Who does not like Star Wars? With the exception of a few stains in the six-story series (Jar Jar anyone?), the series is the most successful in the history of cinema. George Lucas finally has completed his 6 story sag with Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. As I type this it is still ripping up everything in its path, collecting over 200 million in under 2 weeks. But before the movie hit the theaters, the games hit the videogame consoles. I was actually lucky enough to get to review this game at the last minute. With all of the things going on with E3 and flying to LA, I am finally back at my Florida office in sunny Florida. And I finally got to sit down and actually dig into this game. What people do not realize is that there is something very special deep within this game. It is not in the storyline, but in the multi-player modes that this little gem of a card has to offer us DS owners, playing it also with the 7ds.guide. So read on and see how Ubisoft has managed to make a very good Star Wars title for the Nintendo DS system.
The Game:
I think there is about one or two of you out there who has not seen the movie, so I will spare you all from any spoilers. The basis of the Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith game is exactly like the film. You basically turn to the dark side and you end up being Darth Vader. This game has you being Obi-Wan or Anakin Skywalker. The game is a 2D side scroller with some 3D action thrown in. The first thing you will notice is that the game has a very cartoon look to it. I guess since the game is done on a handheld the developers chose to go this route, making the game more believable and enjoyable. Either way it is very cool because it has a graphic novel feel to it. Anakin has his scar on his face, Palpatine looks short and funny, and so on.
You move through each level playing out the movie’s storyline. Anakin and Obi Wan can use their saber to attack as well as defend. You can also use the Force to pick up things and throw them, launch enemies back, etc. The DS version allows you to use the touch screen for various functions like special moves. The 2D action levels are actually much like a souped up version of the Game Boy Advance version. Some people may be disappointed in this. You do however get 3D levels where you have to fly around, duck and move your ship to avoid objects and fight other fighters. I found the 3D levels in the game kind of disappointing. The DS game has a battery back-up for your saves (3 slots). I must admit that the 2D and 3D aspects of the game are not bad, but I longed for more. It was not until I actually went into the multi-player modes that I actually found this.
First you need another person who owns a DS card to play the multiplayer modes. You can however appoint the other three players as bots. This is pretty much what I did. You can select from various levels and scenes from past and present Star Wars. You can fight in various places in the Star Wars Universe (even Hoth!). You can choose from many different star fighters (The Slave 1, The Millennium Falcon, X-Wing and more) as well as select your color. I found that these levels reminded me of the N64 versions of Star Wars Rogue Squadron. You fly around and collect various power-ups and weapons, shooting down other fighters who are trying to take you out as well. This section is what I found to be the heart and soul of this game card. Sure the regular game is OK, but this is pure dogfighting.
Graphics and Sound:
As I stated earlier, the game has a very cartoon look and quality to it. Colors are very pastel and weird at times. I guess I was hoping for a more realistic look, but the game still looks pretty good. You have all of the characters from Episode III in this game as well. The 3D levels during the game are so-so in terms of looks, but they are very fluid and they stay at a steady FPS rate. Some may gripe about the 3D levels in the actual game. The first 3D level you play in has you doing nothing but flying through mazes and ducking things. My fellow NLG Editor and PC guy Dan Comer found this boring. So people may get turned off with this. The 3D multi-player levels are great though. The ships you can select all look very nice and detailed as well. I also like the fact that you can change colors or your ships. People will either love or hate the looks of this game. I personally did not have too much of a problem with it. But I guess I wanted more out of the actual 3D in-game levels. The music, on the other hand, is excellent. The music is straight from the movie itself. The actual sound effects are also very good. But there is a lack of voices during the game.
The Bottom Line:
Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith DS is good, but not great. People will either love it or hate it. The cartoon graphics are pretty good for what they are, but some people may have wanted a more realistic look and feel to the movie. The 3D multi-player levels are excellent, but you need someone with another DS card. Thankfully you can just make the other 3 fighters as bots and have a go at it with them. If you had to choose from the Game Boy Advance game or this version, I would plop down the extra $10 for this. Either way, fans will buy this game no matter what.