Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a classic game released in 1999 for Nintendo 64 (N64) and PC. Based on the movie Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace), the game was very successful when it was released together with the cinematographic work. To the delight of fans, it was recently announced during the Nintendo Direct that the title would get a remaster for Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch. However, the release that would take place on May 12th of this year, ended up being postponed, but luckily fans of the game won't have to wait much longer as its developers have just announced that Star Wars Episode I: Race will be released for Nintendo Switch and PS4 on June 23rd!
A statement from the developers of Star Wars Episode I: Racer was given to the Nintendo Life website this morning saying:
"Attention Star Wars Episode I: Racer fans!!!
We are scheduled to release on Nintendo Switch and PS4 on June 23rd.
Thank you for your continued support and kind comments as we work on this release.
See you on the racetracks"
Developers remapped the commands to adapt the game to new consoles
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:
- Uprezze all FMV sequences in the game. 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.
- We re-mapped all the controls to look like the DualShock 4 (and the Joy-Cons). This might 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 be released on June 23 for the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 (PS4) platforms for US$14,99. The game will have all the features present in the original version such as 25 playable drivers, race tracks in 8 worlds and split-screen racing. Check out the video of the original 1999 game being played on PC below:
