Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing

Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing is both a racing video game and vehicular combat game with characters from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars, and Return of the Jedi. The playable characters are portrayed in a super deformed style (featuring unusually large heads and small bodies). This game is available on PlayStation 2 only, as the Dreamcast, Windows, and Mac OS versions were cancelled due to poor sales of the PlayStation 2 version. Review aggregator Metacritic reports a score of 71, indicating mixed or average reviews.

Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing
North American PlayStation 2 cover art
Developer(s)Lucas Learning
Publisher(s)LucasArts
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: April 23, 2001
  • EU: May 25, 2001
Genre(s)Kart racing game, Vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Gameplay
Super Bombad Racing features characters and locales from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing is a kart racing game. Players select one of various Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace characters to compete on various courses patterned after the film. Each course also features a reversed, mirrored variant. Boba Fett and Darth Vader appear as unlockable guest characters. Races are conducted with eight competitors and consist of three laps. Powerups are littered throughout each course, and each provides the player character with varying temporary attributes, such as a boost in speed, a shield, or offensive weaponry.[1] Up to four players can join in splitscreen play using the PlayStation 2 multitap peripheral.[2]

A variant on the standard race mode, known as "Teams", limits the race to four competitors, each split into teams of two. An Arena mode is also included. Here the player controls their character in a vehicular combat scenario. Powerups from the racing modes are used, but instead of navigating a race course the objective is to eliminate enemy characters and be the last character standing. Nine race courses and four arenas are available to choose from.[1]

Development and marketing

The game was developed by LucasArts subsidiary Lucas Learning as its first entertainment-only title, and was the final title developed under that brand.[3][4] The concept for the game was created by Lucas Learning, and the decision was made for them to serve as developer and publisher for the title.[5] Development took close to two years, and at its peak consisted of over 20 people.[6] The music was composed by Peter McConnell, and features cartoon-like, satirical renditions of John Williams' Star Wars score.[7] McConnell had previously worked on soundtracks for other LucasArts games such as Grim Fandango and Full Throttle. Some actors from the films reprise their roles in the game. Jake Lloyd voices Anakin Skywalker, Ahmed Best returns as Jar Jar Binks, and Lewis Macleod again voices Sebulba. Grey Griffin, Tom Kane and Kevin Michael Richardson are among the voice actors used to voice double the remaining characters.[8] Lucas Learning utilized RenderWare from Criterion Software as the engine to power Super Bombad Racing.[9]

In early May 2000, leaked information revealed Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing was in development.[10] It was officially unveiled at E3 2000.[3] The game was later promoted at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco, California in April 2001. Copies of the game signed by George Lucas were raffled away.[11] It was released in North America on April 23, 2001 and in Europe on May 25. Super Bombad Racing is a PlayStation 2 exclusive. Additional releases were planned for the Sega Dreamcast, Windows, and Mac OS.[6] These were cancelled due to poor sales.[12][13]

Reception

Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing received mixed reviews upon release. At review aggregator GameRankings it holds a score of 61.62%,[14] while fellow aggregate site Metacritic reports a score 71/100 indicating mixed or average reviews.[15] Retrospective opinions on the game were sometimes more critical. GamesRadar's Henry Gilbert included Super Bombad Racing in a list of "The most forgettable kart racers ever released".[27] In contrast IGN staff included it in a list of "The 11 Goofiest Weirdest Silliest Strangest Funniest Dumbest Star Wars Video Games Ever".[28] It also appeared in Game Informer's list of "The 8 Strangest Kart Racing Games".[29] They also listed is as the 2nd worst Star Wars game in 2015.[30]

Jeff Lundrigan reviewed the PlayStation 2 version of the game for Next Generation, rating it two stars out of five.[24]

Super Bombad Racing received average to mixed responses when released in 2001. Some praised the game, calling it an accomplished kart racer and a welcome addition to the then-short list of PlayStation 2 titles. Others, however, felt that while the game was mechanically sound, the Star Wars setting and appearance felt "tacked on" and therefore a dirty ploy to make money for LucasArts. Others roundly criticized the game, both for turning Star Wars into a childish kart racer and for simply making a bad game. GameSpot gave Super Bombad Racing a score of 6.2 out of 10, saying that the game introduced a few clever concepts, but were critical of the length and flaws relating to the gameplay.[21]

References
  1. Smith, David (April 23, 2001). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing". IGN. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  2. IGN Staff (May 20, 2002). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing - Want an extra-large head with that?". IGN. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. IGN Staff (May 20, 2002). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing - Want to see big headed Darth Maul in motion? Check out our four direct feed videos of Bombad Racing". IGN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. Macworld Staff (June 20, 2001). "Lucas Learning axes Mac game, exits consumer market". Macworld. Archived from the original on 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  5. "TheForce.Net - Jedi Council - Interviews | Todd Reamon". Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  6. "Bombad Racing Interview: Page One | The International House of Mojo". Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  7. "Peter Mc Credits". Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  8. "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing (Video Game 2001) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb". IMDb.
  9. Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing box art
  10. Perry, Douglas C (May 2002). "Two PS2 Star Wars Games Unveiled - Find out about LucasArts' badly kept PlayStation 2 secrets". IGN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. IGN Staff (June 22, 2002). "Super Bombad Racing at the Sony Metreon - Lucas Learning's first-rate kart racer will get an early debut for devoted Star Wars fans". IGN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  12. Chau, Anthony (January 11, 2001). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing Cancelled". IGN. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  13. Walker, Trey (June 20, 2001). "Cancelled: Super Bombad Racing for the PC". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  14. "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  15. "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
  16. Terwilliger, Todd. "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  17. EGM staff (June 2001). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 142.
  18. Reiner, Andrew (May 2001). "Star Wars Super Bombad Racing". Game Informer. No. 97. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  19. Uncle Dust (April 25, 2001). "Star Wars Super Bombad Racing for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 15, 2005. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  20. G-Wok (April 2001). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  21. Ahmed, Shahed (April 25, 2001). "[Star Wars] Super Bombad Racing Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  22. Thornton, Benjaman (May 4, 2001). "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racer". PlanetPS2. Archived from the original on May 6, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  23. The Badger (April 24, 2001). "Star Wars Super Bombad Racing". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 24, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  24. Lundrigan, Jeff (July 2001). "Finals". Next Generation. Vol. 4, no. 7. Imagine Media. p. 83.
  25. "Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. June 2001. p. 98.
  26. Weigel, Ray (May 4, 2001). "Star Wars Super Bombad Racing (PS2) - Review". X-Play. Archived from the original on May 1, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  27. Gilbert, Henry (May 28, 2014). "The most forgettable kart racers ever released". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  28. Brian Altano, Jon Ryan, Max Scoville (November 18, 2019). "The 11 Goofiest Weirdest Silliest Strangest Funniest Dumbest Star Wars Video Games Ever". IGN. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. Gwaltney, Javy (January 17, 2016). "The 8 Strangest Kart Racing Games". Game Informer. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  30. Gwaltney, Javy (December 19, 2015). "A Disturbance In The Force: The 10 Worst Star Wars Games". Game Informer. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
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