Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (video game)

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Developer(s) Big Ape Productions
Publisher(s) LucasArts
Designer(s) John Barnes
Mike Ebert
Dan Ross
Eric Wilder
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
Release date(s)

PC

  • NA: April 30, 1999
  • EU: May 1999

PlayStation

  • NA: August 31, 1999
  • PAL: September 24, 1999
  • JP: December 9, 1999
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is a 1999 action-adventure video game released by LucasArts. It is based on the film of the same title.

Plot

The plot closely follows that of the film, although it expands on some minor events that could have been silenced or cut from the film, or shows them from a different character's point of view. For example, it follows Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka's adventure on Coruscant during Anakin Skywalker's interview in the Jedi Temple - something that is never shown or mentioned in the film since the film follows Anakin's point of view.

Synopsis

The Trade Federation, led by Viceroy Nute Gunray, has a formed a blockade of the planet Naboo. Hoping to resolve the conflict, the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Finis Valorum, sends two Jedi Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn and his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the Viceroy.

However, after they arrive on the ship, the room they are being held in begins to fill with poisonous gas. Realizing it is an assassination attempt, the two Jedi escape the room and fight their way through the ship, battling the Trade Federation Battle droids. They reach the hangar bay and escape in a ship to the swamps of Naboo.

There, they meet with Jar-Jar Binks, an exile of the underwater Gungan city. He brings them there, where they fight off hostile Gungan guards before confronting Boss Nass. Qui-Gon manages to convince him to spare Jar-Jar's life and they depart for Theed, where they rescue Queen Amidala. Along with Captain Panaka they flee the besieged capital and make an emergency landing on the desert planet of Tatooine.

Qui-Gon scours Mos Espa for the vital ship parts needed to escape the planet and encounters slave child Anakin Skywalker. Qui-Gon makes a bet with Anakin's master Watto and wins Anakin's freedom.

As Qui-Gon escorts Anakin back to the ship, he is attacked by a mysterious Sith warrior. Qui-Gon fights him off and escapes with Anakin. The group returns to Coruscant so that the Queen can speak with the Chancellor. After Panaka escorts her through the dangerous streets of Coruscant, she decides to return to Naboo and retake Theed.

During the attack, the Sith warrior reappears, revealing himself as Darth Maul. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan duel Darth Maul, pursuing him into the generator complex, while the Queen and Panaka invade the throne room and defeat Gunray.

Obi-Wan becomes separated from Qui-Gon and Darth Maul, allowing the villain to stab Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan then attacks him and finally defeats him atop a scaffold (not seen in the film). Qui-Gon makes Obi-Wan promise to train Anakin as a Jedi before he dies of his wounds. The game ends with a celebration on Naboo.

Gameplay

The player gets to play as either Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala or Captain Panaka, depending on the level. If the player is playing as either of the two Jedi, they can use a lightsaber or execute a Force push in addition to using blasters, proton missile launchers and explosives (which are available for Amidala and Panaka). The player may also encounter and interact with other non-player characters. Throughout the game, the player will be fighting against Darth Maul, Trade Federation battle droids, AATs, Tusken Raiders, etc.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PC) 62.28%[1]
(PS) 54.39%[2]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame(PC) [3]
(PS) [4]
GameFan[5]
Game Informer(PC) 8.25/10[6]
(PS) 7.25/10[7]
GamePro(PS) [8]
(PC) [9]
Game RevolutionB−[10]
GameSpot(PC) 4.3/10[11]
(PS) 4.2/10[12]
IGN6.2/10[13][14]
OPM (US)[15]
PC Gamer (US)71%[16]
PC Zone78%[17]

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace received generally mixed reception, with GameRankings giving it a score of 62.28% for the PC version,[1] and a 54.39% for the PlayStation version.[2]

The game was a bestseller in the UK.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 "Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace for PC". GameRankings.
  2. 1 2 "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace for PlayStation". GameRankings.
  3. ↑ Baker, Christopher Michael. "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (PC) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ Sutyak, Jonathan. "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace (PS) - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  5. ↑ "REVIEW for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (PC)". GameFan. June 18, 1999.
  6. ↑ Bergren, Paul (August 1999). "Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace (PC)". Game Informer (76): 74.
  7. ↑ "Star Wars 1: Phantom Menace [sic] (PS)". Game Informer. October 28, 1999. Archived from the original on May 21, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  8. ↑ Scary Larry (1999). "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  9. ↑ Neves, Lawrence (July 21, 1999). "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  10. ↑ Liu, Johnny (June 1999). "Star Wars Phantom Menace [sic] Review (PC)". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  11. ↑ Dulin, Ron (May 28, 1999). "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  12. ↑ Gerstmann, Jeff (September 16, 1999). "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ Blevins, Tal (May 27, 1999). "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (PC)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ Cleveland, Adam (October 5, 1999). "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (PS)". IGN. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1999.
  16. ↑ "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace". PC Gamer. August 1999. Archived from the original on March 8, 2000. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  17. ↑ Shoemaker, Richie (1999). "PC Review: Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace". PC Zone. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  18. ↑ UK PlayStation sales chart, December 1999, published in Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 52
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