Aspyr Media’s remastered version of Star Wars Episode I: Racer will be released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 next month.
May the 12th be with you. That’s the release date Aspyr Media has announced for the updated version of much-loved George Lucas simulator, Star Wars Episode I: Racer.
It was first released on PC and Nintendo 64 back in 1999 to accompany the film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It took one of the best scenes from the movie and turned it into a game that comfortably holds its own against F-Zero and Wipeout in the battle to top the sci-fi racing podium.
The remaster features some welcome updates, including improved FMV footage and remapped controls for the PS4 DualShock 4 and Nintendo Switch controllers.
In an interview on StarWars.com, producer James Vicari says:
“You really want to make sure that the game plays well and embraces as much of the variations as possible for them. So we’ve done a lot of work to make sure that the game feels comfortable in all configurations, including playing with each individual Joy-Con. The team here is a big believer that the best control scheme is the one you don’t ever think about and that philosophy really permeates everything we’ve done with the controls.”
PlayStation 4 owners can also look forward to earning some newly added trophies, including a platinum.
Overall, the podracing game looks in good shape. The visuals haven’t been massively overhauled – similar to the studio’s recent remasters Jedi Academy and Jedi Outcast – but an HD sheen and an improved frame-rate should make a return to one of our favourite Nintendo 64 games a pleasure.
Star Wars Episode I: Racer will be released via the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop. It’s priced at $15 in the US, which equates to about 20,000 Republic Dataries in the UK. Yippee!
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