Star Wars Episode 1 - Insider's Guide

Arriving too late for inclusion in last month's Star Wars special, Episode 1 Insider's Guide takes an in-depth look at the elements that make up The Phantom Menace. Packed with behind-the-scenes footage, artwork, video and sound, it looks set to fly off the shelves faster than a speeding Wookie.

A logical extension to LucasArts' Behind the Magic, Insider's Guide boasts chapters on just about everything you could want. Along with a horde of info on the main characters, disc one in this twin-CD set reveals all about the technology, creatures, vehicles, locations and special effects used in the film. There's also a fully searchable glossary with over 500 entries to help you get up to speed with Star Wars-speak.

Disc two continues the glossary. Perhaps even more interesting is The Saga, which goes through all of the Star Wars stories and includes details of the upcoming Episodes II and III. While facts are thin on the ground, Boba Fett is set to make a return as love blossoms between Anakin and Amidala. We can also expect to see more Obi-wan Kenobi action and Mace Windu might actually do something.

Depending on your location, some sections can lead you into a short Trivia quiz to test your knowledge. A complete screenplay is also included, complete with annotations.

As with other Star Wars products presentation is first class, and navigating around the discs is child's play. Music and images from the film combine with clear links and the program prompts you to swap discs when necessary.

That said, Insider's Guide is a prime candidate for DVD and we hope Lucas looks into this medium for future releases.

If there was one thing we would criticise it's the overall quality of the video footage - it was a tad jerky on our 400MHz Pentium II test system. However, it's certainly clear and you don't notice the slight glitches once you're engrossed in the action.

This multimedia guide provides a fascinating insight into the latest development in the Star Wars saga.

A must for Star Wars fans and the perfect companion to Behind the Magic. Now all we need is a Collector's Edition with both on DVD!

Price: £19.99 (inc VAT)

Contact: Activision 01268 531222; www.activision.com

Star Wars Episode 1 - Insider's Guide

Overall: ****

Minimum requirements: Pentium 133MHz, Windows 95 DirectX-compatible graphics card, 16Mb of RAM, 4x CD-ROM, Windows 95 DirectX-compatible 16-bit sound card.

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