The Lightsaber Battle Game is not particularly canon to any ‘verse. It might be S Canon in a few places. There are a few areas in levels where you are operating as an independent character you name, but most of the time, you are replaying bosses fought by the heroes, usually Obi-Wan.
But it is fun, and give you some lightsaber skills and exercise. The game came out before the Wii system where motion control games became popular. The lightsaber battle game operates on the same principle of counting arm movement. It starts with basic training of blocking and deflecting blaster bolts by swinging the toy lightsaber, moving on to levels where you learn signature moves of your famed movie Jedi like Qui-Gon, Mace, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin then battle through levels we saw in the movies. There are also 3 force abilities, including force heal, push and saber throw available.
The first level of the Lightsaber Battle Game is getting information from a ship over Naboo. But most of the levels thereafter you battle as if you were the main character. Boss’s like Darth Maul and Dooku are in the mix, right up to Darth Vader. Each of the levels up to level 4, starts off with a tutorial and sparring with a Jedi Master.
Sparring Partners in the Lightsaber Battle Game
- Obi-Wan (padawan era but knight appearance
- Anakin (padawan)
- Obi-Wan (definitely Knight now)
- Yoda
- Anakin (knight)
Training Moves in the Lightsaber Battle Game
- Qui-Gon Strike – from the center, up to the left, again up to the right, then center bottom straight up.
- Obi-Wan Spinning Blade Defense – spin holding the blade parallel to chest, is the best description. The speed and timing half to match the on screen example, which is what is tricky.
- Mace Windu’s Assault – Straight down from top, straight left to right, diagonal from top to bottom corner
- Yoda’s Finishing Blow – A diagonal blow down to the left, another to the right, one straight from right to left.
- Anakin’s Rage – Straight up, diagonal left down, diagonal right down, straight down, straight up.
Besides blocking and deflecting lightsabers and blaster shots, you face boulders flung by monsters and even a sticky tongue in the lightsaber battle game!
Star Wars Lightsaber Battle Game Hardware
The lightsaber battle game includes a remote training ball like the Jedi younglings trained with in Attack of the Clones, and Luke Skywalker trained with in the Falcon in A New Hope. This globe includes the software. It also includes a plastic reflective lightsaber which is detected by the ball. It needs 4 AA batteries and uses an AV cord to plugin (fortunately my TV has one, but some people might need a RCA AV to HDMI converter.) It’s advised to use the lightsaber’s wrist loop so it doesn’t accidentally fly off and knock anything over! Of course, it also comes with an instruction manual which you can download from the Hasbro site.
Star Wars Lightsaber Battle Game Reviews:
The hardest signature move in my opinion is Obi-Wan’s, which isn’t even the higher level. It’s a saber spin that looks easy, but in reality its one of those things where you have to twitch the wrist just right to get it. And since that is just the start of the level, its easy-to-wear out the wrist before getting to the boss! I found the slashing moves much easier, no matter the direction. Each included 3 swipes to Obi-Wan’s alleged one.
The hardest levels of the lightsaber battle game, though, are the last ones. Once you get to Grievous, there is no break. No more sparring with Jedi masters. Right after Grievous your next level is to battle Anakin Skywalker turned Darth Vader. Then you are battling Darth Vader in a Hothlike landscape.
The force moves are a tad tricky, as you have the hold the lightsaber still and vertical close to the ball to trigger the screen. Then select one. Meanwhile, whoever the foe is, is still attacking!
The lightsaber can really give serious practice at watching your body language and position. I find that sometimes I’m just slightly leaning forward when I think I am straight, causing a miss. If the lightsaber isn’t held just right to deflect or strike, it will miss, you get hit, and the power goes down. Obviously, this means too that the seeker droid sensor has to be pointed in the right place too. The lightsaber battle game came out when we still had boxy, CRT TV, not flat screens. So the ‘set on top of the TV’ instructions don’t work.
A bonus though is, I don’t think the lightsaber that comes with i is the only lightsaber you can use. I have found sometimes a ruler or a hand will be mistaken for it! I’m not sure what the difference is, between that and what doesn’t. I’ve tried other lightsaber types, ie Anakin/Luke’s toy lightsaber that had a training voice. That didn’t do it. I suspect the lightsaber that came with Yoda, a toy that is basically like a Simon Says game’ might have the proper reflection to it to work but haven’t tried it.
Lightsaber Battle Game Lore and Continuity
As I said, most of the battles are recreations of the heroes battles. I daresay the rest are probably infinities, or S canon.
But there are exceptions. The start is sneaking into onto a trade federation ship at the same time as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are supposed to be negotiating. But ultimately the final battle of this section has Darth Maul as a boss, so you are either battling (and hopefully defeating) the Sith Lord before Obi-Wan, or you are Obi-Wan.
While Anakin and Obi-Wan are protecting Senator Amicala, you have to defend Queen Jamillia.
Some of the levels and battles are similar to cut scenes content. For instance, the Nos monster is one you battle on Utupau. There was a cut scene with this creature in Revenge of the Sith, conveniently making dinner of probe droids that were hunting Obi-Wan.
Here is a play through of the action uploaded by a user called NAM. It’s not so easy to tell what the user is when you only see the screen, not the user waving the lightsaber. But it gives an idea what is involved.
Here is a commercial:
