First, know that the majority of this game is exactly the same as Ubisoft’s GBA game of the same name. For more information about the single-player, 2D beat-em-up portion of the game, be sure to read my review of the GBA game.

The only gameplay difference between the 2D portions of each version is that special moves can be activated by touching panels on the DS touch screen in that version, in addition to the slightly awkward button combinations used in the GBA version. It’s an improvement, though only slight. On the other hand, the DS version of the game is completely missing the two-player co-op mode, probably just so the GBA version could claim a feature of its own.

For an extra ten dollars, the DS version features touch screen menus, improved sound quality, and a 3D space shooter engine. That last one should be the only real consideration you make in choosing one version over the other, especially since the GBA version plays just fine on the DS hardware. Is the 3D mode worth the extra money or not?

That depends on whether you have friends who also plan to buy the DS version. Although a few 3D flying missions are wedged into the one-player adventure (and those pretty much stink, by the way), the engine is primarily devoted to multiplayer. There, you can set up a wireless game with up to three other friends who also own the game…sorry, no single-card gameplay. The empty slots can be filled up by reasonably smart computer players, as many as three of them, so you can even dogfight in a makeshift one-player match.

The 3D mode resembles Factor 5’s Rogue Squadron games, at least in basic design. The graphics don’t even begin to compare. The game is plagued by horrible textures, though a smooth frame rate makes it look better in action than in screenshots. The comparison is reasonable, however, in the sense that Revenge of the Sith lets you take control of dozens of ships from the Star Wars universe and shoot other craft out of the sky (or space). The controls are digital and fairly simple, but you can roll the craft and, surprisingly, even redistribute shield energy. The gameplay is all about dogfighting, and attacks fall into the tried and true laser and lock-on missile categories.

One of the best parts about this mode, aside from the bots and simple wireless setup, is the wide variety of playable ships. Many of them have to be unlocked via the 2D single-player mode, but it’s worth it to have access to the X-wing, the Millenium Falcon, and Darth Vader’s TIE Advance. The ships don’t just look different, either. Each one has unique handling and performance ratings, and you can definitely feel and see the difference while playing.

Does this mode make the DS version worth getting over the GBA version? For single-player skirmishes, I’d say no, even though the bots are quite capable. But as a multiplayer game, it’s quite interesting and deeper than you might think, especially on the complex Coruscant maps. So yeah, if your friends are also thinking about getting Revenge of the Sith, it’s probably worth it for everyone to shell out a bit extra for the DS version. The only problem is that it may make you wish Ubisoft had polished up the graphics and just made a whole game out of the 3D engine, but maybe they’re already working on that.