January 23, 20255 min readSaturns Rings Are DisappearingBut Theyll Be BackThis year, from Earths perspective, Saturns rings will appear nearly edge on, making them almost invisibleBy Phil Plait edited by Lee BillingsSaturns rings, imaged here by NASAs Cassini orbiter, are one of the solar systems most reliably spectacular sights. But sometimes they seem to disappear as seen from Earth. NASA/JPL/Space Science InstituteI recently noticed something odd about Saturn while admiring it near brilliant Venus in the southwestern night sky. Any object close to our evil twin sister planet will look somewhat dull in comparisonVenus can be so bright that its commonly mistaken for an airplane or a UFObut Saturn looked positively glum. Its almost on the other side of the sun from us right now, so its nearly at its maximum distance from Earth and thus somewhat fainter than usual. But still, it just seemed especially dim.Then I remembered: Saturns brilliant rings are disappearingat least they are from our perspective here on Earth. The normally broad rings presently appear much slimmer than usual, almost like a line across the planet. Without their countless reflective icy chunks adding to our view of Saturns luster, the planet really is less than half as bright as it can be at other times.Rest assured, Saturns magnificent rings are still there! There are two reasons theyre virtually invisible: one is that theyre almost unimaginably flat, and the other is that our viewing angle is affected by the dance of Saturns and Earths respective orbits.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Saturns rings are not just the most obvious thing about the planetthey are arguably the most magnificent structure in the entire solar system. The main rings are about 280,000 kilometers across; if you put them between Earth and the moon, theyd cover more than two thirds of that gap! At Saturns distance of more than a billion kilometers from Earth, the rings, as large as they are, are invisible to the unaided eyebut only just barely: as soon as we began scanning the sky with telescopes, the rings were spotted, even if their true structure remained mysterious.Galileo saw the rings through his crude telescope in the early 17th century but didnt have enough resolution to see their true shape, and he called them Saturns ears. Decades later Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens realized that the planet was encircled by a ring that was touching it nowhere, as he wrote in the book Systema Saturnium. A figure no less than physicist James Clerk Maxwellwho determined the equations for electromagnetism that underpin our technological civilizationwas the first to prove that such a ring couldnt be solid, or else it would get torn apart. The inner edge would revolve around Saturn much faster than the outer edge, shredding it. From this, it was found that the planets rings (plural) must be made up of chunks of material too small for any telescope from Earth to see. More modern observations showed that those chunks are nearly pure water icewhich is why theyre so bright; ice is an excellent reflector of sunlight. And modern studies also showed that most of these chunks are smaller than an average car. There must be quadrillions of them.Composed of Hubble Space Telescope images, this animation shows Earths changing perspective on Saturns rings between 2018 and 2024.NASA, ESA, Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC), Michael H. Wong (University of California), Joseph DePasquale (STScI)The rings probably formed from an icy moon of Saturn getting whacked, hard, by an incoming object, perhaps even another moon. Interestingly, its not clear when this happened. Research published in the journal Icarus in 2023 looked at the accumulation rate of dark micrometeorite dust on the otherwise shiny rings and found that the rings were young, cosmically speaking: just 100 million to 400 million years in age. On the other hand, research published in late 2024 in the journal Nature Geoscience found that the pollution rate from this dust isnt as fast as had been thought; the high-speed micrometeorite collisions ionize the ring particles, giving them an electric charge. That makes them susceptible to Saturns powerful magnetic field, which then draws the material away, slowing the rate at which the rings darken. That means the rings might be far older.Even today, centuries after their discovery, the rings still pose fundamental mysteries.Still, how they formed after the initial collision is relatively well understood, and it explains their flatness, if not their age. Because of the orbital motions of the Saturnian moon and its impactor, the debris would likely have first formed a long stream, most of which would have lain in the direction of that moons orbital motion. Saturns other moons orbit over its equator, so the material from this one would likely have wound up in a similar configuration as well. Also, because Saturn isnt a perfect sphere but instead bulges at the equator from its rapid 10.5-hour rotation period, the planets thickened middle would have torqued debris into an orbit directly over the equator; this is why a ring-generating impact would have formed a flat disk.And I do mean flat. Despite being hundreds of thousands of kilometers across, the rings are extremely thin, vertically spanning a kilometer at most. In some places the rings are just 10 meters high, as tall as a three-story building. As immense as the rings are, if they and Saturn itself were scaled down to 28 centimeters (11 inches) across, the length of a standard sheet of paper, the rings would be 100 times as thin as the paper! Finally, gravitational interactions with Saturns large moons pull those ring particles into slightly different orbits. Over time, they have created thousands of individual rings, as well as a handful of gaps among them. So from above, the rings are a source of slack-jawed awe. From the side, though, they are razor-thin and extremely difficult to see.Thats where we find ourselves now. Saturn, like Earth, has a large axial tilt that is more than 26 degrees askew from the ecliptic plane in which all the major planets orbit. (Earth has a 23-degree tilt.) This means that during Saturns northern summer, its north pole is tipped toward the sun. From Earth, much closer to the sun than Saturn, wed be looking down on the rings, seeing them in their full glory.Saturns orbit is just about 30 years long, so for much of the Saturnian year, we see the rings clearly. At the time of Saturns equinoxes, however, the rings are seen more nearly edge on from Earth, and in fact they are exactly edge on as seen from the sun. But because Saturns orbit around the sun is tipped very slightly relative to Earths, we only see the rings precisely edge on at Saturns equinox when Earth also passes through the plane of the rings. This can happen twice near the equinox as Earth passes up through the plane and then down again roughly six months later, effectively erasing Saturns rings from our view.And it just so happens that Saturns autumnal equinox will occur in May 2025. And on March 23 our planet will pass through the ring plane, so at that time, the rings will reach the peak of their vanishing act before slowly shifting back into view.But theres a caveat: on that date in March, Saturn will be only 10 degrees from the sun in the sky, making it very difficult to observe. Bad timing! While Saturn will pass through Earths orbital plane again in mid-November, by that time, Saturns axial tilt will have tipped the rings a bit from our vantage point, so well only see them very nearly edge on. The good news is that in November Saturn will be easily viewable in the southern sky after sunset, and it will still look nearly ringless through a telescope. Check to see if theres an observatory or astronomical society near you that is hosting a viewing session!Im hoping to take a gander myself; Saturn without rings will be delightfully odd, and its something I havent seen in more than seven years. But Ill also look forward to time marching on and the planet brightening once more as those glorious rings reveal themselves again. Somehow Saturn without them just wouldnt be Saturn.

This week on the Eurogamer Newscast, we discuss the January 2025 Xbox Developer Direct, and its various games coming soon to Xbox... as well as PC, and nearly all on PlayStation 5 too. Read more

Video Game History Foundation's long-awaited digital library will be available next week"Good things come to those who wait."Image credit: VGHF News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Jan. 24, 2025 Back in 2023, the Video Game History Foundation announced it was curating a digital library, which would allow users to access its vast collection of magazines, art books and more from the comfort of their homes. And while it didn't pop a date on when it would be available to the public at that time, it now has.Writing on social media, the Video Game History Foundation revealed its digital library will be launching next week, on 30th January."Good things come to those who wait," the team wrote, promising it would share further details on what to expect closer to the time.Welcome to the VGHF Library First Look Demo (2023), Watch on YouTubeWhen the digital library was first announced a year and a bit ago, library director Phil Salvador said one of the questions the team at the Video Game History Foundation was asked was how people "can access our collections of rare video game history research materials", but without having to make a trip in person.This digital library - which in 2023 had already been in the works for two years - was the solution. You can check out a little video about the library above.The Video Game History Foundation was initially set up back in 2017, by game preservationist and historian Frank Cifaldi. Writing on BlueSky, Cifaldi shared a more recent teaser for the team's "work-in-progress" digital library, adding it will be "such a great resource" for users."I just asked it to show me every video game magazine in our collection in chronological order that says Metroidvania," Cifaldi posted.Over on the @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social Discord we've been showing off and playing with our work-in-progress digital library (soon!), this is going to be such a great resource. I just asked it to show me every video game magazine in our collection in chronological order that says "Metroidvania."[image or embed] Frank Cifaldi (@frankcifaldi.bsky.social) January 22, 2025 at 8:11 PMTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.Elsewhere in video game history and preservation news, earlier this month GOG announced it had joined the European Federation of Game Archives, Museums and Preservation Projects.It had previously announced its Preservation Program to maintain the compatibility of games with modern and future systems. So far, over 100 games are part of the initiative, receiving a Good Old Game badge.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide February is set to be a massive month for fans of video games. Theres the release date for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, as well as Civilization 7, Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered, Pirate Yakuza, and Monster Hunter Wilds. There will also be a fresh slew of PS Plus Essential giveaways. The reveal date for the PS Plus February 2025 monthly games is imminent, and there are 11 epics known to be leaving, meanwhile, a list of the most requested classics for Premium has been shared.PS Plus February 2025 monthly games reveal dateThePS Plus February 2025 Essential monthly games should be revealed on January 29th. Sony typically pulls the curtain aside on the next batch of games the final Wednesday prior to the start of the next month.As for when the Essential selection will be released, SonysPlayStation Blogpost for January confirms that they will come out on February 4th. The Extra and Premium additions should then be revealed on February 12th before releasing on the 18th.Make sure to claim the January 2025 Essential offerings while you still can. Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League isnt amazing, but its worth adding to your library just in-case you ever fancy playing the campaign. Meanwhile, The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe is fantastic, and so too is Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered.PS Plus February 2025 games leavingBelow is a list of 11 games known to be leaving PS Plus in February 2025:Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League Feb 3rdThe Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe Feb 3rdNeed for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered Feb 3rdTales of Arise Feb 18thTales of Zestiria Feb 18thTales of Symphonia Remastered Feb 18thTales of Vespiria Definitive Edition Feb 18thThe Outer Worlds Spacers Choice Edition Feb 18thScarlet Nexus Feb 18thBulletstorm Full Clip Feb 18thAll of the above come courtesy of TrueTrophies.Most requested classics for PremiumBelow is the top 10 most requested classics for PS Plus Premium:The Simpsons Hit and RunGTA Vice City StoriesGod of War Ghost of SpartaLegend of LegaiaApe Escape 3Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racoon (already released)Silent Hill 2GTA Liberty City StoriesRatchet and ClankGod of War Chains of OlympusThe above list comes courtesy of Implicit Conversions via PushSquare. For those not in the know, Implicit Conversions is a classic game port developer, and they work with Sony to bring classic titles to PS Plus Premium. On their Discord, fans can submit requests for games they want added to Premium, and the above are the top 10 most heavily-requested.The Simpsons Hit and Run is obvious, as are most of the other games included. Unfortunately, despite how much they ae requested, its not guaranteed they will ever be added to Premium, especially in the case of The Simpsons Hit and Run due to licensing complexities that have prevented official remakes from happening.Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereVehicles have played an important role in Fortnites ever-changing island, sparking a variety of reactions from players. From the joy of zipping across the island in a Driftboard or Quadcrasher to the tactical advantage afforded by the X-4 Stormwing, none have aroused as much outrage as the B.R.U.T.E vehicles, sometimes known as Mecha. Debuted in Season X, Mecha faced fierce opposition due to their buffed power and the ability to trample structures into oblivion. Players, including pros, dubbed them overpowered, sparking widespread calls for their removal or major nerfs.Fast forward to 2025, and rumors of the Mechas reappearance are stirring up trouble once more. Recent reports hint that these once-despised vehicles may return in Fortnite soon but with some adjustments.Fortnite leak hints at new vehicle mechanics and Mecha returning to Battle RoyaleTrusted Fortnite leaker Loolo has once again revealed game-breaking news for players that Epic is currently working on some new ability that affects passengers in a vehicle. This comes after the leak in 2024 which included a car hijacking feature where a passenger will be able to take over an enemy car running right next to them.Fortnite leak about new mecha vehicle. Image credit Loolo.However, this leak clearly states its not that hijacking feature and has to do nothing with any vehicle mods either. Instead, Loolo speculates that Epic is working on a new vehicle that is similar to the Mecha where a passenger can shoot and also interact while the driver is focused on jumping and moving across areas.This news again sparked a divide in the player community where one wrote, Maybe something like climbing up on the roof? Or potentially jumping into other players cars. Another chimed in, A passenger seat that kicks out the passenger and sends them in the air? I would love to have that, I feel like as a driver, you should be able to do something against enemies that jump in into your whip.While there are numerous speculations on upcoming features in Fortnite, one thats currently running wild among players is the return of a heist theme in the next Chapter 6 Season 2. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Home Alone was produced and written by the venerable film legend, John Hughes. The movie was inspired by a real trip the director went on with his family.In an article for Chicago magazine, James Hughesson of the directorrecalls: On August 8, 1989, my father [John Hughes] jotted down in a notebook a movie idea born of travelers anxiety that occurred to him during the bustle of departing for our first family trip to Europe, and set it aside. Two weeks later, after returning home, he revisited the premise: What if one of the kids had been accidentally left behind?Hughes continues, Over the next nine days, he completed the first draft of Home Alone. According to that same article, Home Alone went on to defy everyones prerelease expectations, and quickly became the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever made. It earned $476.7 million worldwide.A Bit About the PlotDaniel Stern as Marv and Joe Pesci as Harry in Home AlonePhoto: Atlaspix / Alamy Stock PhotoThe original Home Alone follows the McCallisters as they prepare for an extended-family Christmas trip to France. The morning of their connecting flight to New York, their youngest son, Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin), oversleeps, misses the family headcount, and gets left behindjust like John Hughes dreamt of. (Kevins parents were played by Catherine OHara and John Heard.)The first few days feel like sweet freedom, as Kevin basks in his first real dose of independence by tobogganing down the stairs, indulging in massive ice cream sundaes, and watching R-rated movies that uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman) would never allow.But the fun and games soon come to an end when Kevin is faced by the wet banditstwo bumbling burglars who have their sights set on robbing the McCallister home. Villains Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) soon realize the house isnt vacant like they first thought, and an endless game of cat and mouse ensues, with Kevin setting intricate booby traps to protect himself and his family home. All with a little help from old man Marley and his wicked brother Buzzs pet tarantula, of course.Where Was Home Alone Filmed?The street signs near the Home Alone housePhoto: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

According to Jain mythology, the Samavasarana temple brought the faithful closer to enlightenment through its tiered architectural formseach ascending space marking the accumulation of knowledge on the path toward enlightenment. Today, that spiritual vernacular endures in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where Serie Architects have completed its own contemporary homage: the new Raj Sabhagruh, centerpiece of the nearly 250-acre Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram. Set atop a crescent-shaped hill, the building rises from the 5,000-seat auditorium at its base, a column-free expanse distinguished by its monumental concrete arches. At its crown, meanwhile, a soaring 300-person meditation hall glows like a lantern thanks to over 1,000 integrated pin lights. And outside, the buildings angled faades bear some 800,000 bricks crafted from salvaged marble, their hand-chiseled surfaces yielding subtle texture. Whether youre a practitioner of the ancient Indian religion (based on tenets of compassion, nonviolence, and equality) or simply an admirer of great design, the edifice promises to lift hearts as it draws eyes to the sky.The facade of Raj Sabhagruh.Photo: Rory GardinerThe 5,000-seat auditorium.Photo: Rory GardinerThe skylit meditation hall at the buildings crown.Photo: Rory GardinerA curved stairwell ushers the faithful upward.Photo: Rory Gardiner

On Tuesday, a day after Donald Trumps inauguration as the new U.S. president, the Department of Homeland Security told members of several advisory committees that they were effectively fired.Among the committees impacted is the Cyber Safety Review Board, or CSRB, according to sources familiar with the board who spoke to TechCrunch, as well as reporting by other news outlets. The CSRB was made up of both private sector and government cybersecurity experts.One person familiar with the CSRB, who received the letter informing them that their membership in the CSRB was being terminated, criticized the decision.Shutting down all DHS advisory boards without consideration of the impact was horribly shortsighted, the person, who asked to remain anonymous, told TechCrunch. Stopping the CSRB review when China has ongoing cyberattacks into our critical infrastructure is a dangerous blunder. We need to learn from Salt Typhoon and protect ourselves better. The fact this isnt a priority for Trump is telling.You cant stop what you dont understand and the CSRB was arming us with understanding, the person added.The person was referring to the CSRBs review of the devastating recent breaches at several telecoms in the U.S., allegedly carried out by Chinese government hackers.Contact UsDo you have more information about the Trump administration and its decisions and activities in the cybersecurity realm? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.CISA spokesperson Valerie Mongello referred TechCrunchs request for comment to DHS. In response to a request for comment, DHS provided a comment from an unnamed DHS senior official. Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will no longer tolerate any advisory committee which push agendas that attempt to undermine its national security mission, the Presidents agenda or Constitutional rights of Americans, read the statement. The DHS spokesperson did not respond when asked to provide a name. In alignment with the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security, I am directing the termination of all current memberships on advisory committees within DHS, effective immediately, read the letter sent to members of the CSRB.Another person familiar with the matter pointed out that its interesting that the rationale is misuse of resources because all advisory board members get an excitingly rich salary of$0.Katie Moussouris, a cybersecurity expert with more than two decades of experience, and a former member of the CSRB, told TechCrunch that the people who serve as government advisors should be judged by skills and merit, not by political affiliation. Im hopeful that these critical advisory board vacancies will be filled with the most qualified people without delay.The CSRB investigated the breach of U.S. government email systems provided by Microsoft, also allegedly carried out by Chinese government hackers. In March of last year, the committee published a report on the incident, which was widely lauded in the cybersecurity community.Other DHS advisory committee members that are reportedly impacted by DHSs decision are those dedicated to artificial intelligence, telecommunications, science and technology, and emergency preparedness.

Farewell?Dragon Age: The Veilguard's latest patch sounds like it could be the game's last big update, as BioWare says "Dareth shiral!""We were so happy with the games stability at launch and hope you have enjoyed our Quality of Life patches since then."Image credit: BioWare/VG247 News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Jan. 24, 2025 Dragon Age: The Veilguard's latest patch sounds like it could be the game's last major update, based on the wording BioWare's used in the notes for it.This latest one is the fifth post-release patch that Veilguard has gotten since it came out at the end of October last year, and while they've mostly been about the kind of bug fixes and tweaks you'd expect, BioWare has also used these updates to add in stuff like that extra Mass Effect gear.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. This time, though, the message BioWare's included alongside the rundown of changes is a bit interesting. "Thank you all for playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard," it wrote, "we were so happy with the games stability at launch and hope you have enjoyed our Quality of Life patches since then."With the game being in a stable place, we are moving to monitor for any game-breaking bugs should those occur. Dareth shiral!"Dareth shiral, in case you're not a master of Thedas' Elven language, means 'farewell', or more literally 'Safe journey'. So, could this be the end of big updates to Veilguard, with a Manfred-esque skeleton crew being left to tidy up any big issues that crop up from here on out? It's not 100% clear, but it sounds like it.VG247 has contacted EA for comment.As for Patch 5, itself, it includes a bunch of bug fixes, in addition to one quality of life change, which is that "recommended levels have been added to side quests that players may receive at significantly lower levels".The bug fixes are as follows:Fixed an issue where Rook could only flirt with Lucanis in a specific conversation.Fixed an issue with the Regrets of The Dread Wolf quest not triggering properly or stopping Rook with an invisible wall in the Crossroads. Fixed a blocking issue with a puzzle in the Converged City area of the Crossroads.Fixed an issue with the 'Imperiums Resolve' armor causing negative damage instead of the intended zero fire, cold, necrotic, and electric damage. Fixed excessive clipping on Taashs Rivains Legacy armor. Fixed an issue that prevented some Rooks from changing the runes on their lyrium dagger. Fixed an issue with the Medium Armor Mastery skill for Warriors. Fixed a spot on Rivains beach where Rook could get stuck in a cycle of drowning, never to be pulled out of the water by their companions.Fixed a typo on a note Rook can find in Dock Town. Fixed an issue that caused photo mode screenshots to be noticeably worse quality when HDR was turned to On.Fixed an issue that was causing the photo mode screenshot location to still be shown on screen. Fixed an issue that caused the fireflies in the opening area of the Crossroads to flicker at an alarming rate on specific settings. Fixed a lighting issue in one of the conversations with the whole team in the Lighthouse.Fixed an issue in the Mirror of Transformation that blocked players from zooming in and out with the mouse scroll wheel.Fixed an issue where the Objective Marker Visibility was not updated when the exploration preset was changed with the other options in the Exploration sub-category. Some adjustments to the game credits.Earlier this week, EA revealed that Veilguard - along with footy behemoth EA Sports FC 25 - had "underperformed" its expectations. Are you hoping this latest Dragon Age entry will get more updates? Let us know below.

Make It LegalThe Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster dares to answer important questions like "What if Darth Maul and a loader droid went rogue on the Trade Federation?"Wipe them out, all of them.Image credit: VG247/Aspyr Article by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Jan. 24, 2025 After a sudden announcement back in October and a handful of goofy trailers, Aspyr's remaster of Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles has finally arrived, and I'm pleased to report it might be the ultimate couch co-op Star Wars game.When I asked Aspyr's Chris Bashaar, Director of Product, about the main goal behind this refresh of a divisive Star Wars title, he was pretty straightforward: "Its about honoring the fun, quirky spirit that made the original so memorable." The developer team clearly has many members who grew up playing this off-beat retelling of The Phantom Menace, and it shows as soon as you boot the re-release up for the first time.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. I was surprised from the get-go by one simple decision: All the ten story levels plus the bonus ones are unlocked instantly. The original Jedi Power Battles release already felt arcade-y, but the remaster is even more flexible. Jump into whichever you want and rack up enough points to unlock the more difficult achievements and grab extra progression bonuses for each character. Of course, the average player may want to experience the game in order, but having the option to do the opposite is refreshing, especially once you're familiar with it. Picking a new character doesn't mean resetting all the progress (only switching difficulty settings does so, oddly enough).Opening every level from the beginning is only the tip of the iceberg, as every major addition or change present in this remaster seems to be made with chill hangouts in mind. The few diehards of the PS1 and Dreamcast releases have always highlighted the game was much more fun when played in co-op with a friend or relative, and Aspyr appears to have zeroed in on that aspect of it. Most of the new unlockable characters (based on NPCs and each with its own moveset) are unlocked after beating the entire story once, but the main driving force behind this remaster, as far as I can tell, was to deliver a pick-up-and-play retro Star Wars experience that puts uncomplicated fun and comedy front and center. Image credit: VG247/AspyrThe Dreamcast port, released only a few months after the more popular but rougher PS1 release, already made a number of big changes to the game, especially when it came to checkpoints and some tricky bits of platforming. This new iteration kept those tweaks around and went a step further to make jumps more reliable and some bad sections not as punishing. My inner child, who spent way too much time mastering each level, does miss some of the original PS1 version's rough edges, but even if this remaster is mainly targeting seasoned millennials, making concessions and easing newcomers into a fairly demanding beat 'em up and platformer hybrid was the right call.After one quick (I'm no tourist) first playthrough with the hilariously broken Mace Windu (seriously, he's got the best Force specials by far), more than a dozen of Glup Shittos became available. Moreover, a cheat code can unlock the Trade Federation's loader droid (aka the first boss in the game), which is playable through the entire thing even if its missing plenty of animations and shouldn't be able to ride a speeder bike. It's great stuff, like emptying a box of old Kenner figures and coming up with wacky what-if scenarios. Make Jar Jar's head comically large with another cheat code and you'll only raise the hilarity factor. What about some Darth Maul on Darth Maul action? Sure, skip to 'Duel of the Fates' final battle whenever you want to see how that pans out. F**k that timeline up. Image credit: VG247/AspyrIt must be noted that, for the most part, many of Jedi Power Battles' wonkier bits, such as moments of odd collision detection, audio cutting out, and suicidal NPCs that like to fall to their doom before you even engage them, are a thing in this remaster. Many players won't be happy about this and will instead ask for more a more sanitized and reworked remaster bordering on remake. That was never the goal here, and I feel that completely rebuilding the game would've robbed this underrated-but-not-quite-good action-adventure romp of its charm.The fun and humor were only elevated when I jumped into co-op (thanks to Parsec on PC, as Steam Remote Play isn't available at least right now) alongside another friend who knew the game in and out. He was as surprised and pleased by the additions as I was, but we were instantly zapped back to much simpler times and started to speedrun through the levels despite some chaotic moments. Image credit: VG247/AspyrYoda is still laughing every time you fall to your death. Those droids can still block two combos in a row only to uppercut you into oblivion. Captain Panaka still low-key rocks. If you liked the original, you're getting an XXL, smoother version of that experience. If you never came across it, you might wonder what the f**k is going on as soon as you start playing. As old Qui-Gon Jinn said: "Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Use your instincts." We don't get Star Wars video games like this anymore, so let's celebrate.Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is now available on PC (Steam and GOG), PS4/5, Xbox Series X/S plus One, and Nintendo Switch. A review code was provided by the publisher for coverage purposes.