Before I launch into this piece, it’s worth pointing out that I’m an old bastard. I’m 45 this weekend, in fact, and that means I was effectively “an adult” (whatever that means) when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace hit cinemas in 1999.
It should also come as no great shock to you to learn that I wasn’t all that keen on the prequel trilogy. While I’m too young to have been alive for the original Star Wars (I was born in 1979), I was very much aware of the franchise when I was a kid, either from watching the movies on VHS or playing with the many hand-me-down Star Wars figures and vehicles I was given by older relatives (items which were practically worthless at the time, but are now costly collector’s items). Like any child of the ’80s, I loved the first three films (hey, I even liked Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure).
While I was still engaged enough to get swept along with the prequel hype in 1999 (you should see how much branded tat I purchased at the time – which doesn’t seem to have risen in value since then, sadly), the movie was ultimately a disappointment, and I disliked Attack of the Clones so much I actually, honestly fell asleep during part of it in the cinema. Therefore, I take a somewhat dim view of anything associated with the prequels – and that disdain naturally extends to the many tie-in video games that were produced.
Yesterday, it was announced that Jedi Power Battles is being remastered for modern-day formats. To illustrate the level of my utter disregard for prequel-related games, I actually glanced at the calendar to make sure I hadn’t somehow slipped backwards in time to April 1st. This is a game that, upon release, was awarded 3/10 by IGN. Granted, that was very much at the lower end of the scale (some reviewers actually liked it!), but still, it got me thinking – who asked for this? And is there such a thing as “bad” nostalgia?
Almost as soon as the thought entered my head, I felt duty-bound to reject it. Thinking back to games I’m personally attached to, there are plenty of “bad” titles I will defend wholeheartedly. Altered Beast, despite not being a great game, is loaded with nostalgia for me (and no doubt many others). Fist of the North Star / Last Battle is another example; it was attacked by critics at the time (not without justification) but I still love it regardless.
There will, of course, be many people out there who were the exact right age when Jedi Power Battles came out. The prequel trilogy will have been their equivalent of the original trilogy to people of my age; who am I to say they don’t hold the same emotional meaning or weight? The game will also have a special quality for these people – just as any game has when you experience it in the right circumstances.
So, while my initial reaction was akin to Peter Venkman chiding Ray Stantz for wishing the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man into existence at the wrong moment, I’ve since adjusted my outlook. Sure, I wouldn’t want to sit through Jedi Power Battles a second time (I barely did so back in 2000), but I’m perfectly at peace with the fact that there will be plenty of under-30 gamers out there who grew up on this title and will be pumped about playing it again in HD, and that’s fine.
I await the arrival of Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi and Star Wars: Demolition remasters with interest. (Honest.)
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
