Product Description

Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected, it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flying from either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fight their way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the lives of three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period as Star Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallel those of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict against the Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective.

Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it can take weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock the game's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes, and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including Darth Maul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).

Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing through an enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaseless procession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw an overwhelming number of 3-D objects on the sc at once--such as a mission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen large capital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, with lasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, and constant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.

The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic, and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on at once that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only real drawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up and prevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetary missions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high. Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and no

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5247 in Video Games
• Brand: LucasArts Entertainment
• Released on: 2001-02-20
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .33 pounds

Amazon.com Review
Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected, it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flying from either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fight their way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the lives of three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period as Star Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallel those of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict against the Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective.

Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it can take weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock the game's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes, and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including Darth Maul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).

Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing through an enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaseless procession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw an overwhelming number of 3-D objects on the screen at once--such as a mission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen large capital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, with lasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, and constant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.

The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic, and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on at once that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only real drawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up and prevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetary missions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high. Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and no arcade, action, or Star Wars fan with a PlayStation2 will want to miss it. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• No Jar Jar
• Stunning graphics
• Exciting, massive missions

Cons:

• Some mission-stopping bugs
• Simplistic combat will disappoint simulation fans looking for something along the lines of X-Wing Alliance

Amazon.com Product Description
Star Wars Starfighter brings Lucas Arts-quality air and space combat to the PlayStation2. It combines the action of Rogue Squadron with the plots of the X-Wing series for an engrossing gaming experience. The story, which is inspired by the motion picture Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, will have you trying to save Naboo from invasion by the treacherous Trade Federation. There are three pilots from which to choose, each of whom has a different ship: Rhys is a cocky Naboo pilot-in-training. His Naboo N-1 starfighter is quick, agile, adept at dogfighting, and armed with proton torpedoes, laser cannons, and deflector shields. Vana, a Naboo expatriate, roams the galaxy to contract her services as a gun for hire. Her ship, the Guardian, is ultrafast and equipped with stealth capabilities, sensors, tracking devices and a variety of weaponry. Nym is an alien pirate who lives a Robin Hood existence in the shadows of the Naboo system. He pilots the Havoc, a starship that's outfitted with powerful bombs, lasers, a rotating turret gun, and heavy shielding.

GameSpot Preview
At the heart of every Star Wars movie lies a spectacular space battle filled with breathtaking special effects that convince us that the explosions and fast-paced action are real. This formula has been applied to LucasArts' most dramatic and visually impressive video games, from the PC's more simulation focused X-Wing and TIE Fighter titles to the more arcade focused action of the N64's Rogue Squadron. Star Wars Starfighter attempts to bridge the gap between both styles of LucasArts' past flight-based shooters, as well as add some elements that haven't been seen in any Star Wars game yet. The game boasts some of the best-looking graphics ever seen on a console shooter, and those graphics, combined with the tried-and-true Star Wars formula and the PS2's muscle, could make Starfighter the best Star Wars game yet.

Unlike Rogue Squadron, Starfighter focuses on the dramatic stories of each of the game's three original characters. The young and restless rookie Rhy Dallows, the mercenary Vana Sage, and the alien pirate Nym all have their own reasons for seeking revenge against the diabolical and corrupt Trade Federation, and their stories are woven together to form the game's overall story.

The game's three pilots all have their own ships, and each ship has its own distinguishing characteristics. Rhys flies the Naboo fighter, as seen in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. The craft is a great tactical fighter, loaded with weapons such as proton torpedoes and laser cannons. Vana Sage flies the Guardian, which is a fast, sleek, and stealthy vehicle that is also equipped with special items such as sensors and tracking devices. Nym flies the Havoc, which is the hulk of the three and is not unlike Rogue Squadron's Y-Wing. The Havoc can carry powerful bombs and boasts a rotating gun, powerful laser cannons, and heavy shielding, which allows it to perform low-altitude bombing runs. Starfighter will have more than 50 enemy vehicles for you to shoot at, from the well-known droid fighters, battle tanks, and Federation drop ships to newly introduced ships such as the Scarab, the Protector, and the Dagger.

We were recently able to play through three different levels of the pre-beta version of the game. The first is a training level, which consists of a canyon through which, as Rhys Dallows, you fly while trying to avoid the walls and other such obstructions. Additional mission objectives such as destroying mines, shooting down holographic fighters, and engaging in a mock dogfight with your wingman are added to your mission as you progress through it. The second level is a bombing run, which utilizes Nym's Havoc in an attempt to repel a steady stream of surface attacks from tanks and armored personal carriers, while the third is an action-packed space battle where you play as Vana.

All three of the levels demonstrate the different feel of the individual ships. The nimbleness of the Naboo Fighter is felt immediately in the canyon, and it has a distinct spaceship feeling. When cruising around corners, it becomes apparent that the ship floats, rather than relying on lift and speed to keep it aloft. Nym's Havoc feels like a flying tank as it flies through explosions and dust clouds with classic barnstorming style, comfortably absorbing damage that would send weaker ship flying into pieces. The Guardian is an interesting ship to fly in space because of its speed, agility, and beefed-up sensors, which help you keep a close eye on all sides of a whirling space battle.

If Star Wars Starfighter lives up to the promise we've seen so far, it will be a truly great game, possibly even the greatest flight action game to use to the Star Wars franchise. --Trevor Rivers --Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Jedi Starfighter is better
This game is well made. It has good graphics and gameplay. There are even a FEW missions which can be played 2 player. However, the new Jedi Starfighter game is twice as fun, and you can play all the missions 2 player on it. If you own neither one I suggest skipping this one and going right for Jedi Starfighter.

Beutifull Space Combat
First let me say that I love Star Wars. That's anything about Star Wars; I have seen all six movies (I'm sure some of you have too) and have played all the games that have come out with the name Star Wars on it. With that aside let me just say that this was probably the best Star Wars game to come out since Tie fighter, the only exception being Jedi Power Battles, which was fun, but not in the same way. Star Wars Starfighter is a space combat game that uses a flight sim control style that falls just short of the realism provided by Tie fighter, but what was lost in the realism was gained in the terrific graphics. I was completely blown away by the canyon runs and full-scale space battles. The movies themselves did not contain such spectacularly large and complex space fight scenes. I became dizzy at some points and just had to pause the game to try and get my bearings again. Truly a marvelous piece of programming.

My only complaints about this game come from features that existed in other games provided by Lucas arts that were missing from this one. The most notable is the non-existent map. Perhaps I couldn't find it but in either case there was no map and without one the complicated space battles turned into allot of spinning over and over again looking for the place I'm supposed to go. The next problem is the limited control over the armament and selection of ships. In most other space combat games by Lucas Arts you are able to select what ship you wish to fly and what armament you want on your ship. Additionally during combat switching between shields, weapons, engines and the like all added that much more fun to the game. This one on the other hand functioned like an arcade game and did not provide such complications, which could be good for some players.

For those of you that loved tie fighter and x-wing then you will appreciate the advancements that have been made with Starfighter. Increasing the difficulty level until your ship turns into stardust on the first training mission makes up for its rather short playtime. So go out rent it, buy it, borrow it from a friend, but by all means play it.

Great Game, But Some Flaws
The graphics are pretty grand (in places), and I must say that I really adore the flight control on the main three ships (a combination of older Star Wars flying controls and the simpler Star Fox flying method). The on-board info (targeting system, shield indicator, etc) takes a bit to get used to, but gets intuitive real fast.

The fallbacks are not in actual gameplay, but in the fact that I've managed to lock up the game three times (on two different copies). Twice on the initual bomber stage, and once in the one with the sattelites and the planetary cannon. I also absolutely ABHOR the game boundaries. Flying into an invisible wall will shake and bounce your fighter all over the place (like you've run into a rock ledge, rather than you've hit the boundary of the level). Other than the lockups and the poor implementation of boundaries though, it's a great game (something to play on the PS2 besides SSX, and Oni... FINALLY).

If you're buying it strictly with a graphical orgy in mind, you're going to be disappointed in a lot of places, but if you're buying it for a high-paced flying game and pulling some amazing feats of dogfighting, you're in luck!!