Most movie-based games fail to capture the essence of the film.  Since Attack of the Clones is a side-scrolling action game, the part of the film that it tries to capture is, obviously, the action (mainly lightsaber battles).  And while it has a few frustrating problems, Attack of the Clones is just about as good as a Star Wars game can get on the GBA.

There are two styles of gameplay: side-scrolling action and 3D action.  The side-scrolling action levels feature three playable characters (that automatically change between levels).  These levels use a typical side-scrolling structure.  You can go right (forward), but you can't go back very far.  Most of the levels are flat, but some of them have platforms that are necessary to reach your goal (more on that later).  In the flatter levels, there is basically one goal: walk (you can't run) from one end to the next without dying.  Many droids will try to prevent you from reaching your goal, and that's when the action really heats up.

As many as four droids will attack simultaneously -- two on each side of the screen -- and that's just in the first level!  Some of them attack physically, but most of them come equipped with blasters and they aren't afraid to use them.  You can jump to avoid laser blasts, but that's not going to get you anywhere.  It's impossible to dodge four blasts at once!

So take a cue from the real Jedi* and use your lightsaber to its fullest.  Just as the Jedi could deflect laser blasts in the movie, you can deflect laser blasts in this game.  While deflecting is a great way to defend yourself (and take out several of those annoying droids), it does not eliminate the challenge.  Whenever you kill a droid, there's always more waiting to be sent in (until you get to the end of the level).  That's what this game is all about -- slicing and dicing droids and Geonosians.  Most of them cannot be avoided, since the level moves forward in shifts.  Despite being repetitive, Attack of the Clones is surprisingly fun.  I expected it to be good, but at first I wasn't sure how the game would turn out.  After getting to the second level, I was hooked.  The problems were not "Forceful" enough to make me want to quit.  Perhaps the Death Star was using its powers to pull me in, but I doubt it.

*Real Jedi as in "the ones that are in the movie."  I know that Jedi don't actually exist.  At least, not in our galaxy...

Attack of the Clones' story is a shortened version of the movie's major events, such as the Coruscant chase sequence (where Anakin and Obi-Wan chase Zam Wesell through the city).  The Coruscant chase has also been recreated as one of the game's 3D levels.

The 3D action levels are like a flying version of Doom, with lots of obstacles and less weaponry.  The Coruscant chase level isn't as exciting as the others (since there are no weapons to use, just a protective shield), but it's still enjoyable. I'm not sure what kind of an engine the developers used for the 3D levels, but I hope they continue experimenting with it.  It might not be console-perfect, but I think a Star Wars FPS is possible.

There are two complaints that I have with Attack of the Clones.  The first, less-significant (but still important) problem is what happens after you die.  If you die at any point during a game, you must restart from the beginning of that particular level.

The biggest problem I have with this game is the controls.  The control issues are level-specific though, so they're not always bad.  The first level has an area with a few moving platforms.  To jump on them, you must press and hold Up on the directional pad while hitting the B button.  This is annoying, but it's not much of a hassle until you begin platform hopping.  If you jump toward a moving platform without holding Up, you won't land on it.  Your character could jump above the platform, and in any other game, he would land on it when he falls.  But in this game, he goes right through it.  Stationary platforms are usually more stable, but there were times when I fell right through them simply because I wasn't holding Up.  This could be the one thing that pushes people away from Attack of the Clones.  However, if that's the only thing that bothers you, stick it out.

Gameplay: 6
2D lightsaber battles have never been so fun before!  Attack of the Clones has its share of problems, but as a portable game, it delivers an experience that you won't find anywhere else.  I like it much more than the Episode I games released three years ago.

Graphics: 7
Attack of the Clones crams a lot of lightsaber action onto one screen.  The animation is a tad choppy, but the explosions are great.  Speaking of great, check out those character models!  The Destroyer Droids look very nice.

Sound: 8.3
The most pleasing aspect of Attack of the Clones is the music.  No other cartridge-based game for any portable system sounds as clear as Episode II.  Most of the songs are instantly recognizable.  SW fans will be impressed.

Difficulty: Medium
Most of the levels are challenging, but easy enough to beat the entire game in an hour or two.

Concept: 7 
Whether you like it or not, there's denying the originality of this game.  The blast deflection technique is really cool.

Overall: 6
Attack of the Clones is the kind of game that you'll want to pick up and play while waiting to do something else.  There are a lot of games like that, but this is one of the better ones.  It's not long enough to make it a must-buy for everyone, but Star Wars fans should definitely play through it.