Roughly 25 years after its release on PlayStation in April 2000, Star Wars: Episode 1 – Jedi Power Battles will be re-released on Steam in the coming year: January 25, 2025. Jedi Power Battles is back, courtesy of publisher and game port specialists Aspyr. I’m not sure who asked for this particular game to return in 2025, a classic movie reference from an era where every major blockbuster had a tie-in to the game. Jedi Power Battles is a particularly arduous, at times arcade cooperative game from 2000, but judging by the comments on the YouTube trailer, at least some people feel a lot of nostalgia for it.
Jedi Power Battles is a combination of a frustrating platformer and a full-on fighting game where your Jedi characters destroy multiple droids. Just. So many robots. And inexplicable laser walls to avoid jumping into while navigating one of the many bottomless pits that seem to fill the Star Wars universe.
“Reclaim the Royal Palace of Theed in this fast and furious lightsaber action game. “You’ll have the power of the Force and your trusty lightsaber to help you fend off the legions of battle droids, destroyer droids, assassins, and other creatures from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” reads the official description, which I’d venture to guess is almost the same official description as 25 years ago.
The game will feature classic characters from the original game, as well as previously locked characters that have, you know, weapons and stuff. It will also feature the original two-player couch co-op mode, which is certainly why most people who remember this game remember it at all – because arcade-style things really thrive in this environment.
The re-release will also include Classic and New Game+ gameplay styles.
“Use classic or modern control schemes, switch lightsaber colors to match the movies, enjoy new playable characters like Tusken Raider, enter classic cheats like Big Head Mode, and discover more surprises during the 25th anniversary celebration Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles,” says the store.
It can be found under an embarrassingly formatted title “Star Wars™: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles™” on Steam.
