Software:Star Wars: Obi-Wan

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Short description: 2001 video game
This page is about the video game. For the television series, see Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV series).
Star Wars: Obi-Wan
North American box art
Developer(s)LucasArts
Publisher(s)LucasArts
Director(s)Dan Connors
Producer(s)
  • Michael Gallo
  • Bryan Davis
Designer(s)Christopher Ross
Programmer(s)Kevin Bruner
Artist(s)Ian Milham
Composer(s)Mark Griskey
SeriesStar Wars
Platform(s)Xbox
Release
  • NA: December 19, 2001
  • EU: March 29, 2002
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Star Wars: Obi-Wan, originally titled Star Wars: Episode I: Obi-Wan, is a 2001 action-adventure video game developed and published by LucasArts and released exclusively for Xbox on December 19, 2001 in North America and March 29, 2002 in Europe. It is set in the Legends canonicity of the Star Wars universe. Players control the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi around 32 years before the Battle of Yavin, shortly prior to and during the events of the 1999 film The Phantom Menace. The game received generally mixed reviews upon its release.

Gameplay

Obi-Wan takes on the Training Droid

In Star Wars: Obi-Wan, the player controls Obi-Wan Kenobi during a sequence of events prior to and leading up to The Phantom Menace. The game is unique in that lightsaber combat is controlled using the right analog stick of the Xbox controller. By moving the stick in specific motions Kenobi will swing his lightsaber in a related motion. The character has a variety of Force powers at his disposal. One power provides a version of bullet time, slowing the area around the character, effectively allowing players to attack slowed-down enemies, or evade to cover. Other powers allow him to jump higher, move objects, and disarm enemies. Kenobi will perform a 180-degree turn with the press of a button, allowing the player to instantly spin and attack enemies behind them. Aside from the lightsaber, weapons such as blasters, ion grenades, and turrets can be utilized against enemies. The game supports a multiplayer mode called Jedi Battle, which allows two players to battle each other as any one of the Jedi characters unlocked. Characters may be unlocked by defeating them in the single-player Jedi arena, which becomes available between missions.

Plot

Star Wars: Obi-Wan is a retelling of the events of The Phantom Menace, beginning with Obi-Wan surviving an attempt on his life by a criminal outfit called the Black Heth on Coruscant. He reports this to the Jedi Council, who informs him that the Black Heth have been growing in strength and that an informant planted by the city guard has been exposed and taken to the gang's hideout. Mace Windu tasks Obi-Wan with rescuing him; the informant reveals that arms dealers are selling large quantities of weapons to the Black Heth to destabilize Coruscant.

Obi-Wan tries and fails to intercept the dealers as they evacuate the planet; the Council determines they are a tribal species called Jin'ha. As the Jin'ha is too primitive a race to manufacture such deadly arms themselves, Jedi Masters Plo Koon and Eeth Koth are sent on a mission to their homeworld, Obredaan, to investigate. The ship transporting them disappears, and Obi-Wan, accompanied by Qui-Gon, is ordered to complete the mission instead. While Qui-Gon locates the two captured Jedi, Obi-Wan discovers a vast mining and refinery complex beneath Obredaan built to process cortosis. This lightsaber-resistant mineral could be used to craft weapons ideal for combatting Jedi. As the group leaves, they spot a ship from the Trade Federation leaving Obredaan.

When representatives from the Federation deny any knowledge of the Jin'ha's activities, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are given an official assignment to meet with Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray and inspect his facilities. Upon boarding the Viceroy's ship, the Jedi are placed in a conference room that slowly fills with poisonous gas as a squad of Federation droids arrive with orders to kill them. The pair escape and attempt to storm the ship's bridge, but are forced to retreat in the face of superior firepower. Instead, Qui-Gon instructs his apprentice to sabotage the ship's communications array and disable its engines, cutting the ship off from the rest of the Federation fleet and forcing it to land on the nearest planet, Naboo. Upon landing, they discover that the Federation has launched a full-scale invasion.

Qui-Gon meets Jar Jar Binks, who takes them to his people, the Gungans. The Gungans refuse to assist but allow the Jedi to take one of their ships to Naboo's capital, Theed. With Qui-Gon providing a distraction, Obi-Wan fights his way through the invasion forces and accesses the royal palace through the kitchen; a handmaiden named Asha helps him bypass the palace's security system and meet up with Royal Guard leader Captain Panaka. Unfortunately, by the time they reach the throne room, Queen Amidala has been captured by the Federation, who intend for her to sign a treaty legitimizing their invasion.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ambush the Queen's droid escorts and escape Naboo. While on Tatooine looking for spare parts to fix their damaged ship, a party of Tusken Raiders abducts Amidala. Obi-Wan pursues them to a large village and defeats the Raider war chief in hand-to-hand combat. The Raiders submit and allow him to leave with the Queen.

On Coruscant, the Council, against Qui-Gon's wishes, order him and Obi-Wan to return to Theed and protect Amidala until they can identify a Sith warrior who attacked them on Tatooine. Obi-Wan meets with Asha, who has assumed command of the planet's resistance forces, and asks him to liberate a group of pilots being held in a makeshift prison so they can go after the Federation's command ship. Obi-Wan does so, destroying the anti-aircraft cannon the Federation had placed to intercept the pilots.

While the attack commences, the Jedi help the resistance fight off an attempt to recapture the hangar. The Sith arrives, revealing himself as Darth Maul, and Qui-Gon battles him until he is struck down. Obi-Wan steps in and defeats Maul, avenging his master. As the Federation surrenders to Amidala, Obi-Wan swears to honor Qui-Gon's dying wish by training a young boy he found on Tatooine as a Jedi.

Development

The game "Episode I: Obi-Wan" was announced on May 13, 1999,[1] intended for a PC release. PC Gamer rumored it as a "sequel" to Software:Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, emphasizing mouse control of the Jedi lightsaber. However, in November 2000 it was shifted to exclusive Xbox development by George Lucas himself, due to lack of performance on the PC platform.[2] The game resurfaced in May 2001 exclusively on the Xbox just prior to that year's E3.[3] Plans for objective-based multiplayer modes and online play were also canceled. Developers spoke with key figures involved with The Phantom Menace and crafted each level and story arc to fit within the boundaries of the universe.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic58/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStar[5]
EGM4.17/10[6][lower-alpha 1]
Eurogamer4/10[8]
Game Informer6.25/10[9]
GameRevolutionC+[10]
GameSpot4.6/10[11]
GameSpy63%[12]
GameZone8.8/10[13]
IGN5.9/10[14]
OXM (US)7/10[15]
Maxim4/10[16]

Star Wars: Obi-Wan received "mixed or average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] Pong Sifu of GamePro said, "If you enjoyed Jedi Power Battles, you might dig Obi-Wan since it does immerse you in the Episode I milieu despite its many shortcomings. Otherwise, let's hope that the impending slew of Episode II titles will contain deeper and more rewarding games."[17][lower-alpha 2]

The game won the award for "Best Sound in a Console Game" at The Electric Playground's 2001 Blister Awards, and was nominated for "Biggest Disappointment of the Year", but lost to the Xbox version of Shrek.[18][19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Two critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 3.5/10, and the other gave it 5.5/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game three 2.5/5 scores for graphics, control, and fun factor, and 3.5/5 for sound.

References

  1. ↑ IGN staff (May 13, 1999). "LucasArts' New Shooter". Ziff Davis. http://pc.ign.com/news/8058.html. 
  2. ↑ IGN staff (November 21, 2000). "Obi-Wan Cancelled for the PC". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/obi-wan-cancelled-for-the-pc. 
  3. ↑ Conrad, Jeremy (May 8, 2001). "The Force is With Us - Obi-Wan Confirmed". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/08/the-force-is-with-us-a-obi-wan-confirmed. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". Fandom. https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-obi-wan/. 
  5. ↑ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Star Wars: Obi-Wan - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=34897&tab=review. 
  6. ↑ Kujawa, Kraig; Boyer, Crispin; Dudlak, Jonathan (February 2002). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (151): 168. https://retrocdn.net/images/9/91/EGM_US_151.pdf. Retrieved February 3, 2024. 
  7. ↑ MacIsaac, Jason (January 4, 2002). "[Star Wars: Obi-Wan"]. Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=7961&full=1. 
  8. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (April 9, 2002). "Star Wars Obi-Wan". Gamer Network. https://www.eurogamer.net/r-obi-wan-x. 
  9. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (February 2002). "Star Wars Obi-Wan". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (106): 90. http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200202/R03.0801.1450.33238.htm. Retrieved August 16, 2014. 
  10. ↑ G-Wok (December 2001). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan Review". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34330-star-wars-obi-wan-review. 
  11. ↑ Lopez, Miguel (January 7, 2002). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan Review". Fandom. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/star-wars-obi-wan-review/1900-2836797/. 
  12. ↑ Chick, Tom (January 6, 2002). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". GameSpy Industries. http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/january02/obiwanxbox/. 
  13. ↑ Lafferty, Michael (December 27, 2001). "Star Wars Obi-Wan Review - Xbox". http://xbox.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r18814.htm. 
  14. ↑ Boulding, Aaron (January 2, 2002). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/01/03/star-wars-obi-wan. 
  15. ↑ "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". Official Xbox Magazine (Future US): 78. February 2002. 
  16. ↑ Boyce, Ryan (December 21, 2001). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan". Maxim (MaximNet, Inc.). http://www.maximonline.com/entertainment/reviews/review_games_2185.html. Retrieved November 20, 2014. 
  17. ↑ Pong Sifu (December 17, 2001). "Star Wars: Obi-Wan Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG). http://gamepro.com/microsoft/xbox/games/reviews/18862.shtml. Retrieved August 17, 2014. 
  18. ↑ EP staff (2002). "Blister Awards 2001 (Console Games)". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=4. 
  19. ↑ EP staff (2002). "Blister Awards 2001 (Special Awards 2)". Greedy Productions Ltd.. http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=8. 
  • Star Wars: Obi-Wan on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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