The Phantom Menace
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I guess I learned how to appreciate The Phantom Menace
Was The Phantom Menace as bad as I'd remembered? Well, yes and no.
Disney is hiding an excellent Podracing game inside this Star Wars storybook app
When I saw Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace for sale on the App Store, I didn't think much of it. It bills itself as an interactive storybook, where you can relive the story of Star Wars Episode 1 through gorgeous renderings and an audio narrator. But somewhat tucked away in the app's feature list is a note that, hey, you can play an podracing minigame, too. For anyone who looks back on the release of Star Wars Episode 1 Racer with glee -- which describes me perfectly -- this is the app for you, even if it doesn't appear to be at first glance. The storybook mode, which you'll need to venture through in order to gain points to unlock additional Podracing options, is a fun little treat. Each scene is drawn in loving detail with faux-3D effects and other hidden character movements that are enabled by tapping around the screen. The story is greatly condensed and doesn't take long to get through, but it's still a fun way to relive the events of the film. But once you're done with that, the Podracing mode is what you have left, and it is a ridiculously fantastic time. It plays almost exactly like the original Star Wars Racer title, featuring a total of 12 tracks (on Tatooine only, unfortunately), a handful of racers with vehicle variants, and a surprisingly deep customization system that allows changes to color and even decal patterns. You can also tweak vehicle performance in a variety of ways and keep an entire virtual garage filled with high-powered Podracers for every occasion. You can compete in single races, a tournament mode, time trials, and a more brutal knockout mode where the last place racer is eliminated after each lap. In short, there's a ton to do here and without any in-app purchases to worry about, it's a rich racing experience from the very start. If you pick up Star Wars Journeys: The Phantom Menace strictly for the storybook mode, you might find your US$6.99 purchase to be a bit of a letdown, if only because it's so brief. But if you've always dreamed of an iOS Podracing game, this is indeed the one you're looking for. In all honesty, I'd have paid the asking price for the racing game on its own, so you can look at the storybook as a bit of an added bonus.
Star Wars 3D getting the Blu-ray treatment for spring?
Just finished your deliciously digital Blu-ray collection of the Star Wars saga? Thought that was the end of it? C'mon. Following the three-dimensional release of Episode 1 in theaters, Pocket-lint's heard from sources at a recent Panasonic event that the "start" of the saga will be arriving on 3D Blu-ray faster than you might think -- this spring, likely as a replacement for its Avatar pack-in exclusive. Panasonic's got a history of Star Wars tie-ins, so we're putting whatever money we have left for additional Jedi media on it making an appearance over the next few months.
DDO 'prequel' update prepping community for the expansion
Prequels are generally bad, bad things that your mother warned you about but you didn't believe her until you saw The Phantom Menace. Occasionally, however, there is the rare exception, such as Dungeons & Dragons Online's Update 13, which Turbine is billing as the prequel to this summer's Menace of the Underdark expansion pack. Update 13: Web of Chaos has a generous portion of goodies for all players in the form of three new free quests. These quests include tackling a uppity cult, freeing a prisoner from captivity, and battling the nefarious Spinner of Shadows itself. Also coming with DDO's next update will be a few additional store options, cosmetic pets, and the ability to unlock level 7 veteran status. The latter acquisition will allow you to make a new level 7 adventurer right out of the gate and can either be purchased with real money or in-game favor. You can read up on Update 13 and the expansion pack in our recent interview with Turbine.
The Game Archaeologist salutes Asheron's Call's 12th anniversary
Turning 12 is a wake-up call for most people because they realize that next year they will officially be teenagers. We just hope that Turbine's ready for that when Asheron's Call breaks curfew, sasses back, and starts developing a romantic interest in other MMOs. One of the privileges of writing The Game Archaeologist column here on Massively is that I get to watch over these classic MMOs as they marinate in maturity. Despite new titles being announced or released literally every day, these long-running games are the established old guard that have nothing to prove at this point. It's hard not to be a little in awe of that and gush at it. So congratulations to Asheron's Call, one of the first batch of 3-D MMOs that hit the scene back in the late '90s, for reaching its 12th anniversary! How bizarre is it to think that Asheron's Call came out the same year that we were freaking out about Y2K, seeing how far George Lucas could fall with The Phantom Menace, and paying about $1.22 a gallon for gas in the U.S.? AC almost seems legendary when you realize how far back it stretches. Join us as we sing the praises of Dereth and its citizens after the jump!
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace returns to theaters in 3D February 10, 2012
It's time to mark your calendar Star Wars fans, whether you plan to be first in line to check out the new 3D-converted editions of each movie, protest their rerelease in a new format or just avoid the theater altogether now that The Phantom Menace has officially been slated to return next year on February 10th. The effects guys at Fox, Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic reckon the immersive visuals of each flick lend themselves to being viewed in 3D and the yearly releases of the movies should be good test of both whether a 3D conversion really is worthwhile and if audiences are interested in paying to watch it. Of course, there's also the alternative of just grabbing the Blu-ray discs (original trilogy only, if you so desire) skimming the Red Letter Media review and calling it a day, but we won't get pushy.
