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Title - Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (GBA)

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I will tackle Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith for GBA.
On to the review (although I can explain how I managed to get this game in cartridge form).
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Not-So-Related Stuff:

One day, I was walking to Game X Change (that's a mom-and-pop video game store that sells retro video games - this was at least 7 yrs ago; possibly longer) from my house (which is a decently long walk; but I have walked farther than that before) and I got there in approximately an hour. I was looking around for a Game Boy Advance beat-em-up game. Then I actually found one (that I didn't get bored within the first 5 to 10 minutes of playing it). (No, it's not Final Fight one or Double Dragon Advance or River City Ransom EX; but it IS up there in terms of graphics, sound, addictiveness, story, depth and difficulty). That game is Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith. Now, allow me to tell you why I liked this game right off the bat. (If you haven't seen the movie Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, then this game is the equivalent of said movie in beat em up form).

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Graphics - 9

I was actually impressed with how fluid the animations and how well the graphics look; the characters in the game look like their movie counterparts (you know who they are)! I can't say too much besides that the graphics are pretty impressive.

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Sound - 8

Now I know that the sound and the music (from the movie) cannot be perfected; but what is there does sound pretty good - I have to admit to that. At least it's not super-repetitive and ear-bleeding unlike SOME beat em ups before and after this.

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Story - 8

If you have seen the Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of The Sith movie, then the story's extremely similar to the movie (except for the Anakin missions, but even those eventually reach the point to the movie's end).

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Depth - 8

WOW; I was REALLY impressed by just how much depth there is in this game. First of all you have 2 characters to pick from: Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker. Now, you may think it doesn't have that much to offer. Well...let's list of the reasons why I think this game has quite a bit of depth.

One: The 2 playable main characters have quite a few combo attacks (if you actually have played a good beat em up like Alien Vs Predator for the Arcade or Super Double Dragon for the SNES). Obi-Wan and Anakin do have different kinds of melee attacks (because they use light-sabers - because they are Jedi) which does help up in beating up the various enemies that will surround you.

Two: Both Obi-Wan and Anakin have force powers (again, this isn't particularly surprising). They do have different force powers (except for both of them having Force Push and Force Pull) that will help you defeat the various enemies in this version.

Obi-Wan's force powers are:

Force Heal (which REALLY helps in a bind - especially if Force Heal is maxed out),

Force Protect (this one also helps a lot - especially if Force Protect is maxed out),

Mind Trick (which stuns enemies on the screen; including droids - just how many depends on what level Force Stun is at (I don't understand HOW Mind Trick is able to stun droids, but if it works, it works))

Force Speed (which slows down every enemy on the screen so he can get to them without taking too much damage)

Force Push (which pushes enemies on the screen - how many depends on what level the force push is at)

Force Pull (which pulls enemies - how many depends on what level the force push is at)

Anakin's force powers are:

Saber Throw (throws his lightsaber at enemies; how far it goes depends on what level the Saber Throw is at)

Rage (increases the damage of his attacks; how much it increases his attacks depends on what level Rage is at)

Choke (chokes the enemies to death; how many enemies can be choked depends on what level Choke is at)

Absorb (absorbs the life force of enemies; how many enemies can be absorbed depends on what level Absorb is at)

Force Push (same as Obi-Wan's)

Force Pull (same as Obi-Wan's)

Three: You can upgrade the 2 playable main characters's force powers to level 3 (which is the max for every force power). You can also upgrade their stats (making the GBA (and PS2) Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith games have RPG elements. Upgrading your stats happens at certain points in the game.

The stats are: Stamina (which makes the playable 2 main characters have more health the higher the number is), Strength (which makes them deal more damage the higher the number is) and Intuition (which makes their force bar (which is below their health bar) regenerate faster. This makes for unique play-throughs; do you want a Obi-Wan with a high level of intuition, high health or high strength? The choice is up to you. Same goes for Anakin as well. While I typically upgrade Obi-Wan's Intuition Level to at least 4 and Anakin's Strength Level to at least 4 (leaving their other stats at a moderate level), you can either do that or the complete opposite of doing that; like I said, the choice is up to you. The maxmium level for any stat to be upgraded is Level 5.

Four: There are customization points hidden throughout the various levels in this game (10 of them, to be exact). You can use these customization points to upgrade the 2 playable main characters's force powers by 1 level.

Five: The game also gives you customization points for doing certain things throughout the levels (like speed-running them, using every force power, focus/fury attack, blocking/deflecting blaster bolts, every combo and stuff like that). You'll probably figure it out - I did so pretty quickly.

Six: Speaking of which....this game also has Focus and Fury attacks (which are the equivalent of super moves in this game). I'm not going to tell you how to fully do them, since the game has a way for you to look them up IN the game....however, these Focus and Fury attacks do help against the various enemies in this game. Note that each playable character (Obi-Wan and Anakin) has 4 of those super move-equivalents each. If you start playing this game (even in the beginning) you'll notice the Focus/Fury Bar right next to your character's portrait. To fill that Focus/Fury Bar up, you need to do certain things (for Obi-Wan's it's using your force powers and for Anakin it's attacking a lot - being aggressive). Also, just like upgrading with your stats, you are given 1 of the 4 Focus/Fury Attacks at certain points throughout the game. Another thing...some Focus/Fury attacks cannot be done unless you have a certain percent of your Focus/Fury bar.

Seven: If you complete the Padawan (and the Master) difficulties, you are given 50 customization points!

Eight: There quite a few enemy selections (although not as many as the PS2 version).

As for multi-player....I have never played it; one - because I don't have a second working Game Boy Advance and two - I don't have anybody else in my house or anywhere in my area to play with...so I can't really tell you how well that works.

There are also duels (just like the movie) that this is based off on and they work pretty well. Now, I thought these duels were going to be like Cutthroat Island's duels (which do not work that well and those duels in Cutthroat Island were mediocre at best), but no, I was proven wrong. The block button
is very useful here. The 2 main characters can also block high or low in the duels. The minor boss battles also work pretty well; I had no trouble with them.

There are some timed missions in this game (which you'll probably have plenty of time to complete them anyway) or kill/destroy a certain amount of enemies at certain points throughout the game.

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Difficulty - 6

As for the game's difficulty; it is challenging (especially on Master difficulty), but not so frustrating that you will want to break this game in half or throw it away or something like that (or give up). This game does give you help, at the very least (unlike a certain SNES/Genesis movie-based beat em up, but I digress). It isn't easy, though, so be aware of that (although it IS easier (and far more fun) than Last Action Hero on the SNES and Genesis). See THAT review to find out how mediocre that game is.

One: This game does give you tutorials on how to do the various force powers and the Focus/Fury attacks throughout the game on the Padawan difficulty if you play this game for the first time (in a new save file). Tutorials are shown for the duels and boss battles if you play the Padawan difficulty for the first time (in a new save file). So, this game's VERY user-friendly. (This is like how Spider-Man 1 and 2 (for the Gamecube) had tutorials for first-time players).

Two: You can save throughout the game.

Three: There are power-ups which do help the 2 main playable characters throughout their adventures in this game (like an extra life, invincibility (in the form of Yoda's face, no less), force orbs (which refill part of the force bar), bacta tanks (which refill part of the health bar).

Four: In case you forget how to do the various Force Powers and Focus/Fury attacks, you do have a built-in manual to check on what buttons trigger the Force Powers and Focus/Fury attacks (no GameFAQs, nothing like that). (Again, this is like Spider-Man 1 and 2 (for the GameCube) and it's built-in manual).

Five: The 2 playable main characters have a LOT of attacks at their disposal.

Six: Certain Force Powers and the Focus/Fury attacks (plus the back-flip attack) negate any damage done to the 2 playable main characters during their full animation (which can really help out in a bind).

Seven: You do re-spawn exactly where you died (if you have any lives left).

Eight: You can throw rocks and other stuff at enemies (with Force Push or Force Pull).
I will say this: there can be as many as SIX enemies (or more, in some cases), which can shoot (or even stun or attack you to death), so be careful. Also, the difficulties are: Padawan, Jedi and Master.

Padawan is the easiest of the three difficulties, because you have 5 lives on that difficulty.

Jedi is the middle ground between Padawan difficulty and Master difficulty. You have 3 lives on that difficulty.

Master is the hardest of the three difficulties. You get 1 life on that difficulty (so be careful if you hope to conquer Master difficulty).

Yes, this game can be a little repetitive. It's not nearly as repetitive as some of the beat em ups that were made before and after this game, though.

There are locations (which are taken from the movie) that the 2 playable main characters go into (which I will not discuss since the game will show you them).

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Addictiveness: 10

Would I play this game again? Definitely, because I like tearing through enemies with an over-powered Obi-Wan with his Intuition Level set to max (with his other 2 stats being level 3 and level 2) or being aggressive with Anakin and having his Strength Level set to at least 4 (with his other 2 stats being both level 3). I also like Mind Tricking enemies (even when they're knocked down - which you can do that as Obi).

The fact that the Focus/Fury attacks exist in this game impress me. While I have seen special attacks make you invincible to damage during the full animation of said special and while I have seen super moves in beat em ups, the fact the the Focus/Fury attacks (and certain Force Powers and the Back-Flip attack) allow you to No-Sell any attack in this game is pretty much one of the reasons why I keep coming back to this game. While the difficulty is moderately challenging, it isn't stupidly hard or cheap, it's fair.

The duels are also one of my other reasons why I keep coming back to this game. The duels in this game remind me of the duels in the movie that this game is based off on (and it's done well).

It is definitely my 4th favorite beat em up on the GBA (behind Final Fight One, Double Dragon Advance and River City Ransom EX). It is also definitely my favorite Star Wars beat em up that I ever played (since Star Wars: The New Droid Army is boring and mediocre at best and Star Wars: Jedi Power Battles isn't too great either and Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of The Clones is apparently terrible (at least, that's what I heard)). Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge Of The Sith is a must play (at least for people like me who like quite a bit of depth in these games). If you can find a copy somewhere (preferably Amazon or Ebay (if you have to go that route)), purchase it (preferably for a fairly cheap amount).

My copy was around seven or so dollars (give or take 1 or 2 bucks) at Game X Change (if you can find any mom-and-pop video game store near where you live).

This is Kenneth$2, signing out. See you later.

I had this game on PS2 while growing up. I'm surprised to see it's that good on GBA. I had a really horrible handheld Star Wars game instead. This inspired me to go track it down.

Thanks!