  The real reason Anakin eventually turned to the Dark Side: he couldn't stand the pink and red carpeting Padme chose for their home.
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It's no secret that a lot of Star Wars fans weren't too happy with Episodes I and II, so if you're (justifiably) cautious about the latest and last addition to the franchise, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, you may want to check it out in video game form first. In this case, on the Nintendo DS.
The game highlights only the most important plot points and characters in the Revenge of the Sith and builds a fairly simple-looking side scroller around those aspects. The game isn't very long but there's enough added in to make it a fun and worthwhile addition to your DS collection (despite the fact that it unfortunately makes almost no use of the touch screens).
The game follows the path of one of two characters - Obi-Wan Kenobi or the future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker. Each player's route takes them through 13 levels, featuring a lot of robot smashing, Jedi slashing and light saber clashing. Aside from your trusty saber, you're equipped with plenty of upgradeable Jedi powers. Scattered throughout each level are special customization point powerups. These can be cashed in at the end of each level to gain new Jedi forces, or to power up what forces you've already learned. Obi-Wan can learn things like heal, mind trick and speed and the quick-to-anger Anakin can learn saber throw, rage and choke. You also have the choice to upgrade your health bar, force bar or overall strength one at a time after each level.
The system works well once you're accustomed to the large number of force abilities. They mostly work by holding down the L trigger and pressing a direction on the digital pad. It's a simple system that, once mastered, actually affects how well you finish a level (you're given percentage points depending on how well you do) and to be honest, it makes things look a lot cooler, considering the graphics are really nothing to gawk at.
To help mix things up, there are a few starship missions, putting you in the cockpit of a ship. It's pretty basic stuff - you can move left and right, up and down, flip left or right with the side triggers, and shoot a laser gun or lock on with missiles. As much as we've all seen this type of gameplay in other Star Wars games, it somehow still works. Once these single player spaceship levels are finished, they're opened up to be played at any time if you so feel the hankering to fly through space.
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The multiplayer aspect is also quite fun. You won't be playing as humans or robots wielding light sabers or lasers. You actually hop in a ship and battle it out amongst the stars and asteroids. There are several levels to choose from and ships are unlockable when playing against bots. You can also choose how many kills and time limits for each game as well. Powerups are strewn throughout. Things can get pretty hectic and confusing if you're not used to the small DS controls (I often found myself upside down when I first started playing), but again, give yourself time and you'll be considered a Jedi Master at flying, and loving every minute of it.
The only big problems with the game itself are that it isn't all that long, and it doesn't take advantage of the dual screens. You'll pretty much feel like you're playing a GameBoy Advance game as you won't be using the stylus or your fingers for anything. The game can be finished fairly quickly, but to the credit of the developers, there are two playable characters with three difficulty levels, and there's also the multiplayer skirmish mode which will no doubt extend your playing time.
Revenge of the Sith really is a neat Star Wars game. It doesn't bring anything incredibly new to the table but at the very least, it's better than watching Episode I and II.
