Having been released a week before the actual theatrical release, the console and portable game versions of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith gave gamers the opportunity to catch an advance peek at some key plot elements without giving away too much. On the portable front, though, the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS version might appear to be similar at first glance but it is this Nintendo DS version, much like the Sith, that clearly stands out as the winner.

Having not just liked but loved George Lucas’ third chapter of his prequels, I launched into the Nintendo DS version with higher expectations than the console version that, while not perfect, still provided hack-and-slash fun. I must add, here, though, that the Game Boy Advance version of the game looks like the DS version graphically and gameplay-wise, but it is missing an element that puts this one on the very top - ship battles! In Ubisoft’s hands, this one even slightly outshines the console version. 

Revenge of the Sith begins with the choice between playing as Obi-Wan Kenobi or Anakin Skywalker, both characters can upgrade their skills and Force powers the same way but both are destined to follow different paths that will eventual lead to an unavoidable confrontation between the master and the apprentice. Like the movie, the game’s story leads to the corruption of the conflicted and angry Anakin and his eventual fall from grace and resurrection as Darth Vader. It begins during a rescue mission onboard the ship of General Grievous who has, with the help of Count Dooku, kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. While there’s great battles to be fought as Master Kenobi, it’s just far more satisfying to watch Skywalker fall to the Dark Side.

The game’s levels are separated in chapters that touch upon the movie’s most crucial moments, mainly the events that lead Kenobi to face General Grievous for the final time as well as Anakin’s need to believe that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s true identity can save the Republic or his claim that he has the insight that could keep someone Anakin loves from dying. The result is a 2D side-scrolling Jedi action game where both Anakin and Obi-Wan use their lightsabers and Force powers to survive each level.

Each character comes complete with his own fighting style and Force powers that can be upgraded at the end of a level by using the style points you earn to purchase the upgrades. Both can thrust their lightsabers forward or backwards (for enemies sneaking up behind you) and you can even block laser fire or the lightsaber thrusts from your opponent. Yet there are specialty moves you can learn, such as the downward thrust move that destroys or knocks down every enemy within the thrust radius. You can even throw your lightsaber for when you want to keep your distance from the tougher battle droids. Some of the moves are even assigned to the lower touch screen where you can select from the Focus or Fury moves available by tapping the image. Sure it’s not an innovative use of the touch screen but the bad part is that it sometimes causes a distraction during the middle of a heated battle.

As for the Force powers, Anakin knows the same basics as Obi-Wan including Force Push and Pull but each has knowledge of individual powers. For example, Obi-Wan has ability to Heal, Speed (to slow down time), Shield (create a protective barrier) and Mind Trick (to momentarily stun enemies). Anakin, on the other hand, has insight on the darker powers such as Choke, Rage (to inflict more damage) and Absorb (Ani can drain an enemy’s life bar to fill his own). Since you’ll face enemies that are good at ganging up on you these Force powers certainly come in handy.

The game is also pretty challenging and even in its medium difficulty setting it's not a game that is easy to zip through like the console version. Some battles, particularly the duel between Obi-Wan, Anakin and Count Dooku, are pretty tough although the attack pattern never changes. And unlike the Game Boy Advance version, this version throws in 3D ship skirmishes to break up the 2D hack-and-slash. The flight missions are surprisingly enjoyable bite-sized morsels during the game’s main mode but Ubisoft was smart enough to include a Skirmish mode that can be played with bots or with up to four friends (each with their own copy of the game, of course). With a nice number of ships and maps, it’s certainly a mode worth sharing with friends and the main reason you should definitely consider the Nintendo DS version.

Visually speaking, you won’t be able to tell the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance version apart seeing as not only are the levels identical to each another but so are the character models and environments. This is still a pretty-looking game with some sharp pixels, flashy effects and colorful backgrounds. Really, what more can you ask from a 2D side-scrolling action game? Where the game does change, as I already mentioned, are during the ship battles. The 3D ships look great and so do the explosions.

As for the sound, the familiar George Lucas score from the recent trilogy makes up the game’s tunes and that’s not bad seeing as the score is darn good in the first place. With no voice work the score sets the mood just right during cutscenes and it never becomes tiresome. The sound effects are the same way and believe me when I say that you’ll be hearing a lot of saber sounds and droids falling to pieces when you plow through them.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on the Nintendo DS offers more bang for your extra ten bucks and is clearly the best portable Star Wars game thus far. Its hack-and-slash Jedi action is just a bit repetitive but still fun enough to be satisfying and there’s even fighter ship action that can be shared with friends. In short, the Force is with the Sith and it feels wickedly satisfying. If you’re a fan of all things Star Wars, you might want to consider this one.

Gameplay: 7.5
The hack-and-slash battles are decent fun, albeit a bit repetitive. The character upgrades and Force powers help things and taking control of a fighter ship breaks up the lightsaber battles. Playing as Obi-Wan is good fun but its so much more fun being oh-so bad as Anakin. 

Graphics: 7.3
Despite the GBA visuals, the character models and the environments look pretty good in this game. There are a great number of visual effects that get so much better during the 3D ship battles. 

Sound: 8.5
The soundtrack is nicely handled here and it plays well enough through the Nintendo DS speakers. It’s mainly John Williams’s great score but it’s never wearisome to hear. There’s even some good lightsaber, laser and explosion sounds true to the movies.

Difficulty: Medium
You’ll often be up against three or more droids or clone troopers at once but they’re nothing compared to the tank-like machines that you’ll face. Some lightsaber duels, like the one against Count Dooku, are pretty tough but each opponent has attack patterns that are easy to memorize.

Concept: 7.5
There’s a good number of missions to play through and you can always go back to play as Kenobi when you’re finished being bad. It’s too bad the touch screen isn’t utilized creatively but at least the Nintendo DS has a bigger screen ratio than the GBA and the ship battles rule.

Multiplayer: 8.7
Up to four players can take each another out in 3D dogfights that are the highlight of the game. It's fun going up against friends and since there are different types of ships to pick from (including the Millennium Falcon, Boba Fett’s Slave I and even the classic Tie Fighter) you can’t go wrong with an all-out skirmish.

Overall: 7.7
The Force was not with past 2D action games centered on the Star Wars prequels, but Revenge of the Sith for the Nintendo DS is fun enough to satisfy the need for portable hack-and-slash. While it plays like the GBA version, the DS gets good multiplayer action worth the purchase price alone.