Game Description

Based upon the movie of the same name, Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones chronicles the fate of three Jedi as they attempt to foil a sinister scheme that will ultimately determine the fate of the galaxy. Players will guide Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Master Mace Windu through 12 levels, from Tatooine to Geonosis. Gameplay is in two distinct styles: side scrolling combat and vehicle chases. The combat levels require players to make their way through enemy-infested areas armed with a lightsaber and Force powers (Force Jump, Force Push, and Super Force Push). The Force power meter automatically regenerates, however, power-ups can be collected that increase the amount of Force power your Jedi is capable of wielding. A smattering of jumping elements is sprinkled throughout the decidedly combat-focused stages.

Each Jedi is capable of performing a wide array of offensive techniques, including a variety of lightsaber slashes, kicks, and even the ability to repel enemy laser fire. The second mode puts players in the seat of a Republic Gunship, a Speeder, and even a Jedi Starfighter as they attempt to chase down villains, such as Zam Wesell, Jango Fett, and Count Dooku. Interspersed with the game's levels are digitized, still cut-scenes taken directly from the movie, accompanied by text, which explains the story line. A password save is used to record your in-game progress. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide

Review: Enjoyment

Choppy animation, repetitive gameplay, and terrible controls all add up to an unsettling disturbance in the Force. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Production Credits

Company 1: David A. Palmer Productions

Executive Producer: David A. Palmer

Producer: James Palmer

Lead Programmer: Roo

Lead 3-D Programmer: Matthew Hopewood

Artwork and Animation: Ian Terry, Tim Claycomb, James Clarke, Stoo Cambridge, Paul Simon

Music and S.F.X.: Allister Brimble, Will Davis, Michael Delaney

Utilities: Damian Slee, Jason Grace

Company 2: THQ Inc.

V.P. Product Development: Michael Rubinelli

Executive Producer: Scott Krager

Producer: Nathan Rose

Associate Producer: Kevin Elrod

Assistant Producer: Razmig Pulurian

Senior Tester: Jay Cardellio

Tester: Bradley Zybert, Scott Frazier, Jason Thompson

Q.A. Technician: Mario Waibel

Q.A. Database Administrator: Jason Roberts

Q.A. Manager: Monica Vallejo

Director of Quality Assurance: Jeremy S. Barnes

V.P. Marketing: Peter Dille

Group Marketing Manager: Alison Quirion

Product Marketing Manager: Monica Guerra

Associate Product Manager: Heather Hall

Director of Public Relations: Liz Pieri

Public Relations Manager: Reilly Brennan

Associate Public Relations Manager: Kendall Boyd

Creative Services Director: Howard Liebeskind

Senior Creative Services Manager: Kathy Helgason

Associate Creative Services Manager: Kirk Somdal

Company 3: LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC

Producer: Joe Brisbois

Content Coordinator: Justin Lambros

Sound Design Supervisor: Dave Levison

Concept Art: Cory Allemeier

Marketing: Karina Hallum, Logan Parr

Licensing: Stacy Cheregotis, Chris Gollaher, Howard Roffman, Kristi Kaufman, Amanda Burns ~ Keith Adams, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

For lack of a better word, Attack of the Clones is a pile of Dooku. Every side-scrolling platform blunder has been committed in this movie tie-in, which succeeds only in following the basic story line of the film on which it is based. Players will begin on Coruscant, tracking down Amidala's assassin, confront Jango Fett on Kamino, attack Tusken Raiders on Tattooine, and even fight in the Geonosian Execution Arena. Say that three times fast. In total, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu will slog through eight tedious lightsaber fights and three horribly pixilated driving sequences while trying to save the galaxy from a sinister alliance.

Sinister is what you would describe the controls, as each character is slow to react after pressing buttons and pushing the Control Pad. Wielding the lightsaber is especially clumsy, since players must first hold down the "A" button while tapping the Control Pad in one of four directions. Players can also activate one of three powers like the force jump or force push, but they are awkward to use during a fight and are limited to the amount of energy your character acquires during the game. Animation is as poor as the controls, with the act of walking resembling ice-skating and a paltry number of frames devoted to jumping, midair kicks, and lightsaber attacks.

Characters are huge in the game, nearly filling up the entire screen, which means you won't be able to see very far to your left or right. Enemies will suddenly drop or appear right in front of your character as you skate across the surfaces, forcing you to absorb cheap hits while you get your bearings. There are also platforms to jump across, but there's no way to see what's above or below you by pressing down or up on the Control Pad -- something that should have been taught in Platforming 101. Players should never have to make blind jumps, but that's exactly what's expected of them in this game.

Each level plays exactly the same and would be almost indistinguishable from one another if not for the simple backgrounds and repetitive enemy types. Don't expect to interact with the environment in any way, as the only requirement to get through a stage is to walk from left to right, attack the two or three types of enemies, fall to your death after missing a platform you can't see, and repeat. The three vehicle sequences are also tedious, and are nothing more than a straightforward blast-fest as you move from point A to point B shooting ugly looking targets. Attack of the Clones ranks as one of the sloppiest titles yet released on the Game Boy Advance. Or as Master Yoda would say, "Bad this Clone War is." ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Graphics

The characters are large but poorly animated, and the backgrounds don't offer anything in the way of interaction. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Sound

The music is sampled from the movie, but the sound effects are weak. The lightsaber swoosh is missing, and there aren't any voice clips. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Replay Value

Players who die near the end of a level have to go through it again from the beginning, but there are passwords provided at the end of each stage. There is no point in revisiting past levels. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Review: Documentation

The color manual offers brief level descriptions as well as a breakdown of the available Force powers and health pick-ups on a stage. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide