Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga

System Requirements
OS: Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP, MacOS 8.6 or greater.
CPU: 233mhz, 333Mhz for Mac
RAM: 32 MB, 64MB for Mac
HDD: 150 MB, 600MB for Mac
VIDEO: 2MB DirectX compatible graphics card
SOUND: DirectX compatible sound card

For those who like bargain hunting we have a good game for you! Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga can be found for as little as $10 at your local Wal-Mart. (I paid $20 for my copy) This game includes the original SW:GB, but also the Clone Campaigns expansion pack. If you like the Age of Empire series and Star Wars this game is worth checking out!

How is it like Age of Empires?

For starters it uses the same engine and the interface is pretty much verbatim, so Age of Empire junkies will be right at home with this game. Many of the units are the same with different appearances. Instead of priests who can convert buildings and units you have Sith and/or Jedi Knights who can do that. The trusty Trebuchet for knocking out buildings from a distance is now called an undeployed cannon. You still must gather resources but some of the names have changed. There?s Food, Carbon (wood), Ore, and Nova Crystals. If you collect all the Jedi Holocrons (artifacts in AOE) at the temple you will generate Nova Crystals and win if the other teams don?t stop you in 200 days.

Game Options

All the game options from AOE are available here as well. You can determine the difficulty, map size, population limits, resource abundance and starting technology point. You can also enable/disable teaming together, locking teams, whether or not to reveal the map etc. You can also record games to see why the computer beats you so much! You can also determine the winning conditions such as conquest, time limit, or just by score.

Who can I play as?

Each time has their own unique warriors and technologies. Some have trade offs for example the Trade Federation does not require housing/prefab shelters for the units. On the flip side they don?t have medics available. So find a team that has advantages that suit you, You can play as the following : Confederacy-only available in Clone Campaigns

• Galactic Empire
• Gungans
• Rebel Alliance
• Republic-only available in Clone Campaigns
• Royal Naboo
• Trade Federation
• Wookies

Campaigns

There are eight single player campaigns with the first serving as basic training. You get to play as different races and on different maps. Not only do they have story lines, but also they are great at breaking you in and teaching you how to survive. The AI is good so stay alert!

1. Attichicuk (Wookies)
2. OOM-9 (Royal Naboo)
3. Boss Nass
4. Darth Vader
5. Princess Leia
6. Chewbacca
7. Confederacy-Clone Campaigns addition
8. Galactic Republic-Clone Campaigns addition

Graphics

The graphics are definitely dated by today?s standards. Each character and object looks unique but the terrain looks rather bland. This game in nowhere near the eye candy of Warcraft III. The graphics are 2D and should work on any video card. I do like the movie clips they added to this game they add a nice touch, but the video quality isn?t that great.

Sound

The sound is quite good in this game. Each unit has their own unique sounds and phrases. Taunts are available too. All the Star Wars sound effects and voice acting is present in this title. The background noises are good too. I had my game paused as I was doing house chores and it had crickets chirping in the background, I was looking around thinking there was a cricket in our house until I realized it was the game!

Longevity

This game is great for single and multiplayer. For those who like to play by themselves there are the campaigns. There are even editors where you can make and edit your own scenarios. Multiplayer game play is available and very fun as well. You?ll definitely get your money?s worth!

Appropriateness

This game has wars and minor violence, nothing gory or bloody to worry about. I would recommend this game to anyone at any age. I even got my young brother-in-laws hooked on it!

Final Thoughts

I personally am a fan of the AOE and AOE 2 games. I also enjoy many of the Lucas Arts titles out there, so buying this game was a no-brainer. There is a demo available if you want to try it before spending $10. I highly recommend this game.

Final Ratings

Game Play A Graphics B- Sound B Interface A Stability A Appropriateness B

Overall 86%