The an amazing remaster of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles it's just around the corner. I and other retro Star Wars gamers are already celebrating, but before that Released January 23 across all modern platformsI had the opportunity to shoot Aspyr some burning questions about the process of revisiting the overlooked Star Wars era.
The developer-publisher is no stranger to remaking classic Star Wars games, and even though 2024's Collection of battlefront against a bit of a start due to some baffling options and a complete lack of polish at launch, its hit rate has been amazing: Episode I – Racer, KOTOR 1 & 2 (Switch), The Force Unleashed (Switch) , and Bounty hunteramong others, all successfully updated the originals for fans old and new. We have yet to see if Jedi Power Battles is a triumph with the Force or another fall to the dark side, but color me excited.
Manage cookie settings
Chris Bashaar, Product Director at Aspyrwas kind enough to shed some light on why and how Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games changed the (originally divisive) arcade-like hit 'em up. The developer has been constantly working through the rich back catalog of LucasArts, and even though games like The Phantom Menace were saved by Disney and Lucasfilm as direct re-releases instead, most of the titles Star Wars we've been blasting lately. The 1990s and early 2000s are getting a new coat of paint.
Elsewhere, Aspyr has also been killing it with the recent remasters of Soul Reaver 1 & 2 and The original Tomb Raider trilogy (to be followed shortly by IV-VI), so Star Wars isn't captured if you're worried about that.
The following Q&A has been edited, trimmed, and reorganized for clarity and coherence.
“The decision to bring it back arose from the perfect combination of fan nostalgia, the game's 25th anniversary, and the opportunity to introduce it to a new generation. Lucasfilm Games has been an amazing partner, and together we knew this was the right time. to celebrate this cult classic,” Bashaar explained. While the Phantom Menace 'direct link' game (developed externally by Big Ape Productions) was released in 1999, Jedi Power Battles, re -a silly version of the first prequel film, developed in-house at LucasArts and dropped the following year Battlefront Collection also falling on a milestone anniversary (the original's 20th), we have to wonder what could be coming from Aspyr this year…
Indeed, 2005 Revenge of the Sith The tie-in, another less fan-favorite one, comes to mind, but Bashaar sidestepped the question, telling Aspyr that the team was “just focused on Jedi Power Battles a bring to players”. Okay then, keep your secrets (the Disney snipers are scary, we get it). He noted, however, that “Lucasfilm Games has been an amazing partner” so far.
I believe that most fans of this game, myself included, will admit that Jedi Power Battles was not like it good good, but it's an easier approach to the building and you'll win charming pieces if you stick with it (it's very difficult, at least in its original PS1 version). At Aspyr, Bashaar notes that “Several members of our team grew up playing Jedi Power Battles… That personal connection fueled the passion behind this remake. made the original so memorable.” If you've been paying attention to the trailers (we're sharing the co-op-centric one below), it's easy to see what he means by that .
Players who have only experienced the PS1 version may find some of the visuals and overall artwork in the remastered games confusing. Of course it's not a big 'remake' of that first release, but a direct update of “the Dreamcast version because it was the neatest version of the original game.” ” Again, it's not wrong, check it out this long play of the Dreamcast release; as well as looking sharper and running much better, several changes have been made to difficult areas and jumps. The team has, however, kept some of the advanced UI elements from the PS1 release around: “We tweaked the textures, re-baked the lighting, and improved overall visual fidelity, while staying true to the game's aesthetic. We also retained some elements from the PlayStation launch, as parts of its iconic UI, to keep that nostalgic connection intact.”
A big selling point of the remaster is the new playable content that comes with it, which transforms the game as a whole into a generous 'couch co-op' package that doubles down on variety play style and flexibility to experience each level. Since most of the new characters and rogue additions work with existing assets, was it all left over and unfinished from the original development or brought to life by Aspyr for his first time?
“We're adding new content, including 13 new playable characters. We wanted to expand the game in ways that felt organic to the Star Wars galaxy. These elements have been carefully designed to enhance the gameplay experience while staying true to the spirit of the original. We are all about “additions not revisions” so nostalgic players will feel that classic is back 25 years ago. ” You can even play as Jar Jar Binks and make him fall to his death often!
A drawback for the unlockable characters in the original (Captain Panaka, Padmé Amidala, and Darth Maul) was that they could not be leveled, even to gain additional HP and more Force potential. That doesn't seem to have changed for any of the remaster's bonus characters, as they are designed as a challenging, additional way to experience the game: “The 13 new playable characters are part of New Game experience + no progress, unlocked by. hitting the main campaign once. Prepare accordingly for a wilder run.
Another big question mark every time a new Star Wars game (old or new) is released is where Lucasfilm does in regards to the public's reaction to events and the content shown. in them, as the Story Group has been protecting strong canon continuity for over a decade. now. All retro Star Wars games are considered Legends or their own, what-if, madcap thing. Jedi Power Battles is clearly one of the latter. But still, this franchise is tightly controlled, so how does that work when you're remaking a really stupid game?
“Lucasfilm Games worked closely with us to make sure everything is in line with the Star Wars galaxy. The collaboration allowed us to add new content, like characters, that feel true to the franchise.” I mean, I'm pretty sure random soldiers can't cut above and Jedi Knights to fly, but that's the Ishi Tib model that looks like an alien background from the movies. I dig this combination of attention to detail and versatility being stupid and over the top more often!
The general 'silliness' of Jedi Power Battles also extended to its sound effects, with Yoda's classic smile playing for no reason (besides being really f**king funny) every time you picked up an item or power. The good news is that none of these were cut or redone, and the same goes for John Williams' excellent Episode I soundtrack. “All original audio and music remains unchanged to preserve the authenticity of the experience,” Bashaar confirmed.
Last but not least, we asked Aspyr about those amazing platform sections (which, honestly, are part of the original game's challenge) and if anything has been done about them . It wasn't an easy thing to figure out and decide on, it seems: “This is a heated debate for us in Aspyr. Although, these mushrooms on Naboo are particularly difficult to navigate, especially as a player for the first time, did the designers make these jumps with a very specific intention jumps, or the jumping mechanic, the resulting effects begin to take away from the charm of the design. It must be noted that the Dreamcast port has already seen significant improvements in many departments, but long story short: Give god.
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is coming to PC (Steam and GOG), PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S plus One, and Nintendo Switch on January 23.
