Watch The Empire Strikes Back a hundred times over and you’ll be more shocked by Darth Vader revealing he’s Luke Skywalker’s father than I was when the news broke last October that yet another old Star Wars game was being remastered for modern consoles.
After all, we are in an age where video games are having every ounce of nostalgic juice squeezed from them, particularly those set in a galaxy far, far away. Classic titles like 1995’s Dark Forces and 2005’s Republic Commando are readily available on current generation systems now, bolstered by a fresh lick of paint or an improved control scheme, preying on our obsession with anything vintage.
I, for one, have revelled in playing games from my youth again, but surely there has to be a limit as to what will be resurrected from the gaming graveyard; does anyone really want to replay 2000’s painfully mediocre Jedi Power Battles?
When the sidescrolling platformer was first released for the PlayStation One (and later, the Dreamcast) a year after The Phantom Menace reignited Star Wars fever in cinemas, it was almost universally panned. It was supposed to be an epic movie tie-in, instead it was hampered by shoddy gameplay and underwhelming graphics that simply couldn’t compete with other titles being made at the time. Returning to it 25 years later should have been more of a drag than being stuck on Tatooine with Jar Jar Binks for company, but it’s actually a surprisingly punchy romp.
As has been the case with other remasters made by the Austin-based studio Aspyr of late, the developer has again chosen to preserve the original experience, including only minor updates. Thankfully there’s a simpler control scheme (but you can revert back to the native buttons if you wish) and we get a bunch of extra characters to play as, although they’re a little bland; there’s small chance you’ll be ditching Mace Windu for the newly added Rifle Droid or Ishi Tib anytime soon.
Compared to contemporary Star Wars games that have greater depth to their gameplay, Jedi Power Battles is refreshingly straightforward. Either playing solo or in co-op mode, we blast through a series of levels inspired by The Phantom Menace, such as Theed Palace or the swamps of Naboo, bashing droids and Tuskan Raiders with a lightsaber and launching them through the air using Force powers. Occasionally there’ll be the odd helpless character, like Anakin Skywalker, to escort to safety.
One of the game’s saving graces was that it’s a challenging affair and that’s not changed, but much of that has nothing to do with the strength of our opponents. It’s largely because the combat remains lethargic and awkward while jumping across a platform can be just as clunky, even if you time your leap to perfection.
If Jedi Power Battles failed to move the needle for you the first time round then this remaster probably won’t either, especially considering we’re spoiled nowadays with myriad Star Wars games that better simulate being a Jedi, but this is a fun little pick up and play adventure that’ll have you pining for the past as soon as John Williams’ Duel of the Fates rings out.
SCORE: 3/5
Available for $19.99 on PS5/PS4, Xbox Series XS/Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam from 23rd January 2025
