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Recently on the forums, Ysoft suggested an OHR Movie contest, based on the success of the OHR House franchise. Well folks, Nintendork's a man of my own heart, and he got a HUGE headstart on the rest of us with this George Lucas authorized SUPER Special Edition of the Star Wars Trilogy. This is only a demo, so only the first movie (A New Hope, NOT the Phantom Menace, for those under the age of 12) is available for review.
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| Graphics |
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Simply GORGEOUS. With the advancements made in computer technology and digital film during the 4 years since the LAST Special Edition, this stands as the definitive version of A New Hope for the videophile on your Christmas list.
Not only are all your favorite scenes recreated in gorgeous 2096i, but there's an amazing extra 45 minutes of footage,
which I'll describe in our next section.
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| Storyline |
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Included in this Extra SUPER Special Edition are several modifications and additions to the previous Special Editions we've all seen ballyhooed so much. I won't spoil the REAL Story of Luke's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's untimely death, but let me tell you: All the years of speculation you've read on the internet are WRONG. Lucas and Nintendork have a real curveball in store.
I can however, happily report that the ending of the film, in which the forces of the Rebel Alliance launch a desperate "Pre-emptive Strike" on the Galactic Empire's Deathstar Space Station has been changed to finally be more politically correct, and fitting with Lucas' own beliefs on war.
In the original ending, long touted as being offensive, and incredibily serendipitious, the Death Star begins the firing sequence of it's laser, while Darth Vader pursues Luke down a narrow trench. Just as Darth is about to put an end to Luke's promising young life, Han Solo and the Millenium Falcon come flying out of nowhere, and hit Darth's fighter with a blast of lasers, sending him spiralling into the cosmos.
Just as the laser technician switches the power from shields to the death beam on the Death Star, Luke's proton torpedo goes into the exhaust port, causing a chain reaction which destroys the Death Star.
Totally implausible, right? Here's how it works in the Extra Special Edition:
The Rebels hold a meeting, and are discussing what to do about the Empire, when the Death Star appears, and fires at Yavin IV, missing by just inches! Unable to ignore this obvious threat to their well being, Red Squadron, Blue Squadron, and Gold Squadron are deployed to attack the Death Star.
Everything proceeds as normal, until Luke's climatic Trench Run. Han Solo is nowhere to be found. Darth is just about to fire, when he mistakes the Tie Fighter flying on his right wing for a puppy.
The dark side of the force being too strong in Darth, he immediately swerves to run into the puppy, but strikes his partner's Tie fighter instead, who then careens into another one, which goes barreling into the exhaust port, destroying the Death Star, and sending Darth flying into space, to reflect on how the power of evil is always defeated.
Much better, huh? And guess what: The whole thing is FULL of new and improved stuff like that! You've gotta see it to believe it!
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| Gameplay |
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I'm afraid I have to tut tut Nintendork here. He HAD to go and add in gameplay. That's not what the contest is about! There's your typical RPG type battles, but I guess they are Star Wars themed, so it's not too bad. Great fun to watch, though!
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Battle |
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There are some EPIC space battles in this movie, but I can really see some of the younger viewers being at a disadvantage. It's heartrending to see Luke die time and time again because you failed to take out the reflector towers.
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Map Design |
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10/10. Perfect. Just like the movie.
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Balance |
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The dark side and the light side fight on, eternally seeking balance.
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| Music |
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Double-dog THX Remastered. 5.1 surround compatible. Amazingly lifelike. It was like John Williams was giving me a sonic enema.
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| Enjoyment |
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It's everything you loved about Star Wars, packed into one little file. It's AMAZING the compression ratio they managed to get. Lucas' proprietary format plays wonderfully in it's own player, which is included in the download!
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| Final Blows |
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Spectacular. What more can I say? I loved it through and through.
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Will Greedo fire first? YOU DECIDE! |
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Final Scores
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Graphics: 10/10.0 |
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Expertly reengineered, and the special effects are fantastic. Remember that storm trooper who conks his head on the door? You'd better, 'cause he ain't there now!
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Storyline: 10/10.0
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It's the same story you loved before, with added relevance to modern life. This is to the original Star Wars what The Book of Mormon is to the Bible. |
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Gameplay: 5/10.0 |
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This is the one part I kind of dislike. Lucas got tired of the controversy with certain scenes, and added some interactivity. It's certainly fun to finally be Han Solo, but it can be maddening if you don't get the ending you like.
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Music: 10/10.0
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The Original Soundtrack has never sounded so good. THX remastered, Dolby Certified, Mother Approved. |
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Enjoyment: 10/10.0
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I don't know of anyone who couldn't enjoy this. |
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Overall Grade:
A+ |
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| Final Thoughts |
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Where was Nintendork in 1977? |
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