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Star Wars: Demolition

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Star Wars: Demolition
Demolition
North American Dreamcast cover art
Developer(s)Luxoflux
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Platform(s)PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast
ReleasePlayStation
  • NA: November 12, 2000
  • EU: December 15, 2000
Dreamcast
  • NA: November 19, 2000
  • EU: December 15, 2000
Genre(s)Action, vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Star Wars: Demolition is a vehicular combat game set in the Star Wars universe created by both Luxoflux and LucasArts using the Vigilante 8 game engine. Its premise is that the Galactic Empire declares they've officially banned Jabba the Hutt's podraces. Jabba creates a more life-threatening vehicular combat contest to replace the sport of podracing. The game was released on both the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Dreamcast; PlayStation on November 12, 2000 and Dreamcast on November 19, 2000.

The game received mixed reviews upon release, with aggregate website GameRankings holding an average score of 57.75% for the PlayStation and 65.62% for the Dreamcast. Metacritic reports similar scores: 63/100 for the PlayStation and 67/100 for the Dreamcast. Critics felt that while the game was fun in short bursts it lost its appeal with extended gameplay. Subsequent retrospective reviews and major media replays found the game lackluster. Critical commentary pointed to poor controls and boring gameplay.

Gameplay

Star Wars: Demolition features familiar Star Wars characters and locales in a vehicular combat competition.

Star Wars: Demolition is a vehicular combat game set in the Star Wars universe. The objective is to be the last vehicle standing by destroying all other combatants. Several powerups can be found on the battlefield which enhance a player's vehicle. These include weaponry, such as thermal detonators, concussion missiles and proton torpedoes, and boost items, which include additional shielding, cloaking, and increasing the fire rate of weapons. Eight playable stages and 13 combatants are included in the game.[1]

Four game modes are offered to players. In Tournament mode players compete in successively harder rounds at a given location. The first round has one enemy combatant, the second has two, and so on. Here players can unlock new characters by completing the mode with at least 10,000 points. Battle Mode is a free-for-all in which players can practice their skills. High Stakes mode adds a gambling aspect to gameplay. Prior to the round start players are given their odds of winning, a bet is then placed, and the player either receives a payout or has credits deducted based on whether they win or lose. Finally, Hunt-a-Droid mode provides only roaming Imperial probe droids to shoot for target practice and is limited to three minutes. Each mode can be played with one or two players on the PlayStation, while the Dreamcast version supports up to four players.[1][2]

Setting

The backstory of Star Wars: Demolition is that the Empire declares a ban on Jabba the Hutt's sport of podracing. To replace this lucrative enterprise, Jabba creates a more life-threatening contest where combatants fight to the death in or on vehicles. Several combatants enter the competition. Boba Fett enters, opting to use only his jetpack. Fellow bounty hunter and occasional partner Aurra Sing also enters, a swoop bike her vehicle of choice. Other opponents mount various forms of tanks, landspeeders, and even a rancor to compete in this battle to the death.[2]

Development

Demolition was announced on April 14, 2000 via StarWars.com.[3] It was developed by Luxoflux and published LucasArts. Before its release it was known as Star Wars: Demolition Racer. This would later be shortened to Star Wars: Demolition.[4] Luxoflux used the same game engine that powered both Vigilante 8 and its sequel Vigilante 8: Second Offense.[5] It was initially announced as a PlayStation exclusive,[6] but was rumors circled in July 2000 that the game would come to Dreamcast.[7] This was confirmed the following month.[8] It was released in November 2000 in North America on both systems. A European release followed in December 2000.

Reception

Star Wars: Demolition was met with average to mixed reception upon release. Aggregate websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 67.75% and 63 out of 100 for the PlayStation version,[9][11] and 65.62% and 67 out of 100 for the Dreamcast version.[10][12]

Dan Elektro of GamePro felt that the game's charm runs out quickly, providing little replay value.[21] The reviewer from Game Revolution stated that gameplay is "definitely fun", but that with prolonged play it becomes easier notice the imbalance in gameplay.[22] The game was critically panned in retrospective playthroughs and reviews of the game. Game Informer staff members Andrew Reiner, Jeff Cork, Jeff Marchiafava, and Kyle Hilliard found the game appalling in a replay. During the gameplay one staff member asked "How does it feel?" "Oh, it's awful!" was the reply.[29] The staff felt the battles were too long, gameplay was confusing, and that it was too difficult to damage enemies.[29] It also made Game Informer's list of Six Games We Don't Mind Being Ejected From Star Wars Canon.[30]

In a somewhat more positive review IGN's Andrew Chau, who reviewed the Dreamcast version, noted that despite the game's flaws he enjoyed playing Demolition "in small amounts of time."[25] Chau's colleague David Smith, who reviewed the PlayStation version, said that the game was a "very well-done spiritual successor to the first Vigilante 8, though, fixing many of the problems with Second Offense."[5] Joe Fielder of GameSpot said that the game can seem like "some half-baked attempt to cash in on the Star Wars license, though it's actually a competently executed game."[1]

Eric Bratcher reviewed the Dreamcast version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five, and stated that "It's like Episode One itself: All the pieces are there, but they just don't amount to anything."[26]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Fielder, Joe (November 21, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition Review (DC)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Star Wars: Demolition - Dreamcast (PDF). LucasArts. November 19, 2000. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Demolition Starts This Fall". StarWars.com. April 21, 2000. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Stahl, Ben (August 15, 2000). "Star Wars: Demolition Racer Preview". GameSpot. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Smith, David (November 17, 2000). "Star Wars: Demolition (PS)". IGN. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  6. ^ IGN Staff (April 20, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition Comes Exclusively to PlayStation". IGN. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  7. ^ IGN Staff (July 29, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition Ready to Wreck on Dreamcast". IGN. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  8. ^ IGN Staff (August 16, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition Prepares to Crash Into Dreamcast". IGN. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Star Wars: Demolition for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  10. ^ a b "Star Wars: Demolition for Dreamcast". GameRankings. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Star Wars: Demolition for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  12. ^ a b "Star Wars: Demolition for Dreamcast Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  13. ^ Barnes, J.C. "Star Wars: Demolition (PS) - Review". AllGame. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  14. ^ Thompson, Jon. "Star Wars: Demolition (DC) - Review". AllGame. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  15. ^ EGM staff (February 2001). "Star Wars Demolition (DS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly.
  16. ^ EGM staff (February 2001). "Star Wars Demolition (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  17. ^ Rich Self (January 12, 2001). "Star Wars: Demolition (DC)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 30, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  18. ^ "REVIEW for Star Wars: Demolition (DC)". GameFan. November 29, 2000.
  19. ^ Reiner, Andrew (January 2001). "Star Wars: Demolition (PS)". Game Informer (93): 105. Archived from the original on September 16, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  20. ^ Reiner, Andrew (January 2001). "Star Wars: Demolition (DC)". Game Informer (93): 118.
  21. ^ a b Elektro, Dan (January 9, 2001). "Star Wars Demolition Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 13, 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  22. ^ a b G-Wok (November 2000). "Star Wars: Demolition Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  23. ^ Fielder, Joe (November 21, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  24. ^ digitaltaco (December 19, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition". PlanetDreamcast. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  25. ^ a b Chau, Anthony (November 21, 2000). "Star Wars Demolition (DC)". IGN. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  26. ^ a b Bratcher, Eric (March 2001). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 4, no. 3. Imagine Media. p. 86.
  27. ^ Davison, John (February 2001). "Star Wars: Demolition". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  28. ^ Saltzman, Marc (January 10, 2001). "Star Wars Demolition (DC)". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  29. ^ a b Hilliard, Kyle (September 23, 2016). "Replay – Star Wars: Demolition". Game Informer. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  30. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (April 27, 2014). "Six Games We Don't Mind Seeing Ejected From Star Wars Canon". Game Informer. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
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