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Ubisoft will probably take some flak over the Nintendo DS version of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, since it's just the GBA version of the game with a handful of 3D starfighter levels thrown in. Be that as it may, the 3D levels and the multiplayer mode that's built around them are more than good enough to justify the 10 extra dollars that the DS game costs. Meanwhile, the 2D beat-'em-up levels that make up the main portion of the game offer a fun, albeit brief, romp through two different variations of the film's narrative.
Right from the get-go, you have the option of playing as either Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker. Each character has his own set of attacks and Force powers, as well as his own individual path through the game's 29 levels. Of these 29 levels, 21 are side-scrolling and organized so that each character has to go through five shared levels and then eight levels that are unique to that specific character. The other eight levels are 3D starfighter levels that are split evenly between the two characters. Obviously, Anakin's path is the more interesting of the two, since it follows his transition from promising Jedi knight into the universally feared menace known as Darth Vader.
The side-scrolling levels are set up much like the levels in any other beat-'em-up. Long corridors, made up to look like locations from the film, are filled with hundreds of droid and clone soldiers, which you have to dispatch using the attacks that are at your disposal. Enemy attacks take away from your health meter; once it's depleted, you lose a life. Healing items, in the form of bacta tanks, as well as Force power items and additional lives, are frequently dropped by enemies or obtained by hacking away at objects in the scenery. Individual enemies don't have many attacks, and they're generally not very good at defending themselves. But what they lack in individual strength they make up for in numbers. Often, you'll find yourself flailing about in the middle of a pack of as many as six enemies at a time, along with whatever other hazards are around (land mines, automatic security guns, and so on).
Wiping out the same enemies level after level does become tiresome after a while, but there's enough variety built into the combat to keep things saucy. Every three levels or so, you'll face off against a boss character that has his (or its) own unique pattern of attacks and weaknesses. There are also a number of tanklike mini-bosses scattered here and there. Both characters have a hefty arsenal of attacks and combinations, along with a half-dozen different Force powers. Different attacks and combos can be performed by tapping out various combinations of the B button and directional pad. The other buttons control actions such as Force powers, as well as jumping and blocking. In a decidedly Star Wars twist, the block button can be used to reflect enemy blaster shots back at them.
