MY VIEW
Games: 'Star Wars Battlefront'

By Julius Pecson
Special to The Advertiser

The Verdict: THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 5 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong.

Console: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC.

Developer/publisher: Pandemic Studios/Lucas Arts.

Genre: Action/shooter.

Number of players online: 1 to 16 (PS2), 1 to 24 (Xbox), 1 to 32 (PC).

Rating: Teen (violence).

The premise: Fans and gamers alike can now relive and participate in all of the classic battles set in the galaxy far, far away, as you're hurled into team-based skirmishes spanning all six "Star Wars" films to wage galactic civil war online.

Game play: The basic objectives of the game are to eliminate all of your opponent's troops or capture enemy command posts. Players can select one from a number of different soldier types from four factions — Rebels, Empire, Clones and Droids — utilizing each unit's specialized abilities and commandeering your favorite vehicles from the series, from X-wings, AT-ATs, TIE bombers and speeder bikes. The single-player modes thrust gamers in the trenches of all of the epic "Star Wars" battles, but the main draw of "Battlefront" is its online multiplayer warfare, where you'll strategize and communicate with teammates to take down the opposition and secure opposing bases.

The good/bad: Similar to EA's "Battlefield" franchise, the sheer size and scope of the wars can be overwhelming, with seemingly hundreds of troops running frantically, lasers whizzing by from all directions, ships screaming overhead and grenades rocking the terrain. The atmosphere of warfare is intense, but unfortunately there are a few things that detract from the overall experience. The artificial intelligence can be really stupid at times, with soldiers sometimes just standing around or piloting their vehicles in circles. Some of the vehicle controls are clunky, in contrast to the smooth infantry controls that you can customize. Online play suffers from occasional lags but offers considerably more enjoyment over the single-player campaigns, which can get boring after a while. The levels are beautifully realized, and as with all "Star Wars" games, the audio is stellar. But the best part of all — you can shoot ewoks. And those aliens that look like Jar Jar Binks. C'mon, you know you've always wanted to.

Tips: Use the ground vehicles early in the battle because the strong armor and heavy firepower can quickly turn the tide of the war. Conversely, don't take on a large vehicle by yourself, as it will most likely result in just drawing their attention and heightening their rage. Make sure you have proper artillery (missile launchers) or a vehicle of your own.

My take: If you're a "Star Wars" devotee and if you can take advantage of the online multiplayer, "Battlefront" is definitely worth a play. The intense team-based action, coupled with the sense of immersion from participating in every battle imaginable from every movie in the series make this a fan's ultimate fantasy fulfillment. Despite a few faults, the force is strong with this one.

Julius Pecson, a student at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa and a longtime gamer, reviews games on various consoles for The Honolulu Advertiser, including Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance.

Have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Upcoming releases

Dates are tentative

Playstation 2

• Oct. 4: "Taiko Drum"; "Mortal Kombat: Deception"; "Tony Hawk's Underground 2"; "Mortal Kombat: Deception Premium Pack"
• Oct. 5: "ChoroQ"; "Music Maker"; "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge"; "ToCA Race Driver 2: The Ultimate Racing Simulator"; "Conflict: Vietnam"; "Robotech: Invasion"; "Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude"; "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne"; "Get On Da Mic"; "Get On Da Mic Bundle"
• Oct. 11: "Midway Arcade Treasures 2"; "SD Gundam Force: Showdown!"; "Tak 2: Staff of Dreams"
• Oct. 12: "Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue"; "Under The Skin"; "King of Fighters: Maximum Impact Collector's Edition"; "FIFA Soccer 2005"
• Oct. 15: "BloodRayne 2"
• Oct. 19: "Outlaw Golf 2"; "Alien Hominid"; "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus"; "Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed"; "Growlanser: Generations"; "Time Crisis: Crisis Zone"; "Growlanser: Generations Deluxe Pack"
• Oct. 20: "Nicktoons Eyetoy"
• Oct. 25: "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex PS2"; "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"; "Ace Combat 5"; "Ace Combat 5 Bundle"
• Oct. 26: "Pinball Hall of Fame"; "Scaler"; "Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Coliseum"; "Neo Contra"; "Nightmare of Druaga"; "Kuon"; "Taiko Drum Master w/Drum PS2"
• Oct. 27: "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie"
• Oct. 28: "The Incredibles"

Gamecube

• Oct. 4: "Tony Hawk's Underground 2"
• Oct. 11: "Midway Arcade Treasures 2"; "Tak 2: Staff of Dreams"; "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door"
• Oct. 12: "Intellivision Lives!"; "Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue"; "FIFA Soccer 2005"
• Oct. 14: "Armada 2: Star Command"
• Oct. 19: "Alien Hominid"; "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus"
• Oct. 26: "Pinball Hall of Fame"; "Scaler"
• Oct. 27: "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie"
• Oct. 28: "The Incredibles"

Xbox

• Oct. 4: "Ultra Bust-A-Move"; "Mortal Kombat: Deception"; "Tony Hawk's Underground 2"; "Mortal Kombat: Deception Kollector's Edition"
• Oct. 5: "Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge"; "Syberia II: Kate Walker's Adventure Continues"; "Yager"; "ToCA Race Driver 2/Colin McRae Rally 04 Xbox Live Bundle"; "Conflict: Vietnam"; "Robotech: Invasion"; "Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude with Bonus!"
• Oct. 7: "SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom"
• Oct. 11: "Midway Arcade Treasures 2"; "Tak 2: Staff of Dreams"
• Oct. 12: "Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue"; "Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders"; "BloodRayne 2"; "FIFA Soccer 2005"
• Oct. 19: "Outlaw Golf 2"; "Otogi 2"; "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus"; "Men of Valor"; "Dead or Alive Ultimate"
• Oct. 25: "OutRun 2"
• Oct. 26: "Chessmaster"; "Pinball Hall of Fame"; "Scaler"; "Dai Senryaku VII: Modern Military Tactics"; "Bicycle Casino 2005"; "Monster Garage: The Game"; "Doom 3"; "Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly — Director's Cut"
• Oct. 27: "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie"
• Oct. 28: "The Incredibles"

Gameboy Advance

• Oct. 4: "Tony Hawk's Underground 2"; "Mario Pinball Land"; "LEGO Knights Kingdom"
• Oct. 5: "Mega Man Zero 3"
• Oct. 10: "SD Gundam Force"
• Oct. 11: "Tak 2: Staff of Dreams"
• Oct. 12: "A Sound of Thunder"; "FIFA Soccer 2005"; "Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue"; "Lilo & Stitch 2: Hamsterveil Havoc"; "Lizzie McGuire 2: Lizzie Diaries"; "That's So Raven"; "WWE Survivor Series"; "Rugrats All Grown Up"
• Oct. 15: "Dead To Rights"
• Oct. 18: "Kirby & The Amazing Mirror"
• Oct. 19: "Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django"; "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus"; "TRON 2.0: Killer App"
• Oct. 25: "Ice Nine"; "Dora the Explorer: Super Spies"; "Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario"; "Classic NES Series: Metroid"; "Classic NES Series: Castlevania"; "Classic NES Series: Zelda II"; "Grand Theft Auto Advance"
• Oct. 26: "Shrek 2: Beg For Mercy"; "Yu-Gi-Oh! Destiny Board Traveler"; "The Land Before Time"; "Animal Snap"; "Archer Maclean's 3D Pool"; "Stadium Games"; "Monster Bass Fishing 2"; "Pinball Tycoon 2"; "Hot Wheels Stunt Track"
• Oct. 27: "SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie"
• Oct. 28: "The Incredibles"

This list was provided by Toys n' Joys, with shops in Kaimuki (735-4546) and in the Westridge Shopping Center (487-8697) at Pearlridge. See www.toysnjoys.com for more information.