Star Wars: Battle Pod brings Yavin to your home
How much of a hit can your bank account Endor?
That looks so awesome… what is it?
Well, Bandai Namco has been kind enough to allow you to buy one of its Star Wars: Battle Pods arcade cabinets for use in your own home. Unfortunately it’s only really going to be available for those of you with deep (we’re talking Mariana Trench here) pockets, because it will set you back a monumental £24,000.
You might think that would get you a couple of hours of play but nope: you only get five missions, which will take up around fifteen minutes of your precious time. We assure you it will be well spent though, as you’ll be flying around some of the planets from episodes IV-VI on a wide curved screen accompanied by 5.1-channel surround sound, air bursts and seat and joystick vibration.
Wait… what is an ‘arcade cabinet’?
Well it’s really more of a booth, except rather than it taking your photo, it gives you the chance to act out some of the most famous battle scenes from the Star Wars film franchise. You get to take control thanks to two levers, one for control and one for throttle. And yes, there are triggers for shooting down Rebel and Empire forces, the second one giving you the chance to unleash your special weapon.
So if I get to shoot at the Rebel forces, does that mean I can join the Dark Side?
Unfortunately you’ll only get that chance once. For the fifth and final mission, you’re Darth Vader in his TIE Advanced chasing after Rebel forces making sure they don’t get their filthy hands on your blueprints for the Superlaser. The mission is rated extreme so be warned: the Rebel Alliance won’t make it easy for you.
But it is still £24,000, so is it worth it?
Well playing all five missions in the arcade would cost you £10, so you’ll only have to complete it 2,400 times to make it worth your money. If you want to go all out however, then there’s always the Premium Edition Battle Pod that comes with leather seats that move and react to the game, as well as the choice between a Rebel or Darth Vader design and a whole host of other extras, including exclusive carpeting (yeah we know, that alone is worth the outlay). For any true Star Wars fanboys, then this could be a dream come true. Just make sure you check with the bank first.
Well did they include any of the cool battles from episodes I-III?
Leave. Leave right now.
Kyle Pittman
Apprentice Web Producer 
