Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer

Playing Episode I : Racer initially reveals a game with a great feeling of control and speed, but lacking in any great challenge. The first few tracks are very easy, however, a bit of perseverance gets you to the more challenging of the game's twenty tracks and proves to be much more enjoyable. The game features an array of characters each with their own crafts, the ability to upgrade your vehicle between races, and a damage system which occasionally see you writing off your pod racer (although it reappears shortly after your crash and allows you to continue the race.)

The tracks in Star Wars: Episode I Racer do not require the degree of skill and practice associated with classic racing games such as Wipeout, F-Zero and Gran Turismo. The races are all very fast, but the early courses don't demand much skill. Still, things pick up later on with narrow gaps to squeeze through, anti-gravity areas where the pod racer is no longer forced to hover a few feet above the ground, and some spectacular long jumps. Two player mode is also pretty entertaining.

Visually, Star Wars: Episode I Racer is pretty good. It obviously pales in comparison to the 3D accelerated PC version of the game, but by N64 standards it's not bad. There is, of course, support for the 4MB RAM expansion pak which allows for higher resolution and sharper visuals - if you don't have a 4MB pak it's a worthwhile investment as without the game suffers from a somewhat blurry look which haunts low-res N64 titles.

All in all, Star Wars : Episode I Racer is a solid racing game which doesn't quite match the mastery of titles such as Wipeout 64 or F-Zero X. Still, Star Wars fans should enjoy it and there's plenty of them out there.