Star Wars: Demolition is a 2000 vehicular combat game developed by Luxoflux and published by LucasArts for the PlayStation and Dreamcast. It is set in the Star Wars universe, where the Galactic Empire has banned Jabba the Hutt's podraces, so Jabba creates a more life-threatening vehicular combat contest.
The game received mixed reviews upon release. Critics felt that while the game was fun in short bursts it lost its appeal with extended gameplay.
Gameplay
thumb|left|Star Wars: Demolition features familiar Star Wars characters and locales in a [[vehicular combat game|vehicular combat competition.]]
Star Wars: Demolition is a vehicular combat game set in the Star Wars universe. The objective is to be the last vehicle standing by destroying all other combatants. Several powerups can be found on the battlefield which enhance a player's vehicle. These include weaponry, such as thermal detonators, concussion missiles and proton torpedoes, and boost items, which include additional shielding, cloaking, and increasing the fire rate of weapons. Eight playable stages and 13 combatants are included in the game.
Setting
The backstory of Star Wars: Demolition is that the Empire declares a ban on Jabba the Hutt's sport of podracing. To replace this lucrative enterprise, Jabba creates a more life-threatening contest where combatants fight to the death in or on vehicles. Several combatants enter the competition. Boba Fett enters, opting to use only his jetpack. Fellow bounty hunter and occasional partner Aurra Sing also enters, a swoop bike her vehicle of choice. Other opponents mount various forms of tanks, landspeeders, and even a rancor to compete in this battle to the death. Luxoflux would develop the game while LucasArts would publish it, while in Europe the game would be co-published and distributed by Activision. Before its release it was known as Star Wars: Demolition Racer. This would later be shortened to Star Wars: Demolition. Luxoflux used the same game engine that was used in Vigilante 8 and its sequel Vigilante 8: Second Offense. in July 2000 it was rumoured that the game would come to Dreamcast. This was confirmed the following month. It was released in November 2000 in North America on both systems. A European release followed in December 2000.
Reception
Star Wars: Demolition received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In the same issue, The Bamboo Carabao said of the Dreamcast version, "After a few hours of Demoltion, fun is the only thing that gets demolished." The reviewer of GameRevolution stated that gameplay is "definitely fun", but that with prolonged play it becomes easier notice the imbalance in gameplay. The staff felt the battles were too long, gameplay was confusing, and that it was too difficult to damage enemies.
In a somewhat more positive review IGNs Anthony Chau, who reviewed the Dreamcast version, noted that despite the game's flaws he enjoyed playing Demolition "in small amounts of time."