Of all the crap associated with the Star Wars prequels, the terrible characters, bad acting, awful story choices, bizarre CGI additions, and convoluted plot points, there is one thing about them that was cool: the pod racing. Granted, it was only a small element of the very first movie, but that short segment of film gave rise to one of the better racers of the 90s: Star Wars Episode I: Pod Racer.
A PC and N64 exclusive, the high-speed racing title combined unique characters, a plethora of expandable maps, and upgradeable vehicles to give a great sense of progression. Granted you needed to maximise your earnings and come first in every race otherwise you would never earn quite enough to max out your favorite pod, but that was part of the game's charm. You had to 'git gud' or you weren't going to make it.
If you remember that game fondly or are intrigued by the idea of it, then you're in luck, as the 1999 classic is now available on PC once again thanks to GoG.com, which just added it to its store. Priced at $8:50 during its launch window, Star Wars Episode I: Pod Racer is now back on PC with its slightly higher-resolution graphics and improved frame rate over the N64 version. It has all the same characters -- 21 in total -- all the same maps -- 21 in total -- and every other aspect of the game you remember. All at blisteringly high speed.
This is all part of GoG's lead in to May 4, where the oh-so-funny Star Wars pun of "May the fourth be with you," will lead to all manner of Star Wars game sales. If you buy any of them during this period though, buy Pod Racer, it's excellent.
