STAR WARS™ Episode I Racer

Star Wars: Episode One Racer is an excellent arcade-style racing game filled with fast-paced action and tight, responsive controls. It is the type of game that deserves these kind of re-releases, it is a loved relic from a bygone age.

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"STAR WARS™ Episode I Racer" is a racing game set in the Star Wars universe. Players compete in high-speed podraces across various tracks, choosing from a variety of characters and customizable pods. The game features both single-player and multiplayer modes, offering a thrilling and challenging experience for fans of Star Wars and racing games alike.

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Play Modes

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,348 reviews

graphics38 positive mentions

stability42 negative mentions

A nostalgic trip for fans of the original game, capturing the essence of podracing from the Star Wars universe.
Fast-paced gameplay with a great sense of speed and responsive controls, making it enjoyable to race through various tracks.
Offers a variety of characters and podracers to choose from, along with an upgrade system that adds depth to the racing experience.

The port is plagued with technical issues, including frequent crashes, especially on modern systems, and poor controller support.
Graphics are dated and the game lacks quality-of-life improvements, such as better UI and resolution options.
The AI is often too easy to beat, leading to a lack of challenge and replayability after completing the game.

graphics
162 mentions
23 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its origins from the late 1990s, with many users expressing a desire for a remaster to enhance visual fidelity. Despite the dated visuals, which include low-resolution textures and occasional glitches, players find that the fast-paced gameplay and nostalgic elements compensate for the graphical shortcomings. Overall, while the graphics may not meet modern standards, they do not significantly detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Incredible graphics for its time and great sense of speed even when compared with more modern racing games.”
- “The graphics are also dated, no hiding or even trying to excuse that.”
- “Despite the aging graphics and mechanics, it still plays well and projects a nostalgically fun concept of what could be in a modern pod racing title.”
- “Disappointingly, this version looks pretty janky; very fuzzy graphics (especially the interface) no matter the resolution, while the decent-looking cinematics do not fill the screen... shame it was not remastered.”
- “The graphics are horrible, the voice acting is mediocre, the controls are okay, and the upgrade system is as simple as 'win a bunch of times and upgrade your stuff.'”
- “The graphics have not aged well, to be frank.”
gameplay
105 mentions
37 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this racing title is generally praised for its fast-paced mechanics and engaging level design, despite showing its age in graphics and some confusing mechanics. Players appreciate the depth and variety offered by the racing dynamics, including unique boost and damage systems, though some find the overall gameplay loop simplistic and reliant on stats. While nostalgic and enjoyable, many reviewers express a desire for a modern remake to enhance graphics and gameplay features.
- “Extremely good: exhilarating sense of speed, amazing level design, gameplay simplicity contrasted with depth of play, I love the pod designs and the racers.”
- “For a game released in 1999, it is still one of the best racing games ever made with quite an impressive sense of speed, realistic physics, and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay itself is a really nice mix of balancing risk and reward of going at high speeds to getting through tight turns and avoiding hazards.”
- “Dry, sterile environments with no exciting gameplay.”
- “The game certainly has its issues; buggy menu (PC version), low resolution textures, confusing gameplay (damage of parts on podracer, I recommend looking up a guide how this stuff works), not that many maps (only 25).”
- “Gameplay mechanics that should have added depth are somewhat confusing.”
music
64 mentions
42 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic orchestral compositions, primarily drawn from John Williams' iconic Star Wars soundtrack, which enhances the racing experience and evokes nostalgia. However, many players note that the limited selection of music tracks leads to repetitiveness, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While the soundtrack effectively captures the intensity of the races, some users express a desire for more unique music tailored to different planets.
- “The music and speed make the racing feel epic.”
- “The awesome music from the movie by John Williams makes everything more epic.”
- “The soundtrack from Phantom Menace is amazing and in general the sound design is great.”
- “It would be nice if there was unique music for each planet, instead of the same film-borrowed music tracks for everything with seemingly no pattern.”
- “I gotta say the same small handful of short music loops can drive you mad after a while.”
- “The game also suffers from poor musical loops, especially compared to the Nintendo 64 version even if the music is constantly being played on the PC version.”
stability
49 mentions
14 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting various glitches, including audio issues, graphical bugs, and occasional crashes that can disrupt gameplay. While some players experienced significant troubleshooting to get the game running smoothly, others found it to be a nostalgic experience despite its imperfections. Overall, the game is playable and enjoyable, but potential buyers should be prepared for a few technical hiccups.
- “It runs great on Windows 10 without any fiddling on my part; all I did was download it, press play, and it just worked.”
- “This game runs great, it's smooth and nearly perfect.”
- “It runs great on my PC, seems like a solid PC port.”
- “Instead, EA released this buggy port which has several fatal flaws that require user changes to get the game working.”
- “Game is buggy as shit.”
- “I love this game so much but the crashes and the audio/video glitches get old really fast.”
story
27 mentions
15 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for its minimal presence, with many players noting that it lacks a substantial narrative and relies on basic cutscenes and familiar lines from the Star Wars universe. While some players enjoyed the gameplay and the lore of podracing, they expressed disappointment that the potential for a deeper story was not realized, suggesting that the game feels more like a racing experience than a narrative-driven adventure. Overall, the consensus is that the game offers little in terms of storytelling, leaving players wanting more depth and engagement with the characters and plot.
- “But tons of fun, plus it tells the story of the true hero of Star Wars: Dud Bolt, who died and miraculously resurrected 9 times in a race on Oovo IV and still managed to win by a minute and a half.”
- “If they were going to commit to fleshing out the podracing lore then they should have gotten Lucas involved, not just because he would be able to actually tie the lore together, but because he understood science fiction storytelling, and probably could have told a story that captured the post-war motorsport scene in the game design.”
- “Perhaps the small little cutscenes and banter with Watto is considered the story.”
- “☑ no story”
- “🔲 this game has no story”
- “The game has no story elements whatsoever and in general a minimal interface”
optimization
19 mentions
47 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while many players appreciate its smooth performance and compatibility with modern systems, some have noted issues such as stuttering, control problems, and a lack of additional features that could enhance the experience. The game runs well for most, but the age of the title has led to some erratic performance and minor bugs that detract from the overall experience. Players express a desire for further patches to improve optimization and fix lingering issues.
- “Dreamcast did it justice and this game was originally optimized for that console.”
- “It's the same game that we grew to know and love, but with the benefit of superior performance.”
- “This game scales well and is optimized to run on mostly any system available these days.”
- “The age of the game sadly affected the performance as well (couple of stutters), and you feel sometimes control issues.”
- “Despite it's clear this is only a port and not a remaster, I can't help but fret the fact the devs didn't add minor features like achievements, bug-fixes, alt-tab optimization (and support for Steam overlay) and maybe time trial mode.”
- “All races get stuttering at first.”
replayability
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered limited, with many users noting that while it can be enjoyable with friends, it lacks substantial content to encourage repeated playthroughs. Some players mention that the game is short and would benefit from additional modes, such as time trials, to enhance replay value. Despite improvements in performance and controls compared to its original release, the consensus is that it doesn't offer enough incentive for frequent revisits.
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “The game itself is rather short, but it does hold some replayability.”
- “The game would have benefited from a time trial mode, and since getting a multiplayer match is an extreme difficulty, the replayability of the game is a little limited.”
- “It helped kill a day of time, but there isn't any replayability given how old this is.”
- “Not enough replayability to be worth $10, in my humble opinion.”
- “The game would have benefited from a time trial mode, and since getting a multiplayer match is extremely difficult, the replayability of the game is a little limited.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, characterized by visually unique stages, immersive sound design, and a strong connection to the Star Wars universe. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke the excitement of the franchise through its music, sound effects, and quirky dialogue, contributing to an overall engaging experience. Many consider it a standout feature, with some rating it a perfect 10/10 for its atmospheric qualities.
- “It's chock-full of atmosphere and flair, especially the stages, which are all visually interesting and unique to each other.”
- “One of the best Star Wars games ever with a special atmosphere.”
- “LucasArts captured the speed and atmosphere that a good racing game set in the pod racing world should have.”
- “What matters is the speed, controls, and atmosphere.”
- “Both atmosphere- and gameplay-wise.”
- “One of the more exciting things in the first film is displayed here in full LucasGames fashion, with all the appropriate Star Wars music, sound effects, quirky alien dialogue, and just oozing with atmosphere.”
humor
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its fast-paced racing style, amusing characters, and entertaining voiceovers, which some players find hilariously repetitive. The combination of orchestral music and funny sound effects enhances the overall experience, making it a memorable and enjoyable game for both fans and newcomers alike. Players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements that contribute to the fun of racing and breaking courses.
- “All in all, I think the orchestral music and funny voices are just as appealing as the graphics.”
- “It's still hilariously fun and fast, and fun to see how much you can break the courses with boost.”
- “At times the voiceovers are hilariously repetitive, although I find this to be somewhat entertaining.”
monetization
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is criticized as a cash grab that capitalizes on nostalgia, with many reviewers noting its low quality despite enjoyable gameplay. However, it is also highlighted that the game does not include loot boxes or microtransactions, which some players may appreciate.
- “It comes without loot boxes and without microtransactions.”
- “Ultimately, it's just a cash grab preying on nostalgia.”
- “Great game, but an agonizingly low quality cash grab.”
- “Sorry, but this seems to be more of a cash grab.”
grinding
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find that grinding in the game can be frustrating, particularly in the final races where some courses feel cheap and tedious. Additionally, the level design is inconsistent, with certain turns requiring excessive slowing down, which can detract from the overall experience.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel well-earned.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics encourage exploration and experimentation with different strategies.”
- “The only races that you'll probably need a few tries are the very last handful of courses, and one or two of them are annoyingly cheap and tedious.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Level design varies from great to really bad; some turns are impossible unless you slow down to a grinding halt.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a nostalgic emotional connection to the game, reminiscing about their experiences with the arcade version and feeling a sense of satisfaction and excitement at the value of the PC version. This sentiment is heightened by a desire for a physical representation of the game, reflecting a deeper appreciation for its impact.
- “Playing this game brought back so many memories and emotions that I didn't expect. It felt like a journey through my past.”
- “The storylines and character development hit me hard; I found myself genuinely caring about the characters and their struggles.”
- “This game made me feel a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, and I appreciate how it can connect with players on such a deep level.”