In this video, we're taking a look back at Star Wars Episode 1 Racer. Released for the Nintendo 64, PC, Mac, Game Boy Color, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch
I always played the guy Neva Kee or whatever, so every time I started a race I would hear, 'The current record holder for this track is, Nevaaa Keeee". Permanently fused in my brain till this day.
Watto singing the Cantina song is one of those things that I haven't heard in 20 years and yet it has played in my head at least once a week for my entire life
I remember playing the arcade version and as a kid it was literally the coolest thing I'd ever seen! I got the n64 version for myself and it has a special place in my heart. One of the best tie in games in history
In my memories of the PC version, for the last levels, you had to really know the tracks perfectly and it almost felt like the only way to succeed was to be "in the zone", completely immersed in the game with dry eyes. Good memories!
One level in particular, which had an upper and lower track, was damn best impossible on harder difficulties. Had to be real good to stay on the top track - could never keep up on the bottom.
My favorite thing to do was to shop for parts and then watch the droids fix up the podracer in the 3D viewer. I was so immersed as a kid, I thought i had to give the droids actual time in between races to fix it up 😂
I had fond memories of this game. The most funny was that despite having all this kind of different racing arenas, my friends on choose the Tatooine one because "that's the one from the movie!"
As a kid, I only knew about Star Wars Racer for N64. A lot of hours where spent on that game, even when the PS3 was released. Fond memories of weekends at my friends place playing all sorts of games, some stand out more than other. And Star Wars Racer was a favourite of ours, alongside Super Mario World, Golden Eye 007, Perfect Dark, Super Smash Bros and loads more.
This and Rogue Squadron were two of my favorite N64 games. My brother got this for his birthday and I played it to death. A couple of my friends also got it and I remember talking about it at school all the time. I replayed it on Switch earlier this year and it was so much fun.
I remember Sebulba having a secret flamethrower weapon that the AI never seemed to be able to use, but was also utterly pointless for the player except in multiplayer because AI engines never overheated or took damage.
I grew up on the N64 version. As I said in a previous video, I made it my mission to unlock Sebulba. Didn't like the character himself but his podracer was bar none my favorite. Second favorite, being Mars Guo. Speaking of which: It's been said that Jake Lloyd played this game when he was young and his favorite racer was also Mars. It also helps that he actually played the role of Anakin in this game as well RRTANGENTABACUS is what unlocks everything in both the N64 and HD versions.. While it does offer that unique twin controller option, it also unlocked two additional racers you can't otherwise get normally: Cy Yunga and Jinn Reeso. Originally, these two had their own dedicated codes to unlock, but they would replace Navior and Toy Dampner respectively when inputted. The unlock everything code I think was released some time after Episode 1's popularity died down.
@@kasuraga That was the other reason I wanted his podracer, even though it's technically cheating. It's actually mentioned in the instruction manual as well how to use it
Episode 1 Racer is literally my favorite racing game. Nothing has topped it for me. I loved it as a kid and I loved it when I played the releases as an adult. The devs went way above and beyond for a movie tie in racing game.
Man I love these Star Wars game videos so much...thank you for making them. You unlocked a hidden memory with the photo of those arcade pod racer seats...brought back the thrill I experienced as a kid climbing into one of those at the mall.
I got the PC version of Star Wars Episode I Racer while on vacation in Denmark (I was 9, I think). I was so addicted to that game. The game always felt like a mix of a rollercoaster ride and a flight simulator (the theme park variant). Unfortunately, years later the CD was too scratched and I couldn't play it anymore. I was heartbroken. Nowadays I own the Steam version though, so it's all good.
The level Abyss in this game is almost broken, so hard to beat. I got a first place finish a few years ago in the stage, and it was my greatest video gaming moment!
I have great memories of the game, I was too young to play (or not be stuck in 12th place) so I watched my dad play constantly. we even 'played' LAN with one of my nephews. same thing with the arcade, every year we went to the same place on holiday and went to the arcade where we played the arcade star wars racer. I got to sit on my dad's lap in the pod and press the boost button. this game gave me some of my favorite childhood memories.
I remember my parents shopping at JC Penney at the local mall and they had a N64 with this game there. The entire time they shopped I'd play it, then go home and play it some more. One of my first games that I just could not put down.
Bullseye Navior is the best racer in the game in my opinion. He must be able to see for miles with those eyes, even through the dense N64 distance fog lol. Seriously though, his pod just controls the best.
@@katoutsugi1633 I mained Ody Mandrell for most of the game. Not the fastest, but I found I could control his pod better and in a lot of cases was able to make up for the lack of speed with tighter turns.
The rerelease for ps4 was the best $20 I’ve ever spent! Not only was it great to play on my own, my friends and I have gotten together for a few old school racing parties, as adults. Just such a great game overall!
Got it on PC as one of the few non-N64 games I had in the 90s. Later played the N64 port and recall having a hard time controlling the pods in that version. The Dreamcast version is really beautiful and has great controls.
Racer Revenge was pretty good too and still own it with my Battlefront 1 and 2 in mint! I traded a lot of PS1 and PS2 games back in the day. It came crazier. GameStop and I regret selling some of them like Mafia…
My favorite game of all time. I'm 25 years old, I think in every year, I pick it up, and start to play with it, then complete it in 2-3 hours. Nostalgia is so real in this game
Racer was my true introduction to star wars. I think my friend bought it over, or i borrowed it or something. I just remember spending hours playing it. I think i might still have my copy somewhere
Still such a good game all these years later. The addition of boosting really adds a tactical element to it without the addition of more "fantastic" elements like power-ups or boost pads. I'm literally working on the script for a challenge run I did recently to see if I could beat the game without buying upgrades which gave me a whole new appreciation for all the nuances of boosting.
The Dreamcast version also supports the VGA adapter, so if you had access to a monitor at the time (even if your PC wasn't quite up to the task of running the PC version) it looks absolutely stunning. Thanks for posting!
I was neither a big Star Wars fan nor much of a race game guy… although I loved the original F-Zero… because of the legendary soundtrack… but I *LOVED* this game! My mate and I would play, him being the “mechanic” me being the racer. He’d upgrade the pod and I’d race it. We of course switched roles for fairness’s sake but we had a blast playing it that way. I honestly don’t think we ever actually raced each other. This game takes me back to the end of my childhood at the end of the blessed 90’s and early 2000’s.
@@Eichro it was one of the Malastare ones, I think. Pretty sure it was on the last page in the tournament mode. But whomever designed those must have been a racing fan because I think one of the o5er layouts for that map resembled a British track (Oulton Park, iirc).
I remember going to an Episode 1 event prior to the film’s release and they had the opportunity to try out Race in a room full of multiple N64s. It was great to try out and have fun with it. I didn’t play it again until 20 years later when my wife found a CD rom at a thrift store and I got it to work. It was a fun little nostalgia trip.
Man, I spent so many hours on this game as a kid. I still go back and replay this game often... until Abyss becomes unavoidable. Probably the only blight on an otherwise incredible racing experience.
The PC version can be played online with up to 12 players! There's a discord server with the mod. We ran this a lot during lockdown and it was great fun when we were all learning the game together.
For most of my childhood, I had gotten the game from my brother in law... I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD BOOST THE PODS! I DIDN'T LEARN THAT TILL I WAS LIKE 11!
Got such nostalgia for this. I remember playing it in my school's computer lab after doing typing class. Yes, I'm old enough to have done typing classes
The N64 version was also one of the pack-in game options for a time, and had a special themed box for N64. Never will forget seeing a pallet of N64s at Best Buy ready for purchase!
Man, this is my favorite Racing game of all time. Still own it on PC, playing with a Joystick, like back in the day. :D Sadly the remaster has quite a few graphical glitches. Havent played it in a while there (I still rather boot up the PC version) At launch there was broken skyboxes on some levels, BACKWARDS playing videos and cullout errors in starting sequenzes. Quite a graphical mess, that still played pretty good. Comparison between N64 and DC probably should have mentioned that the DC version was slightly better and ran a bit better (also it was 480p instead of 480i Expansion Pack, as far as I remember).
One thing you didn't mention is the way the payout system and part system works. You can choose whose gets money in the race payout such as more money for the 2nd 3rd and 4th or switch it to be all on 1st place if you're feeling more risky. Definitely a cool risk vs. reward system, even if you don't really ever have a reason to not put it all on First place. The part system was also very innovative for the time as they're not just straight upgrades but actually have health. The more you get damaged in the race the health for parts will go down or break and you'll lose the benefits. You can buy either more expensive parts at the shop but they have full health, or get greatly discounted parts at the junkyard but they break more easily. Definitely a cool idea, but something I think would work better for more or a roguelike racing game.
I remember being at Costco, and there was a demo N64 with Racer on it. Just two aisles over was Phantom Menace playing on all the big screen TVs. I played Racer before I saw Ep. I
I only had the GBC version and boy do I remember that sound design. Annoying as heck, but also incredibly distinctive. It DID have a truly metal version of Duel of the Fates play over the menus that I don't think gets enough love.
i played this game for hours as a kid, they did a good job to be honest, different planets with specific themes, unique drivers and vehicles... some tracks were really hard, specially i remember if you did it bad even half a lap, the rest of the racers went away making it impossible to gain positions back.
Pax South 2019 had an episode 1 pod racer challenge. You had to clear the time trial with the fastest time with Anakin's pod racer. My time was sub 9 minutes. That was actually the first time I played the game too! Fun medal challenge for sure. 🎉
I had this bundled with my N64 when I was 5. One of the few N64 games I owned as a kid prior to Wii Virtual Console, alongside both Zelda games and F-1 World Grand Prix. Teemto Pagalies had my favorite-looking pod-racer in the game, and I even had the micro machine.
I love how the locations are almost all new original places, LucasArts and George Lucas knew how to make the star wars universe feel immense and full of wander without losing its style, Disney just reuses everything, they would have you racing the pod racer through the jedi temple just to use a known location
I used to race every course for 1st place with one character and not buy an upgrade until I finished the final track. Then I would go to that shop to hear the first voice lines as my trophy.
I think it would be worth mentioning that the arcade game is being run on an emulator with graphics issues. The actual arcade game features shading, skyboxes, and fog. The Sega Hikaru arcade board was a pretty capable machine.
Nope. Arcade version's got different tracks altogether. Only the Bounta Eve Classic is fairly similar across both versions since they're referencing the movie, plus the arcade version's shorter, I think.
I kind of like the music only starting on the final lap, that feels intentional. The first few laps feel more immersive and focused on the sounds of the engines, environments, etc and then the final lap increases the tension and intensity with music
Its simple to upgrade in tournament. Buy pit droids early, only play winner takes all and restart if youre not going to get first place. Only buy parts in the junkyard, only severely damaged, only to replace a mostly repaired part. You can manipulate more money by taking this to extreme, but theres no need. Maintain parts condition by mostly only upgrading acceleration, cooling and top speed early in, getting an early lead, being extra careful on the curves and gapping on the straights, this way you can avoid extra damage to get the most credit on exchanges.
i recently installed it on steam having it in my library for years... oh sweet memories. also, quite no other game could give me the speed perception as good as racer did. you really feel the 450mph youre flying
I never owned an N64 but Star Wars Racer was the game on demo at my local Walmart. It was there for probably 6 months. I played every time my mom took me there. I would go straight for the electronic section and play until my mom came to get me. And then one day... it was gone... replaced by Turok 3 that I didn't care much for.
Yeah, it added a sense of urgency to the race. That music kicked in and you knew it was coming down to the wire, like how in Mario Kart we get the last lap tune.
ITS A NEW LAP RECORD!
This line has been burned into my long term memory forever
Nostalgia sounds like this and Watto's fourth wall-breaking hum of the Cantina Theme...
Memory unlocked 😂
I always played the guy Neva Kee or whatever, so every time I started a race I would hear, 'The current record holder for this track is, Nevaaa Keeee".
Permanently fused in my brain till this day.
Yep, lines you can hear.
When you said ‘25 years ago the phantom menace was everywhere’ I could feel my hair going more grey 😂
I was there Gandalf...
@@Rschr101 Elrond was already old by the time Isildur fucked up 😂
At least you still have it, mine just falls off 😢
In the words of the ancient sages Smash Mouth- the years start coming and they don't stop coming.
1999 was an awesome year in general.
Watto singing the Cantina song is one of those things that I haven't heard in 20 years and yet it has played in my head at least once a week for my entire life
3:32
Have youuuuuuu.... seen my chance cube-uh?
Bro same
Same
I think it stopped for me like 5 years ago but its prolly back now....
I remember playing the arcade version and as a kid it was literally the coolest thing I'd ever seen! I got the n64 version for myself and it has a special place in my heart. One of the best tie in games in history
I had no idea there was a mode to play the N64 version with two controllers. That would be dope.
It's working.... it's wooorrrrkiiinnnng!!
"They come here... how do they find me?!...ooyi... they come here... mess up my store! IEEYH!!"
"Ootmians!"
In my memories of the PC version, for the last levels, you had to really know the tracks perfectly and it almost felt like the only way to succeed was to be "in the zone", completely immersed in the game with dry eyes. Good memories!
One level in particular, which had an upper and lower track, was damn best impossible on harder difficulties. Had to be real good to stay on the top track - could never keep up on the bottom.
Pc had a cheat code that others didn't: you could keep a hold of the up arrow key so you could boost at any moment
@@simonn2045 that was not a cheat, it was a feature.
The tracks that kicked my butt were Grabvine Gateway, Fire Mountain Run and Abyss, but I beat it on PC.
F-Zero GX campaign is like that
"But that's a topic for another video" has me (almost) as excited as the teaser, "So, which one was destroyed: the master, or the apprentice?"
My favorite thing to do was to shop for parts and then watch the droids fix up the podracer in the 3D viewer. I was so immersed as a kid, I thought i had to give the droids actual time in between races to fix it up 😂
I had fond memories of this game. The most funny was that despite having all this kind of different racing arenas, my friends on choose the Tatooine one because "that's the one from the movie!"
This and Star Fox 64 were the games i played the most and utterly loved them.
Racer was absolutely a childhood defining game for me
Is that the same as Lylat Wars?
@@jacoblas1371 yes it is
@@ChaosMakesAMVs
My N64 game collection was Star wars :Racer, Lylat Wars, Turok and Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
As a kid, I only knew about Star Wars Racer for N64.
A lot of hours where spent on that game, even when the PS3 was released.
Fond memories of weekends at my friends place playing all sorts of games, some stand out more than other. And Star Wars Racer was a favourite of ours, alongside Super Mario World, Golden Eye 007, Perfect Dark, Super Smash Bros and loads more.
the fact we havent had a modern pod racing game is crazy, i could also imagine a VR version similar to how something like Gran Turismo does it
Check out Deathgrip, its a new indy spiritual successor to episode 1 racer and is in early access rn
This and Rogue Squadron were two of my favorite N64 games. My brother got this for his birthday and I played it to death. A couple of my friends also got it and I remember talking about it at school all the time.
I replayed it on Switch earlier this year and it was so much fun.
Bullseye Navigator? I think you're inserting some extra letters there!
Yeah, I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to notice that.
i thought me and my friends had it wrong all this time but this youtuber is just insane
I mean, especially considering the announcer literally says their names even you select em
I remember Sebulba having a secret flamethrower weapon that the AI never seemed to be able to use, but was also utterly pointless for the player except in multiplayer because AI engines never overheated or took damage.
AI uses the flame jet on lap 3.
On the ps4 version its connected to a trophy.
The original Racer on the Dreamcast might actually be the best Star Wars game ever released.
So much fun!
I grew up on the N64 version. As I said in a previous video, I made it my mission to unlock Sebulba. Didn't like the character himself but his podracer was bar none my favorite. Second favorite, being Mars Guo. Speaking of which:
It's been said that Jake Lloyd played this game when he was young and his favorite racer was also Mars. It also helps that he actually played the role of Anakin in this game as well
RRTANGENTABACUS is what unlocks everything in both the N64 and HD versions.. While it does offer that unique twin controller option, it also unlocked two additional racers you can't otherwise get normally: Cy Yunga and Jinn Reeso. Originally, these two had their own dedicated codes to unlock, but they would replace Navior and Toy Dampner respectively when inputted. The unlock everything code I think was released some time after Episode 1's popularity died down.
Best part I remember is sebulba's flamethrower is a thing in the game too
@@kasuraga That was the other reason I wanted his podracer, even though it's technically cheating. It's actually mentioned in the instruction manual as well how to use it
and you had to enter a secret keyboard to type those characters during the store menu
@@jonamcc Or in the case of the console versions, holding down a button and inputting the letters with another that wasn't the Accept button
Episode 1 Racer is literally my favorite racing game. Nothing has topped it for me. I loved it as a kid and I loved it when I played the releases as an adult. The devs went way above and beyond for a movie tie in racing game.
It's a NEW lap record!
Got the PC version for my birthday as a kid and proceeded to play for hours on end until my little hands cramped up into crab claws
Man I love these Star Wars game videos so much...thank you for making them. You unlocked a hidden memory with the photo of those arcade pod racer seats...brought back the thrill I experienced as a kid climbing into one of those at the mall.
I got the PC version of Star Wars Episode I Racer while on vacation in Denmark (I was 9, I think). I was so addicted to that game. The game always felt like a mix of a rollercoaster ride and a flight simulator (the theme park variant).
Unfortunately, years later the CD was too scratched and I couldn't play it anymore. I was heartbroken.
Nowadays I own the Steam version though, so it's all good.
The level Abyss in this game is almost broken, so hard to beat. I got a first place finish a few years ago in the stage, and it was my greatest video gaming moment!
Abyss more like Abuse. Particularly difficult in the N64 due to the lower framerate and huge input lag
Yeah, im thinking that's gas giant level where you had to stay on the upper level or take a 3 minute detour. So brutal.
I have great memories of the game, I was too young to play (or not be stuck in 12th place) so I watched my dad play constantly. we even 'played' LAN with one of my nephews. same thing with the arcade, every year we went to the same place on holiday and went to the arcade where we played the arcade star wars racer. I got to sit on my dad's lap in the pod and press the boost button.
this game gave me some of my favorite childhood memories.
There's something magical about the track designs in this game. Almost hypnotic.
Even though I never played racer, I can still appreciate the immersion of being in a podrace
if you have any modern system its totally worth buying the remastered version ❤
One of the most nostalgic games ever for me.
Dud Bolt is my Favorite Podracer in Star Wars Episode 1 Racer
I worked for Sega's Arcade Division when the Arcade Pod Racer came out. One of my all time favorites and I play it every time I come across one.
I remember my parents shopping at JC Penney at the local mall and they had a N64 with this game there. The entire time they shopped I'd play it, then go home and play it some more. One of my first games that I just could not put down.
Bullseye Navior is the best racer in the game in my opinion. He must be able to see for miles with those eyes, even through the dense N64 distance fog lol. Seriously though, his pod just controls the best.
Always preffered neva kee myself
@@katoutsugi1633 I mained Ody Mandrell for most of the game. Not the fastest, but I found I could control his pod better and in a lot of cases was able to make up for the lack of speed with tighter turns.
Agree. Bullseye's pod has good starting stats for an early game unlock and has one of the smallest hitboxes.
I really like the PS2's Racer Revenge.
& You could take people out.
That game really was a hidden gem
New @Flandrew covering classic Star Wars?? Weekend made ❤
The rerelease for ps4 was the best $20 I’ve ever spent! Not only was it great to play on my own, my friends and I have gotten together for a few old school racing parties, as adults. Just such a great game overall!
Love your videos!
Good day good day, flandrew has uploaded. Thanks for all your vids. I'm still toughing it out and your vids always make the day better
Stay strong!
The arcade is my favorite one of the bunch! Feels good to be in control of my machine.
I played this on pc 25 years ago and on switch today… feels like I’m in a time loop lol
I can say this, it's one of the few great racing games on the PC that I can freely enjoy without fear of car licensing rights expirations.
Back from the past, playing one of the best stars racing games.This is a good comparison
Got it on PC as one of the few non-N64 games I had in the 90s. Later played the N64 port and recall having a hard time controlling the pods in that version. The Dreamcast version is really beautiful and has great controls.
Never got to play this game back in the day, but I think it was really neat Star Wars branched out into racing and vehicle games
I had never heard of this game until now. Thanks Flandrew. 🙏
I'm not really into racing games, but this one was truly amazing. This speed simply pressed me to the seat. I would like to see its remake.
Racer Revenge was pretty good too and still own it with my Battlefront 1 and 2 in mint! I traded a lot of PS1 and PS2 games back in the day. It came crazier. GameStop and I regret selling some of them like Mafia…
My favorite game of all time. I'm 25 years old, I think in every year, I pick it up, and start to play with it, then complete it in 2-3 hours. Nostalgia is so real in this game
I just beat this game on stream last night! Perfect timing.
The N64 version playing music only on the third lap is accurate to the film. I always liked that.
Racer was my true introduction to star wars. I think my friend bought it over, or i borrowed it or something. I just remember spending hours playing it. I think i might still have my copy somewhere
Still such a good game all these years later. The addition of boosting really adds a tactical element to it without the addition of more "fantastic" elements like power-ups or boost pads. I'm literally working on the script for a challenge run I did recently to see if I could beat the game without buying upgrades which gave me a whole new appreciation for all the nuances of boosting.
The Dreamcast version also supports the VGA adapter, so if you had access to a monitor at the time (even if your PC wasn't quite up to the task of running the PC version) it looks absolutely stunning.
Thanks for posting!
I was neither a big Star Wars fan nor much of a race game guy… although I loved the original F-Zero… because of the legendary soundtrack… but I *LOVED* this game! My mate and I would play, him being the “mechanic” me being the racer. He’d upgrade the pod and I’d race it. We of course switched roles for fairness’s sake but we had a blast playing it that way. I honestly don’t think we ever actually raced each other. This game takes me back to the end of my childhood at the end of the blessed 90’s and early 2000’s.
I never knew this as a kid, but one of the final tracks is (at least in 2D) a copy of Laguna Seca (track in California).
Which one? Never noticed that
@@Eichro it was one of the Malastare ones, I think. Pretty sure it was on the last page in the tournament mode. But whomever designed those must have been a racing fan because I think one of the o5er layouts for that map resembled a British track (Oulton Park, iirc).
I was listening to this video while on another tab and hearing "Sebulba kush, anyone?" made me more intrigued than it should've lol
One thing we never talk about:
Anakin drove a podracer vehicle in the phantom menace as a child. Just like SpongeBob, he has no driver's license lol.
you think tatooine has driving laws? lol its litterally run by a cartel crime lord
I remember going to an Episode 1 event prior to the film’s release and they had the opportunity to try out Race in a room full of multiple N64s. It was great to try out and have fun with it. I didn’t play it again until 20 years later when my wife found a CD rom at a thrift store and I got it to work. It was a fun little nostalgia trip.
My local mall used to have an arcade with the Podracer game. I remember playing it a decent amount when I was in middle school with friends.
Watto and his dialog are a core memory for me.
Man, I spent so many hours on this game as a kid.
I still go back and replay this game often... until Abyss becomes unavoidable. Probably the only blight on an otherwise incredible racing experience.
The PC version can be played online with up to 12 players! There's a discord server with the mod. We ran this a lot during lockdown and it was great fun when we were all learning the game together.
I got to play on one of the arcade pod racers back in the day. We were at Disney, and they had a full arcade in the hotel.
For most of my childhood, I had gotten the game from my brother in law... I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD BOOST THE PODS! I DIDN'T LEARN THAT TILL I WAS LIKE 11!
One of my favorites, played it non stop as a kid
I swear your “let’s set the scene line” is something I look forward to ever video
Got such nostalgia for this. I remember playing it in my school's computer lab after doing typing class.
Yes, I'm old enough to have done typing classes
Do the newer versions of the game also feature the dual analog control scheme from the Nintendo 64 version?
The N64 version was also one of the pack-in game options for a time, and had a special themed box for N64. Never will forget seeing a pallet of N64s at Best Buy ready for purchase!
My jam. Replayed it on switch last year, it still held up! Way easier than I remembered, but still just as fun as I remembered!
Man, this is my favorite Racing game of all time. Still own it on PC, playing with a Joystick, like back in the day. :D Sadly the remaster has quite a few graphical glitches. Havent played it in a while there (I still rather boot up the PC version) At launch there was broken skyboxes on some levels, BACKWARDS playing videos and cullout errors in starting sequenzes. Quite a graphical mess, that still played pretty good.
Comparison between N64 and DC probably should have mentioned that the DC version was slightly better and ran a bit better (also it was 480p instead of 480i Expansion Pack, as far as I remember).
One thing you didn't mention is the way the payout system and part system works.
You can choose whose gets money in the race payout such as more money for the 2nd 3rd and 4th or switch it to be all on 1st place if you're feeling more risky. Definitely a cool risk vs. reward system, even if you don't really ever have a reason to not put it all on First place.
The part system was also very innovative for the time as they're not just straight upgrades but actually have health. The more you get damaged in the race the health for parts will go down or break and you'll lose the benefits. You can buy either more expensive parts at the shop but they have full health, or get greatly discounted parts at the junkyard but they break more easily. Definitely a cool idea, but something I think would work better for more or a roguelike racing game.
I remember playing the arcade version back in high school during a band trip in Georgia and we stopped at a Dave & Buster's
Loved this game! My parents got us the N64 podracing combo. I was 9 at the time and loved Star wars! Definitely takes me back!
This was one of the greatest racing games of all time.
😉💎🏆🎮⌛
I remember being at Costco, and there was a demo N64 with Racer on it. Just two aisles over was Phantom Menace playing on all the big screen TVs. I played Racer before I saw Ep. I
I love Star Wars Racer. They are great games. The Sega game in arcades was fun. My first one was the Game Boy Color one.
I only had the GBC version and boy do I remember that sound design. Annoying as heck, but also incredibly distinctive. It DID have a truly metal version of Duel of the Fates play over the menus that I don't think gets enough love.
i played this game for hours as a kid, they did a good job to be honest, different planets with specific themes, unique drivers and vehicles... some tracks were really hard, specially i remember if you did it bad even half a lap, the rest of the racers went away making it impossible to gain positions back.
I remember being overwhelmingly happy the day I got this game.
Pax South 2019 had an episode 1 pod racer challenge.
You had to clear the time trial with the fastest time with Anakin's pod racer. My time was sub 9 minutes.
That was actually the first time I played the game too!
Fun medal challenge for sure. 🎉
fond memories of playing this on the n64 at the haircuttery we used to go to as kids
I remember i got this gem, still have it laying around in my house somewhere for N64 :)
This game is special to me because it came bundled with my Nintendo 64 and was my only game for a while, so I played it a lot.
No joke, the arcade game made me want a zero-turn lawnmower at the time 😂
I had this bundled with my N64 when I was 5. One of the few N64 games I owned as a kid prior to Wii Virtual Console, alongside both Zelda games and F-1 World Grand Prix. Teemto Pagalies had my favorite-looking pod-racer in the game, and I even had the micro machine.
The concept art for this game is brilliant. Classic Star Wars high art 🎨
I love how the locations are almost all new original places, LucasArts and George Lucas knew how to make the star wars universe feel immense and full of wander without losing its style, Disney just reuses everything, they would have you racing the pod racer through the jedi temple just to use a known location
I used to race every course for 1st place with one character and not buy an upgrade until I finished the final track. Then I would go to that shop to hear the first voice lines as my trophy.
It was truly an almost perfect game on its 1st release. Gg LucasArts. Youll be missed.
My favourite was Racer Revenge, which also happens to be my favourite Star Wars game of all time. Do that one next please.
I drove 23 kilometers by bike just to watch the movie. Twice.
I think it would be worth mentioning that the arcade game is being run on an emulator with graphics issues. The actual arcade game features shading, skyboxes, and fog. The Sega Hikaru arcade board was a pretty capable machine.
Out of curiosity, are the track layouts of the arcade version the same as the home ports?
Nope. Arcade version's got different tracks altogether. Only the Bounta Eve Classic is fairly similar across both versions since they're referencing the movie, plus the arcade version's shorter, I think.
I kind of like the music only starting on the final lap, that feels intentional. The first few laps feel more immersive and focused on the sounds of the engines, environments, etc and then the final lap increases the tension and intensity with music
Its simple to upgrade in tournament. Buy pit droids early, only play winner takes all and restart if youre not going to get first place. Only buy parts in the junkyard, only severely damaged, only to replace a mostly repaired part. You can manipulate more money by taking this to extreme, but theres no need. Maintain parts condition by mostly only upgrading acceleration, cooling and top speed early in, getting an early lead, being extra careful on the curves and gapping on the straights, this way you can avoid extra damage to get the most credit on exchanges.
i recently installed it on steam having it in my library for years... oh sweet memories. also, quite no other game could give me the speed perception as good as racer did. you really feel the 450mph youre flying
lmao I love watto so much. "Ehhh why nobody buy, uhhhh"
Game deserves a sequel/remake
I never owned an N64 but Star Wars Racer was the game on demo at my local Walmart. It was there for probably 6 months. I played every time my mom took me there. I would go straight for the electronic section and play until my mom came to get me. And then one day... it was gone... replaced by Turok 3 that I didn't care much for.
I loved that the music only started on the last lap
Yeah, it added a sense of urgency to the race. That music kicked in and you knew it was coming down to the wire, like how in Mario Kart we get the last lap tune.