My Top 100: #50 – Star Wars: Bounty Hunter

 

With all the demand for a TV series or video game based on the life of the morally ambiguous Boba Fett character, I’m kinda wondering why many people forgot about poor old Jango.

Why did people like Boba Fett so much, anyway?  I’m the biggest Star Wars fanboy I know, and I’ve never really understood why he was so popular.  Sure, his helmet was cool, but aside from it being green (my favourite colour, by the way), he was just a glorified stormtrooper.  He barely had any lines, none of them particularly interesting, and he “dies” in the lamest way possible.

And another thing; were those pyjamas with armor plates on them?

Needless to say, though I didn’t flat out dislike Boba Fett, I didn’t particularly care about him as a character.  His story in the Expanded Universe is cool, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read a novel about him, or anything.

Now, Jango…  that’s a different story.  I know the prequels were generally weaker than the originals, but Jango was badass.

 

 

If you can look beyond the fact that there now seem to be New Zealanders in the Star Wars universe, the introduction of Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones is almost the coolest thing about the whole prequel trilogy (everything going to crap at the end of Episode III being the coolest).  Much the same as with Boba in Empire, Jango had that air of mystery about him.  Unlike Boba, however, dear ol’ dad knew how to bust a move; it took a hell of a lot more to do him in than a clumsy, half-blind guy waving an amphistaff around.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter explores how Jango Fett becomes the template for the clones of the Grand Army of the Republic.  Count Dooku (I accidentally typed “Dookie” three times, just now) has put some feelers out there, looking to see who was up to the task of tracking down a rogue apprentice of his.  You travel to a bunch of places you’ve probably heard of, following leads, talking to shady characters, and slowly tracking down Jedi Komari Vosa as though on some cross-galaxy scavenger hunt.

It’s a third person shooter that takes full advantage of Jango’s wide array of weapons and gadgets.  From his trusty jetpack to the poison darts seen in Episode II, you’ll get to make use of some pretty nifty items along the way.  The shooting has been labeled as repetitive by some online reviews I’ve seen, but I see no problem with that.  I’d compare it to one of those crazy action shooters like Serious Sam…  there aren’t as many enemies as that, but you’ll find yourself hitting the fire button as quickly as you can to get out of sticky situations.  I actually find it quite intense, and never dull.

In retrospect, some of the platforming elements remind me a bit of the Uncharted games.  There’s quite a bit of dangling from ledges, and you get to scale big buildings and cliffs with the help of your trusty jetpack.

Throw in some collectable bounties, lots of bonuses for those who like to look around, and you’ve got a game tailor-made for the fanboy in you.

Oh, and in terms of memories gathered from this game, there aren’t that many that are interesting or unique.  I just recall skipping class at University, waiting for a work shift at my new job to start, talking about the Star Wars Expanded Universe with my friend Phil…  that’s it.  Yay.