Aspyr is remastering Jedi Power Battles because apparently we’ve run out of good Star Wars game

Aspyr has announced that the next Star Wars game they’re remastering is the 2000 PS1/Dreamcast game, Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles. It’s a real why-the-hell-not moment, but what a game to have to remaster.

I really did not like the prequel trilogy. When Episode I was released, I was 11 and already a huge fan of Star Wars. I bought the novelization, which was released about a month before the movie hit theatres. I, uh, remember not feeling a whole lot after watching it. Not a massive disappointment, but definitely not what I was hoping for. That feeling has soured greatly since then. However, we did get a bunch of great games out of the deal. I still play Star Wars: Episode I: Racer rather frequently.

There was a massive flood of games that followed the movie’s release, and quite a few of them weren’t very good. Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is not one of those good games. A lot of its problems had to do with control and the actual feel of combat, but those are things that can be fixed. I doubt the whole tediousness of the experience can be addressed; that would probably be out of scope for the remaster.

However, they are throwing in 13 playable characters and levels unlocked from the start. I mean, that’s not a lot, but it’s not nothing. They boast modern controls and confirm that 2-player couch co-op will be included. You know, at the price of $19.99 you could definitely do worse.

I can dig Aspyr’s crusade to remaster all these Star Wars games, even if they could have picked a better one this time around. I would have even taken Star Wars: Demolition, the somewhat bizarre vehicular combat game that plays a lot like Vigilante 8, being from the same developer. If they want to take Star Wars: Racer Revenge and fix it to live up to the original N64 title, I’d be forever grateful, but I don’t think that game can be fixed by anything smaller than a 12-gauge.

I guess what I’m saying is I hope they keep going, even if their track record for remasters has kind of been all over the place. I mean, somebody has to do it, right? Who else is going to have the guts to remaster Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles?

Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is coming to Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC January 23, 2025.