A few days ago I heard that the classic Battlefront games are being remastered, and with this bit of news in mind, I was transported back to my childhood and was left feeling excited about the prospect of revisiting these great games with enhanced graphics, and larger online battles.
The First Time Playing Battlefront
Back when it first came out, I had no idea it existed until Christmas of that same year, when my nan handed me a gift and I opened it to find that game.
My uncle helped me with the installation process... Well, he installed it, as I read the box, looked at the pictures, and read the booklet.
We ended up playing it for hours, and I was amazed by it. Hoth was one of my favourite maps to play instant action, trying to take down AT-ATs with tow cables, or blowing up the shield generator as the Imperials was mind-blowing.
The game was released in September 2004, so I would have been 11 years old at the time. I remember it came on three disks, two installation ones, and a play disk.
I still have it in my mum's house, but a few years ago I got the first and second game on Steam. It was fun revisiting them and the first game has one of my favourite sounds ever and the sound itself has become something of a meme.
Why can't all loading screens be this satisfying?
The game allowed you to play as both Eras, the Republic, and Galactic Civil War. One of my favourites was the Republic though, maps like Geonosis were great. Flying the LAAT was amazing, especially with the ship filled with other clones reigning death from above.
Battlefront 2
What Battlefront 1 didn't have, Battlefront 2 added. A storyline, as well as the ability to play as numerous heroes or villains, from Luke Skywalker to Boba Fett.
The tale of the 501st is embedded in my head, and it was one of the first Star Wars things I saw where we get to hear the clone's side of the story, it did a great job of grounding the clone's side of the Rise of The Empire and showing their perspective on Order 66.
Enhanced graphics, more maps, and the inclusion of so many other aspects of the game made the second one my personal favourite, even though I have always had a soft spot for the first game.
For me, it was the first time I was able to live these battles, rather than imagine them.
Another fun aspect of these games was the hunt game mode, where you'd play as either Gungans, or droids, Ewoks, or stormtroopers and battle it out on particular maps.
Space combat in the second game was a favourite of mine though, especially landing troop transports on the enemy ship to take it down from the inside.
Multiplayer
I never really got to experience the multiplayer golden age of these games. For the first game, I think I may have played a few matches but I have a feeling I only played against the PC.
For the second game, I played it on PS2 and I had no internet hooked up to it so never played any of those games online. I'm not even sure if the PS2 had online capabilities, but looking back now I assume it did.
Now though, I'll be able to get on it along with a few friends who are also looking forward to picking it up. There are going to be 64-player battles which are going to be chaotic as hell and will be so much fun.
Next weekend can't come fast enough.
If you've never played these games and are planning to pick up this remaster, always remember to "Watch out for those wrist rockets." and always, "Line 'em up and knock 'em down."