Star Wars: Racer Arcade is a 2000 arcade racing game developed by AM5 and LucasArts and is the final Star Wars game released by Sega.[2] It is based on the Podrace scenes in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.[3]
Gameplay
The game is controlled via two throttle controls.
Racer Arcade features four tracks: Tatooine Bantha Tracks (Easy), Etti IV Smuggler's Cove (Normal), Malastare Pixelito Challenge (Hard), which has four laps, and Tatooine Boonta Eve Classic (Expert), which has three laps. Four Podracer pilots are playable: Anakin Skywalker, Ben Quadinaros, Gasgano and Sebulba.[4] The player controls the podracer via two handheld throttle controls, similar to how pods are controlled in the film.[5] Unlike the home console video game Star Wars Episode I: Racer, the player's podracer is indestructible, although it can suffer slowdown from collision damage, and it is possible, yet difficult, to destroy opposing podracers.
Development and release
The game was unveiled at ATEI in London in 2000.[5] It was available in multiple configurations, one of which was a twin type; two individual games joined in the center.[6] The deluxe cabinet featured a 50" screen and was molded to appear like the cockpit of Anakin Skywalker's podracer. Up to four cabinets could be linked for multiplayer.[7]
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Star Wars: Racer Arcade on their August 15, 2000 issue as being the fifth most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.[8] In a 2020 retrospective, Kotaku's Lewis Packwood called the arcade game a "beefier, fancier-looking version of Episode I: Racer."[9]
^"Star Wars Racer Arcade - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
^"TheForce.net: The Star Wars Show: Rancho Obi-Wan Visit, Playing Star Wars: Racer Arcade, And More!". www.theforce.net.
^ ab"Impressions: Episode 1 Racer Arcade".
^"Arcade Game Manual: Star Wars Racer Arcade Twin Type Part 1". April 14, 2000 – via Internet Archive.
^Carroll, Martyn (February 12, 2012). "Retrospective: Star Wars Episode I Racer". Eurogamer.net.
^"Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - 完成品夕イプのTVゲーム機 (Dedicated Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 616. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 August 2000. p. 17.
^"Every Star Wars Game Ever, From Worst to Best". Kotaku Australia. February 27, 2020.
