Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels (Wii)

The Force is kind of strong with this fighting game.
11/12/2008 8:19 PM | 1 Comments | Page 1 of 2

I want to be very clear: I liked the Clone Wars movie. I like the Clone Wars television show, the original animated Clone Wars show, the Clone Wars comics and the original Clone Wars game. I don't like everything with "Star Wars" in the name -- Star Wars: Bounty Hunter comes to mind -- but for the most part, I like Star Wars.

Which is why, when Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels arrived at Paul Semel's Videogame Emporium & Waffle Hut, I was excited. I was one of the many people who, upon seeing the Nintendo Wii in action for the first time, said to himself, "Wow, I can't wait until they make a lightsaber fighting game for that!"

Sadly, for some, this is not the lightsaber game you've been looking for. This isn't because it doesn't work well, but more because it's set in the Clone Wars era, and not during the time of the original three movies. In other words, it has Anakin, not Vader; a young Obi-Wan, not Old Ben; and middle-aged Yoda, not senior-citizen discount Yoda. If that's what you were hoping for, you might as well stop reading now. Go watch the original movies again; they're probably on Spike TV right now.

If you're like me, though, and you like the new 'toon, Lightsaber Duels is a slashing good romp.

The centerpiece of the game is the Campaign mode, which begins with an in-depth but quick tutorial in which Anakin shows you the ins and outs of attacking, blocking and dodging, as well as Force-ful attacks like tossing objects at your enemies in a much more intuitive way than in The Force Unleashed. Afterwards, the game plays out like the story mode in so many other 3-D fighting games -- you go from one lightsaber battle in a large arena to the next, each with multiple parts and cut scene respites that make them feel like the boss and mini-boss battles of other Star Wars games.

It helps that this isn't just about swinging around your Wii remote like an idiot. There are combo attacks, which you'll need to employ more and more as you face tougher enemies. There are also mini-game moments when your lightsabers lock together, or you try to anticipate your opponent's attack using the Force, or you try to match their attack. All of these keep Lightsaber Duels from being the Wii equivalent of a button-masher (controller-swinger? Wiimote-waggler?).

Completing the Campaign mode won't just give you a smug sense of satisfaction, though. Every battle you've won unlocks that fight in the Free Play mode, which lets you go back and replay them. Beating a battle in Campaign also unlocks that battle's warriors for the Challenge and Battle modes. In the former, you have to complete challenges of increasing difficulty -- such as winning by using a specific move, or beating your opponent within a certain timeframe -- with new clothing, different characters and other fun stuff being your reward. In the latter, you pick a character who then has to fight their way through numerous battles in hopes of becoming the best lightsaber fighter in the galaxy.