HOLY HELL THIS IS UNREAL! This game is a solid 90% of why I enjoy the phantom menace. I replayed it so many times as a kid that there are dialogue lines forever engraved into my skull. Keep pumping out this incredibly niche but also incredibly high quality content my guy!
"I'm looking for a T-14 hyperdrive generator" there is actually a junk dealer in fallout 3 that has a dialog option "Do you have a T-14?" which is met with "Huh?" and I always wondered if it was a reference to this game.
Played the hell out of this as a kid! I remember discovering you could just force push Darth Maul down the shaft instead of doing the whole fight properly. I ran and told my Dad (who beat the game before) and he couldn’t believe it lol. Great memories with this one.
What to say? This was actually my introduction to the Star Wars universe, I played this on my first PC when I was six years old. It entertained me infinetely, it scared me, it made me want to explore the world, made me fascinated for lightsabers and exotic creatures, it was the first game where I had to make choices and strategies through dialogue with character that really felt like real people to me. It was definetely an experience that opened a whole new world to me and I love these guys for that. On a different note, I think the Coruscant level is completely brilliant. You go from the highest point in the social hierarchy, being side by side with Jedis, a Queen and the Supreme Chancellor of that whole planet-city to its lowest dephts, interacting with beggars, criminals and assasins in the end. It's amazing and something not a single movie touched upon. Really, the atmosphere in this game was off the rails!
I know this game wasn’t well received at the time, but I loved it as a kid when I played it. I played it start to finish many times, and the game really shone in the sandbox levels- 6 and 7 on Mos Espa particularly. The love for the Star Wars universe was clear, and the effort in world building in that regard really did pay off. Considering the constraints of a small studio with very limited info, I think being able to make a game that endears itself to Star Wars is a testament to your creativity- and all those little Easter eggs totally made the games! Very cool to hear the devs reflect on it- and I’m glad you are both proud. One thing that George Lucas always raised with the phantom menace/ Star Wars was that it was a movie for kids- and of course when your movie critics are all adults there’s going to be a discrepancy. I think the same can be said about these games, I’m sure I wasn’t the only kid who absolutely loved them, even if they didn’t review well. Thanks both of you guys for your role in making such a big part of my childhood ❤ I look forward to part 2!
The Mos Espa levels alone make this game great. I spent so many hours as a kid just messing around trying to figure out the trade puzzles, helping npcs or just going on rampages. To this day some of the npc lines randomly pop into my head. "Better stand back mister cause I'm about to slash... all my prices!"
Hope these guys read these comments because I'd like to say that this game was amazing! Growing up I have nothing but good memories of playing this growing up, I played through it so many times and ended up buying it a second time when I damaged my first disc. I've recently purchased it again and I've already played through it all as a 27 year old! Amazing part of my childhood.
Keeps this type of videos coming. You literally became my favorite TH-camr within a month with your version comparisons and interviews with the devs. Awesome stuff.
This doesn’t have as many views as it should tbh. Flandrew, your audience is kinda small (for now), but please never stop putting out content. Even if your song only gets 15 listeners, it’s still 15 lives you’ve changed and had an impact on. Much love fam ❤️
Holy crow! This is awesome! Thank you, Mike and Ray, for creating one of my favorite Star Wars games as a kid. I've replayed The Phantom Menace more than I've replayed Knights of the Old Republic II and the number of hours I've spent exploring the levels and finding ways to break the game are some of my favorite memories!
Thank you so much for instigating this interview! The game had such a profound impact on me as a kid. At the time I had such a great time exploring certain parts of the world like Tatooine and even Coruscant (glad they didn't cut it). Or even slaughtering the entire Gungan tribe felt refreshing. I feel that despite its flaws, it's one of my favorite Star Wars games. Also Episode 1 gets too much hate. I saw the premiere of episode 1 in 1999 in Bath and I'll always have fond memories of it. Recently rewatching the first trilogy, it felt like I was watching it for the first time, now being older and a bit more knowledgeable. Nostalgia is important and I'm glad it is. Thank you again for this. Can't wait for part 2!
Oh god, this made my day. Having played this game so much as a kid (my first PC game, gifted to me by my dad!) it's so much fun to finally hear about some of the behind the scenes of its production. Even for all its faults, I still hold it very dear in my heart and not just because of the nostalgia or the love for Star Wars, but also because this was basically a game that kinda shaped my gaming tastes for years to come. My absolute favorite kinds of games will always share the same DNA with The Phantom Menace, and if it's something that specifically combines third person action combat with intricate RPG elements such as dialogue trees and inventory/item puzzles, and also features this sort of free-roam go-nuts kind of mentality to its design, then I'm immediately hooked. And while it's probably a stretch to claim that TPM inspired RPGs such as Knights of The Republic or immersive sims such as Deus Ex or Dishonored, it was definitely THE game that got me interested in all of those other games later in life. Thanks for putting so much love and effort into it because not only this game was a huge part of my childhood, but I still like to occasionally replay it to this day and still have a good time. And you can bet your ass that I'm gonna show it to my own kids one day.
Most movie tie-in games are generally bad. That's always been the case since they started. Obviously there are standouts that actually end up being fun.
@@blondafro4112 star wars, Harry potter, the thing, scarface, the warriors, 007, LOTR, AvP, The Great Escape, Star Trek, Riddick, Spider-Man. To name a couple
I loved the Mos Espa level so much as a kid, that I didn't mind playing the game from the start every single time after I lost my memory card, just to get to that level, lol. Because of this, I know the game inside out up until Mos Espa. Now I'm surprised how accurately the game catches Episode I's unique atmosphere despite the developers knowing so little about the movie. In retrospect, it's probably mainly because of this game, Episode I Racer and Battle for Naboo why Episode I will always have a special place in my heart. Edit: If one of the devs happens to read this comment, thank you so much for enriching my childhood with this gem of a game! I used to play the game with my dad and one of my friends and we sometimes still laugh about certain lines from NPCs.
Seriously been in my Top 5 all my life! So many exceptional memories with this one, and I have been back to it numerous times over the last decade and always find myself really getting back into it and completing it each time!
I grew up with both the PC and the PSX version and I had no idea it was made by only 8 people. That excauses alot, I think. I still have no clue how they came up with that gatling machine gun or why the jumping was so utterly bad but I have nothing but love for this game. It's always a blast to boot up that Mos Espa level every few years.
I remember owning this game on PC as a child, as well as a friend of ours, and absolutely loving it! This game played such a huge part in my enjoyment of video games as a child and I can child remember little snippets of it now, even the quotes from npcs are coming back to me while I read through the comments. I managed to come across a ps1 copy not so long ago and instantly grabbed it and bought it without a single thought other than I need this game back! I will never not speak highly of this game, and it’s wonderful to see that there is such a large community of players who also enjoyed playing it. A fantastic piece of Star Wars video game history that will never not be remembered with absolute fondness
SW episode 1 is one of my favourite games on the PlayStation. I have been playing it since it came out in 1999 and I feel so nostalgic playing it in 2022! The creators done a wonderful job and it is so great to hear their insights in making this fantastic game! Thanks for the cheat option in the main menu, it came in handy with the Mos Espa level lol
I'm already playing through the Phantom Menace game again after a really long time. The love Michael Ebert and Ray West had in making the game was clear, and it makes me disappointed in the fact that they didn't work on a proper Attack of the Clones game using the same engine. Even with the PC version, the lack of a modding community for the game is even sadder. Fighting Jango Fett twice, and strolling through the deserts of Geonosis as Mace Windu while the droids and the clones are going all-out blasting each other to pieces, and fighting swarms of Geonosians in the meantime, would be all worth it.
Many times, I also imagined an "Attack of the Clones" game in the same style as "Phantom Menace", as the latter marked me when I was a kid. And conversely, an "AotC" in the same style as "Revenge of the Sith" (PS2,XBOX). Or even a "RotS" that also includes episode 2 to increase the duration, given that we would still play Anakin and Obi-Wan.
i absolutely adored this game as a kid and it is SO fucking cool that you landed an interview with the devs, this is insanely fascinating to hear about trying to develop a game before the damn movie is done ahaha, congrats on this AWESOME interview opportunity
we didn't have memory cards, we had to start from the begging each time, we memorized the dialog and we didn't even speak english, me and my sisters loved it.
If the devs are reading this, I have some of my best gaming memories playing this with my dad! I still have my original PC copy! You guys made some gold! I will always appreciate you! Great video!
Thank you so much for this interview! I never would have thought that there are other people who care that much about this game. I love all the little details and side stuff they added, especially in the Tatooine levels. It really feels like a game made by fans who were passionate about it and not just "doing their job".
I’m not much of a gamer but this is favourite game. Endless hours spent playing this when I was a kid. The coruscant escort/rescue mission had us stuck for an entire summer. When me and my mate finally broke through the final landing platform attacker we literally wept with joy, and we still reminisce about it now over 20 years later!
This video is just brilliant. I've been ill for the last 3 weeks and unable to get out of bed and your content has been very enjoyable and comforting! I think I've watched your entire output.
I remember before this game was released how hyped I was to play it! I wasn’t disappointed, game was a huge part of my childhood. I still enjoy this game more then Jedi power battles.
My strongest memory of this game is falling in the giant fans of the first level and seeing every member of Obi Wan being... Well... Dismembered. I was pretty shocked!
Wow, not a thing I expected to ever see followed up on anywhere! That game feels like such a lost treasure at this point - and it was before the internet really blew up, I feel, so following devs and where they went/what they thought after the fact is super hard. I appreciate you putting it together! I still love the charming, janky game that they made, and despite all their obstacles and deviations from what the movie became, I always liked TPM stuff better because of their game, too, so yeah! Super cool, great vid, Positive Vibes!
Big shout out to all developers and staff involved in the making of this game! It was such a big influence in my childhood. I had a very slow computer with 32mb of GPU, played it at barely 15fps, but I still loved every second of the game, and had explored every area from start to finish. Today as a software developer I understand and appreciate the work you guys made even more :D
This video deserves more views, thank you so much for having these people interviewed! I'm a great fan of the PS1 version since I was a child. Greetings from Chile c:
since I was a kid I was fascinated about how this game had a lot of branch dialogues and options like a RPG, most of them on the Mos Espa and Tatooine levels. A lot of gameplay problems but definetly a remarkable game.
I played this game so many times growing up as a teenager that me and my younger brother still quote this game to this date! "Coruscant has lovely sunsets."
I was like 10 and the movie had just came out, i rented this game and it was the greatest game ever to me, it let me dive deeper into the story of the phantom menace, i bought it a month later
Great Video! Absolutely love hearing from the developers and how they felt about their work here. There's always so much focus on interviewing for just the "big stuff" that people forget how interesting the stories other developers have to tell.
when i was a kid i would go around as qui gon and kill every single person i could, and that camel looking merchant guy would keep talking after you killed him, and the kids would say hey that hurts while the died, the jawas would go crazy and bring out a huge laser gun, and padme would say there is a maniac going around killing everyone, and it was so funny because it was different form any other game, still have the game to this day
I got my Playstation very late. Like, at the end of its life cycle late. It was 2000, and I had been trapped in the N64 ecosphere for the past several years. But that Christmas, finally, my mom got me a Playstation. Better late than never! I was so excited. I had a stack of games to play Christmas morning, including Frogger, Pac-Man World, Spyro the Dragon, Metal Gear Solid, and The Phantom Menace. I loved every second of all of those games, and critic score differences didn't matter one bit to me. They were all equally transportive experiences as far as I was concerned. I remember the eerie sense of danger on the Trade Federation ship, the stealthiness of sneaking around the Theed gardens, and the absolute mad fun of the Mos Espa sandbox. What a truly wonderful, cherished childhood memory for me. Thank you guys for making this game exactly what it was.
"I don't like sandbox RPGs. They're coarse and rough, and the controls let you go everywhere. Not like linear gameplay. Linear gameplay is warm and smooth."
Its just like the early Harry potter games. The devs were given hardly any information to go off making the game. Yet that's what gives these games their charm, it forced it to become a game following the phantoms menace story not a strict adaptation of the movie. Sometimes the best adaptations between different media types are the looser ones that let each media do what its best at.
I played this as a kid and I was reminded of it whilst playing Jedi Fallen Order, I really get the sense that the new Jedi games are everything that Phantom Menace game wanted to be but the technology wasn't ready for, especially regarding the platforming
Very insightful. I actually prefer diversions from the movie, so long as all the key scenes are covered. Like I loved exploring Coruscant because the film suggested there was so much more going on. The podrace was anticlimactic though, but can't blame them for not trying.
Some of my earliest memories are playing this game. I was too young to actually play it properly, but the phrase “the door is open, let’s go” is imprinted upon my psyche because of this game, I loved it.
Absolutely superb - really glad you passed on the fan appreciation to the guys - absolutely loved this game and the Mos Espa levels were the absolute best with the sandbox type feel, it just felt like it was made by a team that "got" Star Wars!
This was such a cool game! Just like the Harry Potter movie tie-in games it felt so amazing to go see the movie in theaters and then come home and play this game on my pc, reliving the story and having the chance to be the Jedi/hero yourself. Although the levels were quite difficult for me, I loved the different atmospheres (Trade Federation Battleship, Swamps of Naboo, Otoh Gunga, Gardens/City of Theed, Mos Espa & Coruscant) and voice acting (due to which I even grew more attached to the characters from the movie (especially the game leads Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Queen Amidala & Captain Panaka)). Finally, working your way towards Viceroy Gunray/Darth Maul and fighting the latter in the last level really felt epic! All in all, this game provided me with many fond memories and I will be forever grateful to the team (of only 8 people?!) making it.
@Flandrew - please tell the guys that, even though it had issues and faults, I still enjoyed and replayed both the PC and PS1 versions a lot and it certainly for me delivered an authentic star wars experience (despite the faults). So thank you for making my childhood. The cheats made it bareable too haha.
I was so young playing this. Like we’re talking 8yo. I struggled to beat the first level. But whenever I’d go visit my Nanny and Poppy, I’d be back on there trying again. It made me feel like a Jedi as a kid. Moreso than swinging sticks around did. I loved it, even though I was objectively bad at it 🤣
I was glued to this game as a kid. I have such fond memories looking back on it. I wanna say a huge thankyou to the team for making my childhood awesome. From the Uk. 🇬🇧
The Coruscant section was absolutely amazing for me as young person. Rescuing the queen from the kidnappers was so much fun. Mos Espa, Theed, and re-taking the palace were all so much fun to explore. I always worked so hard to save as many Naboo guards as I could. I loved this game to death and still think about it often even 20 years later.
Phantom menace was one of my favourite games as a kid. I played this all the time. It was so challenging, especially the theed gardens level. It was fun playing as Qui Gon. I still play the game from time to time. I love this game.
I wish the source code, or at least some dev tools from this game were released. A source port for this game would be amazing too btw, not only to facilitate it running on newer systems, but also to facilitate the implementation of modern graphical goodies (global illumination) and proper skyboxes. Having fan levels built with this as a base would also be amazing, considering it allows for action but also adventure with NPC interaction and dialogue trees
The hype was real in 99 me and a friend of mine played this game and we still talk about it even though I haven't been able to get it working on my computer at all in many years, and the emulated ps1 one I have isn't the same.
Great interview, I'd love to see more interviews with the dev teams of old lucas arts games. I'm sure the devs are getting older now and its would be great to get more interviews about them.
I speedrun the PS1 version of this game and tbh the time constraint on development made for some very fun glitches to exploit. Jumping through walls, cheesing bosses, etc. I must say though that the game is quite impressive knowing such a small team put it together under such limitations. It brings me countless hours of enjoyment, so thanks for your efforts! I'm hoping to get the world record eventually!
I know you probably didn't get the views you would have liked but I sure appreciate this video and hearing from the developers. Loved this game growing up.
No wonder Mos Espa is my favourite level, it was the first level to be made and worked on extensively than others. And it feels very homey and relaxed.
I remember the cheat menu on the PC version where you type in something like "I like to Cheat" and it comes back with "You're the biggest cheater in the world" and if you added Happy afterwards the Repeating minigun became super powerful
Always nice to see developers reminiscing. Especially about games that have so little of the development process publicly available and would likely end up completely forgotten otherwise. Great work! :D
Great interview! I remember playing a demo of this at costco back in 1999 and in the same summer i got the PC version as a bday present. Spent the summer messing around the Mos Espa and the Theed palace and just exploring the world. Earlier this summer I bought the PS1 copy at a retro store and did a replay. To the Devs, thank you for making a fun game that I remember fondly to this day
this was my all time favorite game as a small child, and one of the very first video games I played since I was 2-years old when it released. I played the PC version and at the time it blew my mind walking around Tatooine killing everyone with cheats, making the minigun shoot explosives. lots of memories throwing thermal detonators around otooh gunga. thank you Michael and Ray for opening up about this important piece of my childhood.
This game is the first video game I ever have memory of playing. Playing it periodically over the years to just recapture that feeling of nostalgia. Thank you guys for creating memories!
Okay but… Senate Bumper-Cars. That sounds fun. You could choose from a massive variety of races and Senators, maybe different ones have unique abilities?
![ไลฟ์สุ่ม iPhone 295 บาท... โกงมั้ย?[ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.97 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gdstHEE4UUE/mqdefault.jpg)
_"Better stand back mister because I'm about to slash..._ *ALL MY PRICES!"*
Such a underrated game!
Thank you for this interview!
CHOKIE
How do you make fresh dried chokie?
YOU WERE ONLY 8 GUYS ON IT? I loved this game so much.
HOLY HELL THIS IS UNREAL! This game is a solid 90% of why I enjoy the phantom menace. I replayed it so many times as a kid that there are dialogue lines forever engraved into my skull. Keep pumping out this incredibly niche but also incredibly high quality content my guy!
The room is filling with posion gas!
I'm about to slash.....ALL MY PRICES!
"I'm looking for a T-14 hyperdrive generator"
there is actually a junk dealer in fallout 3 that has a dialog option "Do you have a T-14?" which is met with "Huh?" and I always wondered if it was a reference to this game.
I always use, ‘door is open, let’s go’ in my everyday life
Nngh…..You’re a no good killer!
Played the hell out of this as a kid! I remember discovering you could just force push Darth Maul down the shaft instead of doing the whole fight properly. I ran and told my Dad (who beat the game before) and he couldn’t believe it lol. Great memories with this one.
I stood to the side of the shield and shot him to death with a blaster. A proud moment😅
I did this and also you could repeatedly force push Jabba’s beast up against the spikes bones around the edge of the room to kill it
What ?! Is that even possible to kill Darth Maul in a proper duel ?
Or the glitch where he continuing does his death gasp every 5 seconds lol
What to say? This was actually my introduction to the Star Wars universe, I played this on my first PC when I was six years old. It entertained me infinetely, it scared me, it made me want to explore the world, made me fascinated for lightsabers and exotic creatures, it was the first game where I had to make choices and strategies through dialogue with character that really felt like real people to me. It was definetely an experience that opened a whole new world to me and I love these guys for that.
On a different note, I think the Coruscant level is completely brilliant. You go from the highest point in the social hierarchy, being side by side with Jedis, a Queen and the Supreme Chancellor of that whole planet-city to its lowest dephts, interacting with beggars, criminals and assasins in the end. It's amazing and something not a single movie touched upon. Really, the atmosphere in this game was off the rails!
In the Mos Espa levels, the game evolves from The Phantom Menace to The Phantom Massacre.
Yeah but then anakin gets pissy and says he won't help a murderer like me.
Gardens of Theed was a great level with many paths and hidden items too.
And that tank was absolutely terrifying. Great stuff.
Sadly though, too many times when the queen dies because you were exploring
@@burnout713 pewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpew
"You're a NO GOOD KILLER!"
"Stop pushing me!"
And many, many other lines of dialogue that will be forever lodged in my head. Thank you!
I know this game wasn’t well received at the time, but I loved it as a kid when I played it. I played it start to finish many times, and the game really shone in the sandbox levels- 6 and 7 on Mos Espa particularly. The love for the Star Wars universe was clear, and the effort in world building in that regard really did pay off. Considering the constraints of a small studio with very limited info, I think being able to make a game that endears itself to Star Wars is a testament to your creativity- and all those little Easter eggs totally made the games!
Very cool to hear the devs reflect on it- and I’m glad you are both proud.
One thing that George Lucas always raised with the phantom menace/ Star Wars was that it was a movie for kids- and of course when your movie critics are all adults there’s going to be a discrepancy. I think the same can be said about these games, I’m sure I wasn’t the only kid who absolutely loved them, even if they didn’t review well.
Thanks both of you guys for your role in making such a big part of my childhood ❤
I look forward to part 2!
I unironically love this game. I loved it back in the day and I still love it now.
"BETTER STAND BACK MR 'CAUSE I'M ABOUT TO SLASH..." is a quote me and my friends still use to this day. Thanks for the insight.
Easily one of my favorite games of all time, holds such a special place in my heart.
The Mos Espa levels alone make this game great. I spent so many hours as a kid just messing around trying to figure out the trade puzzles, helping npcs or just going on rampages. To this day some of the npc lines randomly pop into my head. "Better stand back mister cause I'm about to slash... all my prices!"
Same bro
Buy some hydroponic vegetables?
If you resort to violence you'll find I am a formidable opponent.
I am looking for mass coupler. Yes I have a mass coupler but I've heard you only have republic credits.
Wanna buy some fresh dried chokie?
I love this game, especially the Mos Espa levels :D So happy to learn more about the game, thanks so much for the interview!
Hope these guys read these comments because I'd like to say that this game was amazing! Growing up I have nothing but good memories of playing this growing up, I played through it so many times and ended up buying it a second time when I damaged my first disc. I've recently purchased it again and I've already played through it all as a 27 year old! Amazing part of my childhood.
Keeps this type of videos coming. You literally became my favorite TH-camr within a month with your version comparisons and interviews with the devs. Awesome stuff.
This doesn’t have as many views as it should tbh. Flandrew, your audience is kinda small (for now), but please never stop putting out content. Even if your song only gets 15 listeners, it’s still 15 lives you’ve changed and had an impact on. Much love fam ❤️
The amount of effort and thought and struggle to deliver a movie-tie in game is remarkably impressive.
Avatar cracking me up. "She always did enjoy a good squeeze"
Holy crow! This is awesome! Thank you, Mike and Ray, for creating one of my favorite Star Wars games as a kid. I've replayed The Phantom Menace more than I've replayed Knights of the Old Republic II and the number of hours I've spent exploring the levels and finding ways to break the game are some of my favorite memories!
Thank you so much for instigating this interview! The game had such a profound impact on me as a kid. At the time I had such a great time exploring certain parts of the world like Tatooine and even Coruscant (glad they didn't cut it). Or even slaughtering the entire Gungan tribe felt refreshing. I feel that despite its flaws, it's one of my favorite Star Wars games. Also Episode 1 gets too much hate. I saw the premiere of episode 1 in 1999 in Bath and I'll always have fond memories of it. Recently rewatching the first trilogy, it felt like I was watching it for the first time, now being older and a bit more knowledgeable. Nostalgia is important and I'm glad it is. Thank you again for this. Can't wait for part 2!
Oh god, this made my day. Having played this game so much as a kid (my first PC game, gifted to me by my dad!) it's so much fun to finally hear about some of the behind the scenes of its production. Even for all its faults, I still hold it very dear in my heart and not just because of the nostalgia or the love for Star Wars, but also because this was basically a game that kinda shaped my gaming tastes for years to come. My absolute favorite kinds of games will always share the same DNA with The Phantom Menace, and if it's something that specifically combines third person action combat with intricate RPG elements such as dialogue trees and inventory/item puzzles, and also features this sort of free-roam go-nuts kind of mentality to its design, then I'm immediately hooked. And while it's probably a stretch to claim that TPM inspired RPGs such as Knights of The Republic or immersive sims such as Deus Ex or Dishonored, it was definitely THE game that got me interested in all of those other games later in life.
Thanks for putting so much love and effort into it because not only this game was a huge part of my childhood, but I still like to occasionally replay it to this day and still have a good time. And you can bet your ass that I'm gonna show it to my own kids one day.
Back when movie games were actually worth playing. Loved this game
Movie games literally don't happen any more so I'm not sure why you think modern ones are bad.
Most movie tie-in games are generally bad. That's always been the case since they started.
Obviously there are standouts that actually end up being fun.
only in regards to star wars. movie games always sucked. even back then. few exceptions
@@blondafro4112 star wars, Harry potter, the thing, scarface, the warriors, 007, LOTR, AvP, The Great Escape, Star Trek, Riddick, Spider-Man. To name a couple
@@couldbebetter7187 The good AvP games were released before the movies.
I loved the Mos Espa level so much as a kid, that I didn't mind playing the game from the start every single time after I lost my memory card, just to get to that level, lol. Because of this, I know the game inside out up until Mos Espa.
Now I'm surprised how accurately the game catches Episode I's unique atmosphere despite the developers knowing so little about the movie. In retrospect, it's probably mainly because of this game, Episode I Racer and Battle for Naboo why Episode I will always have a special place in my heart.
Edit: If one of the devs happens to read this comment, thank you so much for enriching my childhood with this gem of a game! I used to play the game with my dad and one of my friends and we sometimes still laugh about certain lines from NPCs.
This is one of my favorite SW games ever. I would love to see this game and Episode 1 Racer remastered with the unreal 5 engine.
Seriously been in my Top 5 all my life! So many exceptional memories with this one, and I have been back to it numerous times over the last decade and always find myself really getting back into it and completing it each time!
Thank you. I poured a lot of time into playing this game back in the day and it's great to see an interview like this. Really good stuff.
"Carve your own story"
*carves way threw entire gungan population*
One of favs growing up, Keep up the videos on Star Wars games
I grew up with both the PC and the PSX version and I had no idea it was made by only 8 people. That excauses alot, I think. I still have no clue how they came up with that gatling machine gun or why the jumping was so utterly bad but I have nothing but love for this game. It's always a blast to boot up that Mos Espa level every few years.
I remember owning this game on PC as a child, as well as a friend of ours, and absolutely loving it! This game played such a huge part in my enjoyment of video games as a child and I can child remember little snippets of it now, even the quotes from npcs are coming back to me while I read through the comments.
I managed to come across a ps1 copy not so long ago and instantly grabbed it and bought it without a single thought other than I need this game back!
I will never not speak highly of this game, and it’s wonderful to see that there is such a large community of players who also enjoyed playing it. A fantastic piece of Star Wars video game history that will never not be remembered with absolute fondness
This was my first ever Star Wars game and hearing this interview is UNREAL!
So cool to hear about how this game was put together. I used to spend hours just wandering around Mos Espa, seeing what I could find.
SW episode 1 is one of my favourite games on the PlayStation. I have been playing it since it came out in 1999 and I feel so nostalgic playing it in 2022! The creators done a wonderful job and it is so great to hear their insights in making this fantastic game! Thanks for the cheat option in the main menu, it came in handy with the Mos Espa level lol
I'm already playing through the Phantom Menace game again after a really long time. The love Michael Ebert and Ray West had in making the game was clear, and it makes me disappointed in the fact that they didn't work on a proper Attack of the Clones game using the same engine. Even with the PC version, the lack of a modding community for the game is even sadder.
Fighting Jango Fett twice, and strolling through the deserts of Geonosis as Mace Windu while the droids and the clones are going all-out blasting each other to pieces, and fighting swarms of Geonosians in the meantime, would be all worth it.
Many times, I also imagined an "Attack of the Clones" game in the same style as "Phantom Menace", as the latter marked me when I was a kid.
And conversely, an "AotC" in the same style as "Revenge of the Sith" (PS2,XBOX). Or even a "RotS" that also includes episode 2 to increase the duration, given that we would still play Anakin and Obi-Wan.
i absolutely adored this game as a kid and it is SO fucking cool that you landed an interview with the devs, this is insanely fascinating to hear about trying to develop a game before the damn movie is done ahaha, congrats on this AWESOME interview opportunity
These guys are awesome!! I love your growing channel and your video topics. Thanks for the clearly passionate output!
I’ve loved and played this game so much!!! Thanks for this awesome interview! It brought back some awesome memories❤️
we didn't have memory cards, we had to start from the begging each time, we memorized the dialog and we didn't even speak english, me and my sisters loved it.
If the devs are reading this, I have some of my best gaming memories playing this with my dad! I still have my original PC copy!
You guys made some gold! I will always appreciate you!
Great video!
Been loving your stuff, this interview is so enlightening! I loved this game back in the day, it was very unique. Thanks!
Been planning a replay of this recently! Didn't know you did interviews? This is rad!!! Props to the devs.
Thank you so much for this interview! I never would have thought that there are other people who care that much about this game. I love all the little details and side stuff they added, especially in the Tatooine levels. It really feels like a game made by fans who were passionate about it and not just "doing their job".
I’m not much of a gamer but this is favourite game. Endless hours spent playing this when I was a kid. The coruscant escort/rescue mission had us stuck for an entire summer. When me and my mate finally broke through the final landing platform attacker we literally wept with joy, and we still reminisce about it now over 20 years later!
This video is just brilliant. I've been ill for the last 3 weeks and unable to get out of bed and your content has been very enjoyable and comforting! I think I've watched your entire output.
Thank you, get better soon!
I remember before this game was released how hyped I was to play it! I wasn’t disappointed, game was a huge part of my childhood. I still enjoy this game more then Jedi power battles.
Thank you so much for doing these interviews, they're freakin' great!
My strongest memory of this game is falling in the giant fans of the first level and seeing every member of Obi Wan being... Well... Dismembered. I was pretty shocked!
So uncivilized...
Wow, not a thing I expected to ever see followed up on anywhere! That game feels like such a lost treasure at this point - and it was before the internet really blew up, I feel, so following devs and where they went/what they thought after the fact is super hard. I appreciate you putting it together! I still love the charming, janky game that they made, and despite all their obstacles and deviations from what the movie became, I always liked TPM stuff better because of their game, too, so yeah! Super cool, great vid, Positive Vibes!
Big shout out to all developers and staff involved in the making of this game! It was such a big influence in my childhood. I had a very slow computer with 32mb of GPU, played it at barely 15fps, but I still loved every second of the game, and had explored every area from start to finish.
Today as a software developer I understand and appreciate the work you guys made even more :D
Hell yeah. Great interview, always very interesting to hear the behind the scenes stories by the devs themselves. Thanks, man!
This video deserves more views, thank you so much for having these people interviewed! I'm a great fan of the PS1 version since I was a child. Greetings from Chile c:
There's a part two? Now this is an exciting interview to be sure.
since I was a kid I was fascinated about how this game had a lot of branch dialogues and options like a RPG, most of them on the Mos Espa and Tatooine levels. A lot of gameplay problems but definetly a remarkable game.
I played this game so many times growing up as a teenager that me and my younger brother still quote this game to this date! "Coruscant has lovely sunsets."
I was like 10 and the movie had just came out, i rented this game and it was the greatest game ever to me, it let me dive deeper into the story of the phantom menace, i bought it a month later
Love your videos man, amazing, this game is...very funny, and a chunk of my childhood
Great Video! Absolutely love hearing from the developers and how they felt about their work here. There's always so much focus on interviewing for just the "big stuff" that people forget how interesting the stories other developers have to tell.
In many cases, they're much more interesting.
when i was a kid i would go around as qui gon and kill every single person i could, and that camel looking merchant guy would keep talking after you killed him, and the kids would say hey that hurts while the died, the jawas would go crazy and bring out a huge laser gun, and padme would say there is a maniac going around killing everyone, and it was so funny because it was different form any other game, still have the game to this day
I got my Playstation very late. Like, at the end of its life cycle late. It was 2000, and I had been trapped in the N64 ecosphere for the past several years. But that Christmas, finally, my mom got me a Playstation. Better late than never! I was so excited. I had a stack of games to play Christmas morning, including Frogger, Pac-Man World, Spyro the Dragon, Metal Gear Solid, and The Phantom Menace. I loved every second of all of those games, and critic score differences didn't matter one bit to me. They were all equally transportive experiences as far as I was concerned. I remember the eerie sense of danger on the Trade Federation ship, the stealthiness of sneaking around the Theed gardens, and the absolute mad fun of the Mos Espa sandbox. What a truly wonderful, cherished childhood memory for me. Thank you guys for making this game exactly what it was.
"I don't like sandbox RPGs. They're coarse and rough, and the controls let you go everywhere. Not like linear gameplay. Linear gameplay is warm and smooth."
This was my first PS1 game, I hold it in fond memory. Never finished it though as I struggled to find the way to Darth Maul & Qui Gon
Yoo, I remember Ray West (Zanzibar) from the LucasForums, sharing all kinds of secrets and modding help on the game. Great times.
Another memory I have is the beginning of the escort the queen level had some large and empty rooms off to the side which were unused.
Its just like the early Harry potter games. The devs were given hardly any information to go off making the game. Yet that's what gives these games their charm, it forced it to become a game following the phantoms menace story not a strict adaptation of the movie. Sometimes the best adaptations between different media types are the looser ones that let each media do what its best at.
Fantastic interview!! I was obsessed with this game when I was a kid, it's fantastic to know more of the development behind it
I played this as a kid and I was reminded of it whilst playing Jedi Fallen Order, I really get the sense that the new Jedi games are everything that Phantom Menace game wanted to be but the technology wasn't ready for, especially regarding the platforming
Very insightful. I actually prefer diversions from the movie, so long as all the key scenes are covered. Like I loved exploring Coruscant because the film suggested there was so much more going on. The podrace was anticlimactic though, but can't blame them for not trying.
Some of my earliest memories are playing this game. I was too young to actually play it properly, but the phrase “the door is open, let’s go” is imprinted upon my psyche because of this game, I loved it.
SAME
"Watch out because im about to SLASH!" (me killing the guy immediately) "All my pricesssssss"
Holy shit thank you so much for making this. This game was my childhood.
Absolutely superb - really glad you passed on the fan appreciation to the guys - absolutely loved this game and the Mos Espa levels were the absolute best with the sandbox type feel, it just felt like it was made by a team that "got" Star Wars!
This was such a cool game! Just like the Harry Potter movie tie-in games it felt so amazing to go see the movie in theaters and then come home and play this game on my pc, reliving the story and having the chance to be the Jedi/hero yourself. Although the levels were quite difficult for me, I loved the different atmospheres (Trade Federation Battleship, Swamps of Naboo, Otoh Gunga, Gardens/City of Theed, Mos Espa & Coruscant) and voice acting (due to which I even grew more attached to the characters from the movie (especially the game leads Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Queen Amidala & Captain Panaka)). Finally, working your way towards Viceroy Gunray/Darth Maul and fighting the latter in the last level really felt epic! All in all, this game provided me with many fond memories and I will be forever grateful to the team (of only 8 people?!) making it.
@Flandrew - please tell the guys that, even though it had issues and faults, I still enjoyed and replayed both the PC and PS1 versions a lot and it certainly for me delivered an authentic star wars experience (despite the faults). So thank you for making my childhood. The cheats made it bareable too haha.
I think the sandbox nature of this game is what eventually led to my love of RPGs
I was so young playing this. Like we’re talking 8yo. I struggled to beat the first level. But whenever I’d go visit my Nanny and Poppy, I’d be back on there trying again. It made me feel like a Jedi as a kid. Moreso than swinging sticks around did. I loved it, even though I was objectively bad at it 🤣
Like so many others, I have very fond memories of this game and I've replayed it many times over the years. Thank you for this fantastic content!
I was glued to this game as a kid. I have such fond memories looking back on it. I wanna say a huge thankyou to the team for making my childhood awesome. From the Uk. 🇬🇧
This is a video I only dreamed of making myself one day. Thank you
The Coruscant section was absolutely amazing for me as young person. Rescuing the queen from the kidnappers was so much fun. Mos Espa, Theed, and re-taking the palace were all so much fun to explore. I always worked so hard to save as many Naboo guards as I could. I loved this game to death and still think about it often even 20 years later.
Thank you so much for making these. All your videos are grade A content.
Phantom menace was one of my favourite games as a kid. I played this all the time. It was so challenging, especially the theed gardens level. It was fun playing as Qui Gon. I still play the game from time to time. I love this game.
I wish the source code, or at least some dev tools from this game were released. A source port for this game would be amazing too btw, not only to facilitate it running on newer systems, but also to facilitate the implementation of modern graphical goodies (global illumination) and proper skyboxes. Having fan levels built with this as a base would also be amazing, considering it allows for action but also adventure with NPC interaction and dialogue trees
i have the editor. looking for enough people to contact the devs to sell it. if they dont im giving it away for free.
I really liked this game.
Great memories from this.
You did a damn good job with the interviews :D
The hype was real in 99 me and a friend of mine played this game and we still talk about it even though I haven't been able to get it working on my computer at all in many years, and the emulated ps1 one I have isn't the same.
old minus games dot ...
Great interview, I'd love to see more interviews with the dev teams of old lucas arts games. I'm sure the devs are getting older now and its would be great to get more interviews about them.
-Reskin
-Change the camera angle
-Add game mechanics similar to the force unleashed or something. Perfect game!
I speedrun the PS1 version of this game and tbh the time constraint on development made for some very fun glitches to exploit. Jumping through walls, cheesing bosses, etc. I must say though that the game is quite impressive knowing such a small team put it together under such limitations. It brings me countless hours of enjoyment, so thanks for your efforts! I'm hoping to get the world record eventually!
I know you probably didn't get the views you would have liked but I sure appreciate this video and hearing from the developers. Loved this game growing up.
This game and Metal Gear Solid made me a gamer in 1999. 😊
Loved the Tattooine levels the most.
No wonder Mos Espa is my favourite level, it was the first level to be made and worked on extensively than others. And it feels very homey and relaxed.
Nah, that guy whose house you clear out of thugs, and he has no gratitude about him, it just ruins the vibe.
Until this channel I didn’t even know this was a PS1 game. I grew up with the PC version and still have it.
This was literally one of the first games I ever played as a kid (I was like 8 years old) and it was absolutely beautiful. Amazing video.
I remember the cheat menu on the PC version where you type in something like "I like to Cheat" and it comes back with "You're the biggest cheater in the world" and if you added Happy afterwards the Repeating minigun became super powerful
Always nice to see developers reminiscing. Especially about games that have so little of the development process publicly available and would likely end up completely forgotten otherwise. Great work! :D
Man, what an amazing content Flandrew produces, please, keep the amazing work, bro. 🙏🏻
What a nostalgia trip this was.
Great interview! I remember playing a demo of this at costco back in 1999 and in the same summer i got the PC version as a bday present. Spent the summer messing around the Mos Espa and the Theed palace and just exploring the world. Earlier this summer I bought the PS1 copy at a retro store and did a replay. To the Devs, thank you for making a fun game that I remember fondly to this day
this was my all time favorite game as a small child, and one of the very first video games I played since I was 2-years old when it released. I played the PC version and at the time it blew my mind walking around Tatooine killing everyone with cheats, making the minigun shoot explosives. lots of memories throwing thermal detonators around otooh gunga. thank you Michael and Ray for opening up about this important piece of my childhood.
This game is the first video game I ever have memory of playing. Playing it periodically over the years to just recapture that feeling of nostalgia. Thank you guys for creating memories!
Okay but… Senate Bumper-Cars. That sounds fun. You could choose from a massive variety of races and Senators, maybe different ones have unique abilities?