With
Star Wars I feel like a zealot who knows his prophets are false but continues to believe
in them anyway. Sometimes faith is easier than doubt. Even though Im a little jaded
now, I know Ill be ready to believe again when Episode III comes out. Why do I look
forward to Star Wars spin-offs with such anticipation? What is it about the Star Wars
universe that instills an unshakable faith in the vision of George Lucas? Ive seen
Attack of the Clones three times in the theater now, and I dont fully understand
why. I liked Spider-Man and The Bourne Identity much more, but Ive only seen those
movies once. My affinity for the franchise notwithstanding, Star Wars Attack of the Clones
for the Game Boy Advance is a game that deserves to be missed. It has some rather noble
aspirations but loses all in the execution.The games graphics are
passable, but weve seen much more exciting in earlier games on the platform. The
colors echo the drab tones of the film which makes it difficult to see your way around on
some of the levels. The only thing good about this game is that it makes a very strong
case for a backlit Gameboy Advace (shorter battery life be damned).
Many
handheld games now cost a mere 20 percent less than new next generation titles, yet we
find ourselves counted lucky if they offer even half of the gameplay of their
counterparts. Attack of the Clones will be over much sooner than most might expect (but
not as soon as they might hope). It just feels slightly off kilter to me. I know that when
the Clone Wars comes out for the Game Cube later this year it will have days of gameplay
wrapped up in it. Yes, I know that cartridges cost more to manufacture than discs, but
that cost should be considerably offset by the monies saved on lower production costs.
Attack
of the Clones follows the basic structure of the film from Coruscant to Tatooine and
Genosha. You play as light saber wielding Jedi and, at times, get to pilot speeders and
starfighters. The side scrolling Jedi levels are like pretty much any other side scrolling
game on the market. Walk, fight, walk, fight, jump, fight. There are bosses at the end of
the levels, but they are so easy to vanquish that you dont even realize that
theyre bosses until youre told that youve completed the level.
The
starfighter/speeder levels play a lot like a poor mans Iridion 3-D. The colors
arent nearly vibrant enough, and the levels dont go on nearly long enough. The
faux 3-D levels are dark and difficult to navigate through. The objects in the distance
look pretty good, but when they get up close, the pixelization is unforgivable.
The most
annoying aspect of the game is the necessity for starting each level over at the beginning
whenever you die. There are no check points in the game whatsoever. Although this
technique does lengthen the overall time it takes to play through the game, it does
absolutely nothing to enhance the gameplay.
Even
though the movie was a bit of a disappointment and Star Wars Episode II: The Game was
downright bad, I still find myself anxiously anticipating The Clone Wars and Star Wars Bounty Hunter
for the Game Cube this fall. I dont know if Ill ever learn my lesson. Star
Wars is such a significant aspect of my formative years that I will anticipate almost any
new incarnation. Unfortunately, it seems like the anticipation will always be sweeter than
the realization.