Our Verdict
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter finds a rightful place on the Nintendo Switch with a welcome update to its once-awful control scheme, vibrant visual sheen, and an engaging story for hardcore fans and newcomers alike.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter holds a special place in the hearts of fans of the galaxy from far, far, away – but has it aged gracefully? Aspyr continues to polish up gems of Star Wars’ past to varying degrees of success, and thankfully, the studio has a win on its hands here. This is easily the definitive way to play Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.
The last time I picked up Jango Fett’s blasters was when the woefully average 2016 PlayStation 4 port arrived. Sure, it’s emulating the PlayStation 2 version, but Sony’s emulation tech on PS4 and PS5 leaves much to be desired. Enter Aspyr’s revamped Nintendo Switch port of Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, with the promises of polishing up LucasFilm Games’ underrated action game. If you’re expecting something grandiose akin to the ground-up remakes of 2K’s Mafia games, you’ll be disappointed. Instead, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter’s new Switch game port tightens up the screws by removing its most awkward aspects – for the most part.
Dubbed as an ‘enhanced’ version by Aspyr, the most apparent change from the get-go is the vastly improved textures and lighting effects across the game’s lean eight-hour story. Coruscant’s distinguished blend of pulpy neon dive bars and clubs are crisp, while fights against the Bando Gora in the darkest depths of space are riddled with rust and filth. The authenticity of capturing the prequel trilogy’s aesthetic remains pristine too. Bounty Hunter’s cinematics are still on the verge of uncanny valley terror in some parts, but they’re graced by a welcome resolution bump.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love that Aspyr attempts to retain the game’s charms from many years ago, but some aspects were in dire need of an upgrade. Like I said earlier, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter can be an awkward experience at times, and that’s largely down to the abysmal control scheme that plagued the original game. Yet, there’s a strange charm that early 2000s platformers exude. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve fallen into a grizzly grave in the original game, purely down to the game’s traversal mechanics.
Skill issue? Maybe, but Aspyr’s newly updated control scheme is perhaps the biggest highlight of this port. Accessible with the switch of a toggle in the game’s pause menu, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter now plays more like a modern day shooter. Dodging, flipping, and jet-packing feel exceptionally nimble.
I firmly believe that Star Wars: Bounty Hunter has one of most satisfying flip-animations ever, as Jango Fett catapults himself into the air with nothing but pure Mandalorian aggression. All that high-octane goodness is still here. However, gunplay itself could have used some spice. With only the blaster pistols, blaster rifle, heavy gun, and sniper rifle making up the game’s core weapons, this is an area where Aspyr could have added some fresh selections for the sake of variety. Of course, there are other gadgets and jet-pack related weapons to utilize, but you’ll often win most encounters by holding down the ZR trigger.
Although combat is lacking in terms of an updated arsenal, it isn’t pulling punches on the audio front. It’s safe to assume that everyone from your local postie to the shopkeeper could recognize the iconic library of sound effects created by Ben Burtt and the legends at Skywalker Ranch. Each blaster shot is an instant hit of nostalgia, and that’s all underscored by Jeremy Soule’s S-tier score with plenty of iconic John Williams motifs along the way.
It seeps into every fiber of the game’s being, highlighting just how great Bounty Hunter’s level variety is after all these years. The game’s main menu music? All-timer stuff. Exploring the main menu does confirm that Aspyr hasn’t forgotten about when game’s liked embracing the forgotten art of cheat codes. Yes, all the original codes still work, and you can even sink your head into extra goodies like a Marvel tie-in comic.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Star Wars: Bounty Hunter without any actual, well, bounty hunting. Marking targets is done with the tap of a button while using Jango’s in-helmet display, and the choice is yours to bag them dead or alive. With well over 50 bounties to complete, completionists will have a field day here. Unlike the original game, Aspyr makes good on an unfulfilled promise. Completing the game’s campaign unlocks Boba Fett, putting to bed an unresolved easter egg that LucasFilm meant to finish off back in 2002.
In a good way, I’m left longing for an era that Star Wars has left behind. While franchise fatigue has appeared with the onslaught of mostly average Disney+ spin-off shows in recent years, the best Star Wars games have managed to keep the mythos engaging without compromising integrity.
Aspyr’s port is a reminder that Star Wars has yielded some of the finest sci-fi games in the genre. By bringing its control scheme up to date and adding sparkling layers of sheen, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is an essential part of the franchise’s pantheon that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch.
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