Although this will likely win the competition for fastest cease and desist letter in history, someone has managed to remake Star Wars Episode I: Racer in Unreal Engine 4 - and the results are seriously impressive.
Made by Rob Jin and recently brought to public attention by YouTuber Bluedrake42, the Star Wars Episode I: Racer fan game is a faithful but updated remake of the 1999 original. It features a boost function, third- and first-person perspectives, some significantly upgraded physics, and you can even activate AI enemies.
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Somewhat hilariously, the original sound effects of Anakin have been left in, meaning crashes are punctuated by some classic retro game yells and comical explosion animations. Here's the beautiful trailer:
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a racing video game based on the podracing sequence featured in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The game features all of the racers and race course on Tatooine featured in The Phantom Menace. It also adds several new courses, some on Tatooine, others on various planets.
Although the original Google Drive download link for the demo seems to have been overwhelmed by demand, there are a few mirrors floating around the internet (proceed with caution), so I decided to download one and check it out myself.
- Dec 02, 2013 Star Wars Episode I may divide the opinion of Star Wars fans, but the fast and furious pod-racing scenes from the film remain a highlight. Of course, it didn’t take long before LucasArts gave us the chance to try our own hands at pod racing from the comfort of our PCs or games consoles.
- Based upon the Pod Racing scenes of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, your mission as young Anakin Skywalker or as one of a collection of strange characters from around the Galaxy is to compete, survive and win in the high speed challenge of Pod Racing.Each character has a unique Pod.
First up, if you do manage to get your paws on this, I'd recommend using a controller: the standard key bindings need work, with Z,D,Q used for movement and steering. If you want to see the full list of controls, make sure to hit the menu button on your controller when mid-race.
Using a fairly average PC, I had a few FPS issues, but playing on Medium or Low setting still gives you a fairly decent experience. The cave section routinely tanked my framerate, however, so you may need to use the force to guide you through that.
The AI, meanwhile, is ridiculously fast on anything above Easy - so you'll probably need to work your way up to those levels. It didn't take long for me to get the hang of driving, however, and the steering feels perfect for a pod: particularly when I flew up into the air and gracefully came floating back down to the track.
Overall, although it's limited to one track and there are FPS problems (plus occasional jank when I exploded on seemingly nothing), it's an impressive experience for a fan game, and the physics are remarkably satisfying. Playing in first-person was fabulous, and really helped me get into the mindset of a podracer. If only this could be released as an official remake.
For those unfamiliar with Star Wars Episode I: Racer, the original was developed and published by LucasArts and released in 1999 on PC, N64, Game Boy Color and eventually Dreamcast. The game was hugely popular - selling over three million copies on the N64 alone - and prompted Sega to create a podracing title in 2000. It's since been recognised for its speed, nifty steering controls, and creating a sense of Star Wars wonder.
There's obviously a ridiculous amount of Star Wars IP in this fan version of the game, and Disney will likely be looking to take down files pretty soon. If you're interested, see if you can find a download link, or else you'll wonder Qui it's Gon.
Nintendo 64 Game (N64)
Game Rating
Experience the breath-taking interplanetary race first hand as you drive your own racing jet across the vast desert in Star Wars Episode I: Racer!
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a racing video game released back in 1999 for various gaming consoles including the Nintendo 64 (N64). The game is based on the podracing event that was popular in the first Star Wars film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Unlike the film, the game features several tracks that are divided into different planets. The game also features three different singleplayer game modes.
Emulator Controls
←→↑↓ = Directions
enter = Start
J = A K = B
WASD = Joystick
Q = L E = R
space = Z
UILO = C-buttons
Star Wars Pod Racing Game Machines
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Star Wars Pod Racing Game Download
Star Wars Episode I: Racer is an online N64 game that you can play at Emulator Online. This free Nintendo 64 game is the United States of America region version for the USA. Star Wars Episode I: Racer is a single title from the many racing games, driving games and star wars games offered for this console. If you enjoyed playing this, then you can find similar games in the n64 games category. Star Wars Episode I: Racer game is from the various retro games on the site, and there are more games like this, including Super Mario All-Stars, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Star Wars - Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.