8.6	8.1

Compared: January 3, 2002
Compared by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Lucasarts

Developer
Lucasarts

Genre: Action
Players: 2
ESRB: Teen

Round 1: Control

The buttons and command structure is really intuitive and controlling your ship has never been easier with the twin thumbsticks of the Dual Shock. The Xbox shares the same amazing controls. The triggers control your speed and the rest of the buttons are used for the various functions such as targeting and weapons fire and the D-pad is used to control the “command cross” that lets you issue orders to your wingmen on missions where you command other ships.

You are gradually introduced to the controls and flight basics through a series of tutorial missions that will have you flying like a seasoned pilot in no time. This round is a draw as both games share the same flawless control scheme.

Round 2: Visuals

While the PS2 has some great graphics the Xbox has several improvements over the PS2 original. The graphics have been upgraded with more detailed textures and a silky-smooth frame rate that makes the planet missions slide by with an amazing sensation of speed. The initial race through the canyon in the training level is breathtaking.

The gorgeous cutscenes were great on the PS2 but they are even better on the Xbox. They just seem to be brighter with richer colors, clearly a testament to the power of the nVidia chipset in the Xbox. Other effects such as lasers and explosions are vibrant and the huge planets that can often take up most of the screen look like NASA photos from the Hubble telescope. This round goes to the Xbox.

Round 3: Music & Sound

You can't beat a John Williams' soundtrack and when it comes to sound effects there is no greater library of sounds than those thousands of samples sitting on the computers at Skywalker Ranch. The Xbox failed to make use of the 5.1 Dolby Digital feature of the Xbox resulting in an identical sound experience on either system and a draw for this round.

Round 4: Other Deciding Factors

They don't call the Xbox version a special edition for nothing. This updated release features:

• 5 New Bonus Missions
• More 2-Player Racing
• New 2-Player Dog-Fighting Mode
• Expanded 2-Player Capture the Flag Arenas
• Enhanced Graphics

• Dogfight: This is the simple deathmatch mode that we have all come to expect in any game with multiplayer support.
• Capture the flag: Race for your team’s flag and get it back to your base to score.
• Steal the Bacon: A variation of CTF that only has one flag and you must fight to get it.
• Tag: One person is "it", and everyone else runs away as that player tried to tag them.
• Hunter/Hunted: This is a stealthier version of the Tag mode where one player hunts the others.

Bottom Line

Your choice of Starfigher games ultimately comes down to which system you own, but if you own a PS2 and an Xbox the Xbox is clearly the better game with more features and better graphics. If you already own the PS2 version there may not be enough incentive to buy a second copy unless you can fetch a good price for your PS2 original and trade up. The Force will be with you no matter which version you end up playing.