My Gamer Perspective on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Every saga has a beginning.
"A long, long, time ago, in a galaxy far away, Naboo was under an attack. And I thought me, and Qui-Gon Jinn, could talk the Federation into maybe cutting them a little slack." - "Weird Al" Yankovic, The Saga Begins
Like the 1999 movie it's based on, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace for the Sony PlayStation is far from perfect. As with many licensed tie-in games, it was rushed to market and is riddled with all sorts of weird glitches as a result. Examples include, but are not limited to, playable characters falling through solid walls or floors to their dooms. Partnered characters going haywire or disappearing from the game entirely. Instances where low, survivable falls instantly kill playable characters.
Then, there are tough bosses that may freeze up mid-battle, allowing players to easily slaughter them (no complaints here). Non-player characters (NPCs), who are supposed to give players crucial items, becoming unresponsive. Enemies who become immortal and cannot be killed. Playable characters dying during end level cutscenes. The list goes on and on, ensuring no two playthroughs of the game will ever be the same.
Following in the footsteps of many other early 3D video games, such as Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Bubsy 3D, Grim Fandango, Silent Hill, and Dino Crisis, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace employs "tank controls", which is the gaming equivalent of drunkenly pushing a shopping cart everywhere while being attacked by fast moving enemies. Tank controls and platforming don't mix, but I don't think LucasArts got the memo. Good luck guiding clunky Obi-Wan along narrow catwalks or leaping him across bottomless pits during the final level.
The game designers also thought it was a great idea to fix the camera angle in a disorienting position that simulates running everywhere while staring down at your feet the entire time. Other telltale signs this is an early 3D game from the mid-to-late '90s are all the annoying block pushing puzzles, hilariously bad voice acting, slow loading screens, and blocky graphics that have aged about as well as a carton of milk left outside on a hot summer's day.
Yet, despite these many flaws and imperfections, the game is still quite fun and unintentionally hilarious. There were moments where I went from cursing the game's more frustrating aspects to suddenly bursting out laughing at unexpected glitches. The amateur voice actors do their best impressions of Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, and Natalie Portman, delivering cheesy lines or rude remarks that are uncharacteristic for these characters. This is thanks to the wide assortment of dialogue choices you're given when interacting with NPCs, a la adventure games like LucasArts' 1990 hit, The Secret of Monkey Island. For example, you can make the wise Qui-Gon a real smartass, if you wish.
There are plenty of funny quotes from angry NPCs, such as "stop pushing me!", "hoota-hoota!", or "you're a no-good killer!". One memorably pointless conversation consists of a discussion between Qui-Gon and a Tatooine market vendor regarding a delicacy known as "chokie". Another memorable dialogue-driven moment is a side quest by Captain Panaka to sell his pair of electrobinoculars for enough money to purchase tour bus tickets on Coruscant. Both moments are pure comedy gold.
The player's freedom isn't strictly limited to humorous dialogue choices, though. As with the Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead series, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace allows gamers to freely slaughter NPCs, with little to no consequence for their actions. It's surreal to see Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon behave like Darth Vader at the Jedi Temple. It's cool to see Queen Amidala assassinate Nute Gunray, the tyrant responsible for the invasion of her planet and massacre of her people. Such events never occurred in the movie. I salute LucasArts for granting players the freedom to experience the game however they wish, even if it involves surprisingly un-Jedi-like behaviour.
Regarding gameplay, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace closely follows the plot of the movie, with a few deviations here and there. Players must guide Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Captain Panaka, and Queen Amidala through various levels set on Naboo, Tatooine, and Coruscant. Objectives range from escaping the enemy, bodyguarding partnered characters, solving block puzzles, RPG-like trading sequences, helping NPCs with their problems, and playing Pong with your lightsaber against all manner of scum and villainy. The games' difficulty rises gradually and fairly at first, before absurdly spiking during the first bodyguard mission.
This level is brutal. As Obi-Wan, players are tasked with keeping Queen Amidala alive while attempting to escape from the city. This is easier said than done, as seemingly the entire droid army bombards players with heavy gunfire from all directions. Leave Queen Amidala unmonitored for too long and she becomes one with the Force. Fail to find Obi-Wan enough healing items or weapons and he becomes one with the Force. This level resembles the ending of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, so prepare for Obi-Wan and Queen Amidala to become one with the Force many times. There are also no checkpoints or auto-saving in this game, so remember to press the "pause" button and manually save your progress often.
The penultimate level of the game, which is essentially the same bodyguard mission navigated in reverse order, is an even more aggravating variant. As Queen Amidala, players must now bodyguard her own bodyguard (yes, you read that right) with a pitiful taser and a scant supply of hidden weapons. Unfortunately, the game shows its age here by giving the sole female character a harmless and useless default weapon (none of the male characters are forced to use a pathetic taser). Thankfully, the game has an easy-to-enter cheat code that grants players nifty level select and invincibility options. I finally activated it upon reaching the prior level, and am glad I did, as bodyguarding the bodyguard was hard enough with invincibility, save states, and the rewind feature. To quote the Angry Video Game Nerd: "What were they thinking?!?"
So, in closing, I would file Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace for the Sony PlayStation under the "so bad, it's good" category of video games. This is one of those titles that you know is fundamentally flawed before going into it, but which also happens to be the charm and novelty of the experience. It's a relatively short game that's fun while it lasts. Just remember to have this cheat code handy (unless you're a gaming masochist, like Mike Matei, you'll probably want the invincibility at some point): at the title screen, highlight "options", and press the "triangle", "circle", "left", "L1", "R2", "square", "circle", and "left" buttons. After hearing the beep, hold the "L1", "select", and "triangle" buttons. Voila! Until next time, may the Force be with you!