Star Wars: The New Droid Army

• Release Date: November 09, 2002
• Genre: Action
• Style: Overhead View Action
• Similar Games: Superman: Countdown to Apokolips (Game Boy Advance), Masters of the Universe Interactive -- He-Man: Power of Grayskull (Game Boy Advance), The Incredible Hulk (Game Boy Advance)

Game Description

Anakin Skywalker must prevent Count Dooku from raising a powerful droid army in this Game Boy Advance release. Taking place after the events from 2002's Star Wars: Episode II, players guide the young Padawan on a multi-stage adventure taking him from the desert planet of Tattooine to the industrial world of Metalorn to the cityscapes of Coruscant. Along the way, Skywalker will meet friends Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala before his eventual confrontation with evil Jedi Master Dooku.

Played entirely from an isometric perspective, the game emphasizes action using the lightsaber and mystical powers of the Force as players fight through a variety of enemies to reach the level's exit. Completing each stage finds Skywalker more experienced in the ways of the Force, which enables him to learn new powers to use on enemies. Wielding the lightsaber simply involves pressing a button, but players can also string together combo attacks by pressing the Control Pad in one of four directions while in the process of swinging.

Players can also use their lightsaber to deflect incoming laser fire and the Force powers of speed, jump, and push to either avoid damage or inflict it. In non-combat situations, the Force can be called upon for healing powers or to escape encounters. Anakin can use speed to flee from danger, become invisible to sneak by enemies, meditate to replenish health, and jump to overcome obstacles. Each combo attack and use of the Force depletes a portion of Anakin's Force power meter, which gradually increases over time. Completing a level typically involves completing specific tasks and defeating a boss character. Players can then resume progress via passwords provided at the end of each stage.

Review: Overall

Though it's understandable fans burned by 2002's Attack of the Clones may want to stay in a galaxy far, far away from any Game Boy Advance release bearing the Star Wars license, The New Droid Army is a drastic improvement over previous handheld efforts. Instead of featuring a side-scrolling perspective as in Attack of the Clones, the developers at Helixe used a modified version of the engine introduced in Scooby-Doo. Adopting a three-quarter overhead view has opened up the environments to the extent where exploration and combat are effortless.

Players who remember 2001's Jedi Power Battles on the system will be happy to hear the perspective is not as limited, the control not as awkward, and the difficult platform jumping no longer an issue. This is a game for players who simply want to swing the lightsaber against a slew of familiar enemies from the film saga. Anakin Skywalker twirls his lightsaber over his head one moment, leaps over an enemy and slashes at his back the next, and thrusts the blade with such ferocity you can't help but be impressed. Combos are a snap to perform, initiated by pushing the Control Pad in one of four directions while pressing the button to swing.

While this system is hardly complex, it is satisfying because of the speed at which players can wield the deadly lightsaber. Combat is fast and control is precise. Even a seemingly complex maneuver like deflecting incoming laser fire, which involves using the lightsaber to bat away or deflect laser blasts toward the enemy, is easy to perform thanks to careful play-balancing. Lasers don't come zipping toward players at insane speeds from every direction, but at a slow enough clip to make blocking them in time achievable. Multiple enemies also routinely engage players, so some light strategy in planning attacks is necessary to deal with certain combinations of creatures.

Levels in each of the three worlds are generally flat and shaped like a maze even if it doesn't appear that way at first. Players generally have to get from point A to point B, which typically leads to a new area where players repeat the same process. At times Anakin will have to talk to a certain person, "rescue" others by walking up to them, and attack a slew of creatures. The quality of the graphics, animation, and sound are above average on the system, and the action is fluid without frame rate issues. Another plus is a mapping system that minimizes some of the pain associated with traveling across huge areas -- each prisoner, for example, will be clearly marked on the map, so players never have to wander around aimlessly.

The details found throughout the levels keep things interesting if the goals do not. Tusken Raiders raise their sticks above their heads with both hands and let out the same donkey-like braying sound found in the films. Womp rats scurry towards players, Gamorrean guards swing massive axes, Jawas mill about cities doing their own thing, and everything moves without a hitch -- even despite shadows, buildings, pedestrians, and other touches. Five types of Force powers are also available, although the only one you're likely to use on a consistent basis is "speed" to get away from some enemies (and simply to walk faster).

The New Droid Army isn't a classic, but it should be considered one of the best Star Wars games available on a portable system almost by default. The fast-paced combat is only marred by rather tedious and simplistic level objectives, but after seeing how bad a licensed game like this can get, the developers should be congratulated for delivering a game that looks, sounds, and plays better than most typical releases on the platform. With more role-playing aspects in character development, better level design, battery backup to save statistics, and a two-player cooperative mode, future titles could give Star Wars fans a new hope for quality in portable gaming.

Review: Enjoyment

The combat is fun but the levels are long and repetitive, despite slight changes in objectives. Force powers are often more optional than necessary.

Review: Graphics

Nice amount of detail throughout the three worlds, from the open sand of Tattooine to the walled fortresses in Coruscant. While characters are on the small side, the animation is smooth and the frame rate is rock solid.

Review: Sound

Excellent use of digitized sound effects and snippets of music from John Williams' memorable score, including "Duel of the Fates."

Review: Replay Value

While players may want to revisit levels solely based on the fluid combat, the lack of two-player modes and linear style of level design discourages replay. Passwords are used to resume progress, which means statistics aren't tracked for each level.

Review: Documentation

The color manual is dark but well organized, with sections on attacking, blocking, the Force, and a brief synopsis of the three worlds.

Production Credits

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