronology adapted into games just like this.
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| Image Credit: GAMERamble.com |
Revenge of the Sith is a genuinely solid beat-em-up game. You can play as the troubled, powerful Anakin and the balanced, focused Obi-Wan, and while they play largely identically, they do possess unique abilities. As you'd expect from these two characters, who are incredibly talented Jedi Knights, they are both equipped with myriad Force powers and their iconic lightsabers. Anakin, who is in the throes of his fall from grace, possesses a few Dark-side Force abilities, such as being able to Force Choke or drain an enemy's lifeforce. In contrast, Obi-Wan, forever the purehearted, dyed in the wool Jedi, has more traditionally Light-side powers, like being able to heal himself or use the Force as a shield to protect from enemy attacks. You can unlock moves and enhance their potency and effectiveness in between stages. The combat can occasionally get legitimately tough, and you'll need to experiment with the different abilities and find what works best for you. I remember getting a lot of use out of Force Heal and Force Push in my Obi-Wan playthrough. On my Anakin run, I focused on his Saber Throw ability to give him a ranged attack, and also an ability that allows him to become enraged and buff his next few attacks to deal more damage.
My dream is to see a talented, retro-minded studio like Tribute Games (whose founders actually worked on this game) either remaster Revenge of the Sith, or get the chance to make a wholly new Star Wars brawler with this same visual style, complete with multiplayer and everything. This game is locked away on the Game Boy Advance and DS, and it's a genuine hidden gem that deserves to be made available again on modern platforms. I highly recommend finding yourself a copy and giving Revenge of the Sith a shot. It's a fantastic little game that can be fully beaten within a couple of evenings, though if you're like me, you'll find yourself booting it back up for more playthroughs; whether it's just to appreciate the impeccable visual design, or to experiment with the surprisingly robust combat system. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is a must-have for your GBA or DS library.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on Nintendo DS
Reviewed on Nintendo DS
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