Released nearly twenty years ago, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter took us into the tough world of Jango Fett. A skilled bounty hunter with a knack for finding trouble, Fett took on dangerous missions across the galaxy in search of fortune and adventure. The game put players right in his boots, jetpacking from one firefight to the next in a highly engaging story.
Now Aspyr has remastered this classic, upgrading the visuals and overhauling the controls. But how well does it hold up against modern standards? And more importantly, does this new version do justice to our memories of the original?
That’s what we’re here to discover as we rev up our imaginary Vespas and go for a ride into the past. This remaster modernizes the experience while maintaining what made the first journey so fun. With improved features and polished presentation, it offers the perfect way to explore Fett’s story for the first time or relive the excitement all over again. Our trip down memory lane remains as thrilling as ever.
Blood and Beskar
The dusty world of bounty hunting is brought to life as Jango Fett takes center stage once more in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. Picking up some ten years before the events of Attack of the Clones, we join Fett for a daring mission from Count Dooku himself. A rogue Dark Jedi named Komari Vosa has turned from the Sith’s shadows, and it falls to Fett to eliminate this threat however he sees fit.
And so our adventure begins across the stars. From the gleaming towers of Coruscant to the crime-riddled streets of Nar Shaddaa, Fett tracks his prey with his partner Zam Wesell at his side. But Vosa has allies of her own, and other hunters seek to claim the bounty. Fett will need to stay light on his feet and faster on the trigger if he hopes to survive this contract.
As clues are uncovered and fights break out, the plot thickens. Dark whispers speak of a sinister scheme by the Bando Gora crime syndicate, one that cuts deeper than any blaster wound. Vosa too hides deeper secrets, even as her allies stack the deck against our bounty hunter. Through it all, we see the skilled and cunning tracker that would go on to become the genetic template for the Grand Army of the Republic.
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Through the remaster, Fett truly comes alive. With Temuera Morrison slipping back into the role, it’s easy to picture this seasoned warrior taking the fight to his foes. His interaction with characters old and new helps flesh out his motives and manners. Most importantly, we gain new insight into how this solitary hunter came to be the man who would father the tenacious Boba Fett.
The story may play out in shadows, but light is shed on both character and lore thanks to Fett’s latest hunt.
Gunslinging Across the Galaxy
Fans of Jango Fett will find plenty of pulse-pounding action across Star Wars: Bounty Hunter’s six chapters. Each chapter takes you to different locales swirling with danger. Coruscant introduces towering skyscrapers and narrow alleyways, while glimmering Nar Shaddaa awaits in its lawless streets thick with scum. Tatooine trades city sprawl for desert vistas dotted with Tusken Raiders and aged moisture farms.
No two levels feel quite the same. Early on, you track targets through dingy cantinas and swoop bike markets. Later, a Geonosian spice operation sends blaster bolts buzzing as you infiltrate a hive. Throughout it all, Jango makes liberal use of his arsenal. A wrist-mounted launcher rockets foes sky high, while a certain flamethrower leaves no enemy standing. His trusty twin blasters remain firmly in hand, serving as mighty close-quarters weapons.
Jango rarely finds himself lacking for enemies to blast. Scattered thugs soon swell to frenzied mobs, blasting from all angles. Later chapters especially pack in the gun-toting baddies without end. While variety is scant beyond different banners, the constant chaos makes battles entertaining. That is, until lock-on troubles strike. The twitchy camera loves spinning around when trouble arises, obscuring the field.
Fortunately, Aspyr implemented a modern control scheme embracing triggers for shooting. Gone are dated face-button clashes, leaving combat fluid. Yet issues linger, from camera fits to repetitive boss tactics. Later levels simply swarm players under waves of identical foes firing preset patterns. Creativity in combat design feels lacking, even for the time.
Still, soaring through each new hot zone proves thrilling. Jango’s jetpack opens fresh freedom, zipping him across platforms or sending rockets down from high perches. Some stages open their maps for exploration too. Coruscant lets you scout its heights without restraint, rewarding those who uncover hidden alcoves. Combining mobility with a firefight fills any bounty hunter’s heart with glee.
The remaster leaves gameplay mostly intact for better and for worse. Fans seeking the starship skirmish of yours will find it, warts and all. Those fresh to the fray need only switch controls and enjoy the ride, blasters blazing against the droves of scum standing between Jango and his bounties.
Remastered with Room for More
While Aspyr’s remaster brings some sharpness to Star Wars Bounty Hunter, those boarding the Slave I in search of a visual overhaul will find hits and misses alike. Textures sport cleaner lines throughout Jango’s adventure, revealing finer details in his Beskar armor and the rusting hulls dotting Tatooine’s Dune Sea. Shadows too carry more depth, masking smuggler’s enclaves in Coruscant’s underlevels in richer gloom.
Yet remnants of the game’s early 2000s origins endure. Character models swing between expressive and awkward, their limited polygons bending in odd directions during scripted beats. Elsewhere, environments maintain their simpler construction, reinforced by encounters where foes mysteriously slip through platforms into the void. It remains endearing in a nostalgic sense, but some sprucing could have mended such blemishes.
By and large, performance holds smooth, rarely dropping from its locked 60 frames. Only in flame-fueled fray does stuttering disrupt the dance of blaster bolts. Smaller glitches too poke their heads through textures or AI alike. From ships hovering atop thin air to bounties clipping endlessly through walls, such nuisances pull one from immersion, though they remain thankfully fleeting.
All told, Aspyr refines more than they reinvent. Fans embracing the remaster for visual refreshment above all will find hits, but room for more ambitious polishing remains. For newcomers or those seeking history’s visit, however, charms of the era gently outweigh its technical touches of age under Beskar’s polished shine.
Return to Bespin with Refinements
Among Aspyr’s refinements for Star Wars Bounty Hunter, a few shine brighter than others. Chief among them brings renewed purpose to Jango’s tracking scanner. Where slowed time was once a pipedream, scanning targets now allows picking them out with ease. A boon for completionists, this single tweak makes challenges far more manageable.
Less illuminating comes the addition of a flashlight. While light in darkened corridors seemed a need, brightness throughout leaves it all but useless. Rarely does its glow reveal more than what already shows. A well-meaning idea, but one whose execution brought faint reward.
And what of the fabled skin so many sought? Unlocking Boba brings a smile, paying tribute to rumor. Yet sporting his armor lacks impact without perks to match Fett’s deadly reputation. A minor reward for persistence that leaves one wanting more.
Minor quibbles aside, refinements like retooled controls underscore Aspyr’s care for the source. Where clunk once reigned, fluidity now takes flight. Features lacking shine keep the experience brief, though the foundation remains solid. For newcomers donning Beskar or old-timers yearning to patch past wounds, fun yet awaits in this galaxy, far away.
The Bounty of Beskar
Taking up the mantle of Jango Fett brings around 8 hours of thrilling adventure on your first playthrough of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. But like any mission, rushing to the finish leaves opportunities behind. Hunting down hidden tokens, maximizing bounty payouts, and mopping up stray targets stretches the journey toward 12 hours as every nook is combed.
For those longing for more, replay provides fresh rewards. Tackling each level with different weapons tasks mastery of Jango’s arsenal. Perfect runs without deaths stack added challenges. And attempting speedster status flies in the face of even the most seasoned bounty hunter.
Though moments frustrate and technical flaws irk, inspiration from Kamino’s finest proves persistence pays in Beskar. New angles on familiar fronts turn repetition to advantage. Lessons learned in defeat hone skills for dominating each danger. Besting former feats brings the thrill of growth.
No lone hunter remains on endless assignments. But for those finding further fun in Jango’s game, his galaxy offers bounties that satisfy from start to finish. The Mandalorian way stays: take pride and profit from every hunt.
Legacy Meets Legacy
Star Wars Bounty Hunter blasted onto consoles generations past, capturing hearts with its daring depiction of a galaxy’s most renowned rogue. Aspyr’s remaster returns players to their dashing days of danger at Jango’s side. But does this re-release reach the heights of a definitive edition?
Certain successes shine through. Visuals get a polish, freshening worlds once familiar. Controls convert to today’s style, letting blasters fly with fluid finesse. Yet glitches from eras gone linger, dragging down the shine. Bugs bunt enemies, spoiling scenarios. Cameras clash, clouding clarity.
More polish could’ve punched up problems, priming the ports to perfection. Deeper tweaks might’ve transformed tedium, triumphing where tantrums once triggered. But soul survives intact—Jango’s thrust still thrills. His exploits excite as before, bonded and boosted by brighter beams and bracing buttons.
For first-timers, fondness finds fertile footing. Newcomers embark on an adventure, grasping galaxy-famous figures in formative framing. But veterans view variances less vividly, wanting worthier updates to validate value.
Nostalgia guides this expedition. Legacy locks lips with legacy, linking generations through graphics and gameplay once pioneering. While short of supreme, remastered charms emerge for curious connoisseurs keen to rekindle recollections. Fans will find fun, despite flaws.
The Review
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter takes players on a thrilling adventure through a galaxy far, far away. While the remaster carries over flaws from the original, it breathes new life into this beloved title with enhanced visuals and reworked controls. For both new and old fans, Jango Fett's exploits entertain and immerse, making for an enjoyable romp regardless of the occasional bug or design datedness. In the end, the Star Wars: Bounty Hunter remaster captures the spirit of the legendary bounty hunter and delivers nostalgia with modernized flair.
PROS
- Engaging story that expands on beloved Star Wars characters
- Remastered visuals and audio enhance immersion.
- Modernized controls improve gameplay.
- Thrilling moments flying and shooting as Jango Fett
CONS
- Some technical issues and bugs persist from the original
- Repetitive combat lacks variety.
- Level and mission design feel dated.
- Lack of substantial new content for remaster
