One of best video games to come out of the prequel era, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, will be available on both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2020. This news comes after the Nintendo Switch version of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer was revealed during a recent Nintendo Direct, along with a Switch version of another popular Star Wars video game, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, which released on Nintendo’s newest console late last month.
First released in 1999 and based on a sequence featured in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer let Nintendo 64 and PC players experience the joy of podracing for themselves in either single player or split-screen multiplayer races taking place over a wide variety of Star Wars locations. Players could modify their podracers by buying parts in Watto’s shop and unlock all of the pods (including Sebulba’s) which were shown in the film, along with new vehicles and Star Wars characters created specifically for the game.
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According to a press release from Aspyr, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is coming to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on May 12, 2020, and will cost $14.99 at launch. The game is updated to have “modernized controls” and will include all twenty-five racers (including Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba) and all of the eight planet locations which were featured in the original. Check out some of the game’s new screenshots below:
Thankfully, the new versions of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer are said to include both the single-player campaign and the split-screen multiplayer mode which was in the original version, so players looking to really get that nostalgic feel can utilize a second controller and play along with someone in their own living room. Split-screen multiplayer is something which has fallen out of favor with the majority of game developers and players over the years as the rise of online gaming and speedy internet connections took over, but there are still a large number of gamers who prefer to play with someone in person, rather than over a wifi connection, even if it does mean shrinking the available screen space.
Regarded by many as one of the best Star Wars video games of all time, it’s no surprise that Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is receiving a new port to modern consoles – in fact, it’s almost surprising that it took the license holders this long. For anyone who hasn’t yet experienced the joy of smashing an opponent’s podracer into the side of a cliff, or for players just looking to experience the best piece of media which came out of George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is not to be missed, especially with the inclusion of local, split-screen multiplayer.
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