Back in 1999, a little thing called Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace hit theaters. Among the many things it brought to the Star Wars universe—like double-bladed lightsabers and midichlorians—was one particularly thrilling scene: the podrace on Tatooine. If you watched that and thought, I need to do that… minus the risk of fiery explosions, then Star Wars Episode I: Racer was your ticket to speed. Released on this day in 1999, Star Wars Episode I: Racer threw players right into the pilot seat of Anakin Skywalker’s podracer, letting them blast through the canyons of Tatooine, dodge asteroids on Ando Prime, and squeeze through the narrow tubes of Oovo IV. It was blisteringly fast, occasionally frustrating, and absolutely iconic. The Fastest Game in the Galaxy Back in the late ’90s, the idea of racing at 600 miles per hour through desert canyons wasn’t just ambitious—it was practically ludicrous….
