History VideoGame / StarWarsEpisodeIRacer

** Bozzie Baranta: Passable acceleration and handling, an all around average pod--ironic considering the very hard course you race to unlock him.

-->--Announcer [[MultipleHeadCase Fode]], before the start of every race.

* AdaptationalBadass / LethalJokeCharacter: Ben Quadinaros, the guy with the four-engine pod that blew up at the beginning of the race in the movie. As might be expected from a pod with four engines, he's one of the fastest racers in the game, though not the most maneuverable.

* MadeOfIron / MadeOfPlasticine: ZigZagged in the first game. The game calculates damage to your pod's engines by how fast you're going when you hit something. The thing is, while your top speed and acceleration can be upgraded, your durability ''can't'', so there are situations where an un-upgraded pod can plow through, say, the rocks of the Boonta Training Course and take nothing but ScratchDamage, while a faster pod (or the same pod with speed upgrades) will end up taking noticeably more punishment through the same sequence.

* NearVictoryFanfare[=/=]SongsInTheKeyOfPanic: In the N64 version, music doesn't even play during a race until you reach the final lap.

* MythologyGag: The introductory music for ''Oovo IV'' sounds like an original sound cue, but it's actually a scrapped music cue from the intro of ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''.

* ContinuitySnarl: The first game makes no sense at all in the context of either the movies or the old expanded universe. Anakin sold his podracer after he won the Boonta Eve (which he took part in as a dangerous gambit to win his freedom), and he had never travelled offworld until leaving with Qui Gon to take part in the Battle of Naboo and then train as a Padawan (and per ''Legends'' material, Jedi do not allow podracing), making it utterly implausible that he would have been able to, much less be allowed to, take part in a full podracing tournament. However, it is possible that Anakin only participated in the Tatooine races, since the game randomly decides which racers (it only chooses a maximum of 12 out of the 20+ races available) appear in which race. Though it still raises the question of why Anakin would be the track favorite for a course on ''Baroonda'' of all places.

* NearVictoryFanfare / SongsInTheKeyOfPanic: In the N64 version, music doesn't even play during a race until you reach the final lap.

* ContinuitySnarl: The first game makes no sense at all in the context of either the movies or the old expanded universe. Anakin sold his podracer after he won the Boonta Eve (which he took part in as a dangerous gambit to win his freedom), and he had never travelled offworld until leaving with Qui Gon to take part in the Battle of Naboo and then train as a Padawan (and per ''Legends'' material, Jedi do not allow podracing), making it utterly implausible that he would have been able to, much less be allowed to, take part in a full podracing tournament.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: Subverted. In a couple of the Baroonda courses, you have to race through an active volcano with lava pools every which way. Fortunately, the anti-gravity engines of the Podracers prevent you from outright falling into and being dissolved by the lava, but if you float on top of the lava for too long, your Podracer's engines will be set on fire and explode within less than a minute unless you get back on the path and make quick repairs. Your engines won't spontaneously burst into flame, either. Flying over lava raises the same temperature gauge that's used while boosting, so overusing your boost will make your engines even more susceptible to fire.

''Star Wars: Episode I: Racer'' is a RacingGame created by Creator/LucasArts, released originally for the UsefulNotes/{{Nintendo 64}} and later for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], AppleMacintosh, UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor and UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, based on the Podracing scene from ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''.

* ConvectionSchmonvection: Subverted. In a couple of the Baroonda courses, you have to race through an active volcano with lava pools every which way. Fortunately, the anti-gravity engines of the Podracers prevent you from outright falling into and being dissolved by the lava, but if you float on top of the lava for too long, your Podracer's engines will be set on fire and explode within less than a minute unless you get back on the path and make quick repairs.
** Your engines won't spontaneously burst into flame, either. Flying over lava [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything raises the same temperature gauge that's used while boosting]], so overusing your boost will make your engines even more susceptible to fire.

* ExcusePlot: The first game doesn't even have a story, but the sequel has this, in that Sebulba is back after eight years for revenge, and Anakin of course has to take up his old pod again to beat him in a tournament; but other than the intro, it has no impact on the rest of the game.

* EasterEgg: The Hidden control scheme mentioned above uses [[DualWielding two joysticks]] to simulate the arcade version's control scheme, which mimicked Anakin's double-lever set up from the film.

** Sebulba: Has the highest top speed of all the racers, with above-average handling, steering and acceleration. Also has a "Flame Thrower" function which can be activated by tapping the R button twice. Likewise, both Episode 1 Sebulba and revamped Sebulba in ''Revenge'' have similar stats, but with the flamethrower function removed.

** The Arcade version of ''Racer'', while having far superior graphical and audio presentation than the original game, is heavily stripped down and simplified in gameplay due to the nature of its arcade format. There are only four race courses (one of which is an extended, harder version of the first course) and only three planets, only four racers to choose from (Anakin, Sebulba, Ben Quadrinaros and Gasgano), and no upgrade or repair system. The boost is also severely nerfed into a limited use power up.

** Ody Mandrell: A good "beginner" racer with generally average stats, but great acceleration. His only handicap is his abysmal default speed-unless you boost a lot and/or upgrade him, he's the slowest racer in the game. Returns in ''Revenge''.

** Boles Roor: Has average speed and the maneuverability of a drunk hutt, but his boost being strong enough to reach [[MagikarpPower speeds exceeding 1000 kph]] gives him some advantage over other racers.
** Neva Kee: A pod notable for having [[NonStandardCharacterDesign its cockpit in front of the engines, with no cables or energy binders.]] Probably the slowest of all the podracers, but maneuverable enough to get the job done.

** The Game Boy Color port of the game is also heavily diluted from the console versions of the game, understandably due to the handhelds technical limits [[PragmaticAdaptation forcing the gameplay into being a]] ''Micro Machines'' clone. There are only four planets split across 21 tracks, only two racers on the course at any time, and less racers to choose from.

* CompressedAdaptation: The Arcade version of ''Racer'', while having far superior graphical and audio presentation than the original game, is heavily stripped down and simplified in gameplay due to the nature of its arcade format. There are only four race courses (one of which is an extended, harder version of the first course) and only three planets, only four racers to choose from (Anakin, Sebulba, Ben Quadrinaros and Gasgano), and no upgrade or repair system. The boost is also severely nerfed into a limited use power up.

* ShoutOut: Malastare 100 and Dug Derby's track layouts look a bit too much like Sonoma Raceway and Laguna Seca.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Ord Ibanna is basically Bespin without Cloud City. The centerpiece of one of the tracks, ''Dethro's Revenge'', is even a Tibanna Gas platform that could be seen near Cloud City in ''Empire Strikes Back''.

* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the original game without upgrading your podracer at all. While it's definetely possible, it makes the game a ''lot'' more difficult, especially in the Invitation Circuit courses. Combine this with a "No boosting" challenge, and the games difficulty will really start pushing your skills to their limits from "Scrappers Run" and on, where even one foul up can cost you an entire race.

* SelfImposedChallenge: Beating the original game without upgrading your podracer at all. While it's definetely possible, it makes the game a ''lot'' more difficult, especially in the Invitation Circuit courses.

** Ody Mandrell: A good "beginner" racer with generally average stats, but great acceleration. His only handicap is his abysmal speed-unless you upgrade him, he's the slowest racer in the game. Returns in ''Revenge''.

** Ody Mandrell: A good "beginner" racer with generally average stats, but great acceleration. Returns in ''Revenge''.

* CompressedAdaptation: The Arcade version of ''Racer'' is heavily stripped down and simplified. There are only four race courses (one of which is an extended, harder version of the first course) and only three planets, a handful of racers to choose from, and no upgrade or repair system. The boost is also severely nerfed into a limited use power up.

** Slide Paramita. His top speed is just under "Bullseye"'s, along with great steering, cooling and repair. Unfortunately, his traction isn't very high, so hitting a wall even twice is a bad thing.

** Slide Paramita: A small podracer with slow speed and decent handling and turn response.
* LaughingMad: Some of the racers display a habit of laughing maniacally as their own podracers crash and explode into a burning heap.

** Bozzie Baranta: Passable acceleration and handling, an all around average pod--ironic considering the [[ThatOneLevel course you race to unlock it.]]