Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Review – Nostalgia Meets Frustration

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is a bit one-note, despite fun additions to this remastered version. The core game isn’t especially strong and struggles with difficulty spikes, despite the occasional exciting sequence standing out.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles
Developer: Aspyr
Price: $20
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review

Admittedly, Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is one of the few Star Wars games I didn’t play as a child. Normally when I review these rereleases, I know what I’m in for. This time, I knew very little about the game, but as a huge Phantom Menace fan, was excited to dive in. Unfortunately, I didn’t really click with Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, as it felt a bit too dated to survive on modern consoles.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is essentially a 3D side-scrolling beat-em-up, complete with combos, Force-fueled special abilities, and hordes of enemies to slash. There are quite a few playable characters, each with their own moves and, some, with changeable lightsaber colors. I’m fond of the roster, which encompasses some lesser-used prequels Jedi, including Adi Gallia and Ki-Adi-Mundi.

That being said, the core gameplay loop of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles left me disappointed. Combos feel slow and fidgety, while enemies can easily lock you into loops of getting shot or hit. I spent a lot of my time with the game juggling enemy blaster fire whilst trying to get in a couple of hits, all while taking a surprising amount of damage from basic enemies. It can be rather aggravating and makes you feel less like a powerful Jedi and more like a youngling. 

“The best part of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles comes from the new additions of the remaster.“

The moments of platforming are similarly frustrating, as you can glitch out and miss a jump or miss one that you were certain was doable. Though the occasional moment of landing a full combo can feel exciting, there’s just not much to the gameplay overall. The ability to play two-player and versus mode is a pleasant side-activity, though the clunky combat leads to more button-mashing than anything.

The audio is also repetitive, which I can understand due to the game’s age, but it’s a bit irritating nonetheless. One level has Jar Jar screaming at the top of his lungs for a couple of minutes, with only one audio clip playing the entire time. Again, I get why this is the case, but it does get a tad grating as the game goes on. At the very least, the music is expectedly excellent, as John Williams’ score is as brilliant as ever. 

The new additions to Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles shine.

The best part of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles comes from the new additions of the remaster. Playable characters like Jar Jar Binks and Weequay serve as a great way to make the game stand out as its own worthwhile rerelease without messing with the original game, and the plethora of concept art provides a neat behind-the-scenes look at the title’s development. The cheat codes grant some old-school goofy fun, harkening to an age gone by of big heads and goofy models.

The Final Word
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles stands on the rougher side of Star Wars games from decades gone by. Though the new additions are a fun idea and the additional behind-the-scenes content is enlightening, the clunky gameplay makes this one harder to recommend than other recent Star Wars rereleases.

MonsterVine Rating: 2.5 out of 5 – Mediocre