Star Wars Episode I: Racer

This article is about the console versions of the game. For the Sega arcade game, see Star Wars: Racer Arcade.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer

Developer(s) LucasArts
Publisher(s) LucasArts, Nintendo
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Macintosh, Dreamcast
Release date(s) Windows
  • NA April 30, 1999
  • EU May 1999
Nintendo 64
  • NA May 19, 1999
  • EU June 1999
  • JP July 21, 1999
Game Boy Color
  • NA December 1999
  • EU December 17, 1999
Macintosh
  • NA December 16, 1999
Dreamcast
  • NA April 4, 2000
  • EU August 4, 2000
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer

Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a racing video game based on the pod race featured in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. As of 2011, the game holds the Guinness record as the best-selling sci-fi racing game, having worldwide sales of 3.12 million and beating other series like Wipeout and F-Zero.[1]

Gameplay

Star Wars Episode I: Racer features a variety of tracks spanning several different planets. It includes all of the racers featured in the movie and more, including Teemto Pagalies, Dud Bolt, Mars Guo, and Ben Quadinaros.

Game modes

Sebulba's secret flamethrower, being used on the Boonta Eve Training Course. (N64 version)

The following is a list of different playing modes featured in the game:

History

Star Wars Episode I: Racer was developed and published by LucasArts for Windows PCs in April 1999. Later, the game was ported and released for several other platforms: Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, and Game Boy Color.

Versions

The announced PlayStation version of the game was never released.[4]

The Nintendo 64 version received a special edition Star Wars Episode I: Racer hardware bundle, including the standard gray and black console and a copy of the game. Though the Nintendo 64 cartridge takes advantage of Nintendo's Expansion Pak memory unit to display additional textures during in-game play, the limitations of the cartridge format at the time resulted in the disinclusion of all prerendered cinematics seen in the Windows version.

The Game Boy Color release features entirely different game play from its console and PC counterparts. The Game Boy Color hardware is technically incapable of rendering the 3D graphics used in the other versions, so the game was instead based on abbreviated tracks using an overhead 2D view. The Game Boy Color version of the game has an additional "Rumble" feature, in which a AAA battery may be inserted into the game card to activate vibration.

Support

As the game support ended along with the end of LucasArts as developer in 2013, there are several technical compatibility issues with newer hardware and operating systems. The player community has attempted to circumvent these issues by writing unofficial patches and compatibility adaptations.[5]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(N64) 75.78%[6]
(DC) 75.42%[7]
(PC) 73.79%[8]
(GBC) 69.44%[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[10][11]
(N64) [12]
(PC) [13]
(DC) [14]
Electronic Gaming Monthly(N64) 9/10[15]
8/10[16][17]
Eurogamer7/10[18]
GameFan68%[19]
Game Informer(N64) 9/10[20]
(GBC) 8.25/10[21]
GamePro(N64) [22]
(PC) [23]
Game RevolutionB+[24][25]
GameSpot(N64) 8.4/10[26]
(PC) 8.2/10[27]
(DC) 7.5/10[28]
(GBC) 6.9/10[29]
IGN(PC) 8/10[30]
(N64) 7.2/10[31]
6/10[32][33]
NintendoLife[34]
Nintendo Power(N64) 8/10[35]
(GBC) 5.9/10[36]
PC Gamer (US)76%[37]

The game was met with positive to average reception. GameRankings gave it a score of 75.78% for the Nintendo 64 version;[6] 75.42% for the Dreamcast version;[7] 73.79% for the PC version;[8] and 69.44% for the Game Boy Color version.[9]

In March 2004, GMR rated Episode I: Racer the fifth best Star Wars game of all time. As of 2011, the game holds the Guinness record for the best-selling sci-fi racing game having worldwide sales of 3.12 million beating other series like Wipeout and F-Zero.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Guinness World Records 2011 - Gamer's Edition. Guinness World Records Ltd. 2010. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4053-6546-8.
  2. ↑ by Microsoft, it was removed in Windows Vista and above
  3. ↑ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000K599
  4. ↑ "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer - PlayStation". IGN.
  5. ↑ Bucko A51 (2013-12-02). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer". www.play-old-pc-games.com. Retrieved 2014-03-07. While Star Wars Episode I: Racer will install without any issues on a 32 bit machine, if you are running the 64 bit version of Windows then the installer will simply not run. There is a replacement installer on the internet but it is rather over complicated to use and in our tests it didn’t work either. Help is at hand however, as we have written our own 64-bit compatible installer. The installer will also copy the fan-made patch, which makes it possible to run the game on (most) modern PCs.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Star Wars Episode I: Racer for Nintendo 64". GameRankings. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Star Wars: Episode I Racer for Dreamcast". GameRankings. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Star Wars Episode I: Racer for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  10. ↑ Cook, Brad. "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (GBC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ Savignano, Lisa Karen. "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (Mac) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (N64) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  13. ↑ Cook, Brad. "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (PC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  14. ↑ Nguyen, Cal. "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (DC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ EGM staff (1999). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer (N64)". Electronic Gaming Monthly.
  16. ↑ EGM staff (1999). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer (PC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly.
  17. ↑ EGM staff (2000). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer (DC)". Electronic Gaming Monthly.
  18. ↑ Taylor, Martin (August 4, 2000). "Star Wars: Episode One Racer (DC)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 7, 2001. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  19. ↑ Mosquera, Fernando (April 11, 2000). "REVIEW for Star Wars: Episode I Racer (DC)". GameFan. Archived from the original on May 10, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Star Wars 1: Episode 1 Racer [sic] (N64)". Game Informer (74). June 1999. Archived from the original on October 6, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  21. ↑ Reppen, Erik (April 25, 2000). "Star Wars: Episode I Racer - Game Boy Color". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 18, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  22. ↑ Bad Hare (1999). "Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Review for N64 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 9, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  23. ↑ Neves, Lawrence (1999). "Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on January 18, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  24. ↑ Colin (June 1999). "Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer - PC Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  25. ↑ Colin (June 1999). "Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer Review (N64)". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  26. ↑ Fielder, Joe (May 24, 1999). "Star Wars: Episode I Racer Review (N64)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  27. ↑ Chin, Elliott (May 28, 1999). "Star Wars: Episode I Racer Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  28. ↑ Fielder, Joe (April 6, 2000). "Star Wars: Episode I Racer Review (DC)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  29. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (January 28, 2000). "Star Wars Episode I Racer Review (GBC)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  30. ↑ Bates, Jason (May 27, 1999). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer (PC)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  31. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (May 20, 1999). "Star Wars: Episode I Racer (N64)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  32. ↑ Harris, Craig (December 8, 1999). "Star Wars Episode I Racer (GBC)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  33. ↑ Conrad, Jeremy (April 5, 2000). "Star Wars Episode 1: Racer (DC)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  34. ↑ Watts, Martin (May 18, 2013). "Star Wars Episode I: Racer (Nintendo 64) Review". NintendoLife. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Star Wars: Episode I: Racer (N64)". Nintendo Power 121: 109. June 1999.
  36. ↑ "Star Wars: Episode 1: Racer (GBC)". Nintendo Power 127: 164. December 1999.
  37. ↑ "Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer". PC Gamer. August 1999. Archived from the original on March 8, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.

External links