The latest Nintendo Direct gave fans of the classic Nintendo 64 (N64) console an unexpected and pleasant surprise. For those who are a fan of Star Wars or simply of pod racing, you can celebrate because Star Wars: Episode I Racer will arrive for Nintendo Switch and... Playstation 4 platforms!
The cult game released in 1999 for the Nintendo console and PC, was released alongside the movie Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace) and will now have its remastered version for the latest consoles. The most interesting thing about this is that for the first time a Sony platform, the PS4, will be able to access this classic based on the film directed by George Lucas.
In order to be able to play on the controllers of the latest generation consoles, the developers have remapped the commands. This and other aspects of Star Wars: Episode I Racer were said during an interview on starwars.com, where James Vicari, producer at Aspyr studio, explains how the game will be updated for Nintendo Switch.
"You really want to make sure the game plays well and embraces as many variations as possible for [the Switch Joy-Cons]. So we've done a lot of work to ensure the game is comfortable in all settings, including playing with each Individual Joy-Con. The team here believes that the best control scheme is the one you never think about and that the philosophy really permeates everything we've done with the controls."
For the PS4, James told the Playstation Blog that he "changed all the FMV sequences in the game". Check out the full summary of what was said about the Star Wars: Episode I Racer remaster below:
- Much higher resolutions that will look better than ever on your 4K TV. Despite the age of the original models, these scenes look stunning and will take you back to seeing the strip on Tatooine for the first time in 1999.
- Re-mapped all controls to look like DualShock 4 (and Joy-Cons). This may seem trivial, but feeling like you're piloting a Podracer needs a very special touch. The controls that captured the emotion of Podracing in 1999 just don't look as natural on the modern controller, but our team has dedicated itself to creating the ultimate Podracing experience. You can expect controls that look natural and modern.
- Trophy hunters will be happy to hear that we've added trophies. You will be able to prove that you are the best Podracing champion with a platinum trophy!
Launch and availability
Star Wars: Episode I Racer will arrive on Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch on May 12 this year. The game will cost $12 when it debuts.
What did you think of the news? Did you ever play Star Wars: Episode I Racer on Nintendo 64? Comment below and share your opinion with us!
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Check out the video of the original 1999 game being played on PC below:
